Tuesday, December 7, 2010

i wanna be a MSW

This is some of my letter of intent.... Surely this will get me into grad school... RIGHT?!


There are many different things that have sparked a love of Social Work in my life, but my inspiration has been my sister: Samantha Smith. We grew up like most children and we were just like them, only she had been diagnosed with ADHD, schizophrenia, and a mild case of mental retardation. Due to this diagnosis she struggled with school work, and was not able to do the same work that I could. She struggled just to keep up with the class and perform some basic skills such as counting money and telling time on an analog clock. My mother always told her that she would never be able to accomplish these simple tasks, and eventually she began to believe her. She moved to New York and was placed in a group home and got connected with a program that helped set realistic goals such as: cooking, counting money, and telling time on an analog clock. After twenty-one years of being told that she could never grasp these concepts because of their difficulty, and now at the age of twenty-two she can do them.
People in her group home had faith in her and empowered her to be able to do something she was always told she would not be able to accomplish because she was not smart enough. I want to be able to do the same thing those people did for my sister. Every person deserves to have a voice and just as equally they deserve to be heard. I want to be the voice for those that cannot be heard! I want to interact with children in schools, who may be in the same situation as my sister. Just because they are young or different does not mean they do not have feelings. They matter just like everyone else and I want to be the one and possibly only person to show them their worth whether it is through my words or actions. About 2 summers ago I worked at a camp in Van, Texas called Sky Ranch. I was responsible for 8 and 9 year old girls. They came from many backgrounds and opened my eyes to a variety of social situations that many young girls deal with today. Some had been raped or molested, some struggled with depression or eating disorders, and some just wanted to be loved. Each of the girls I interacted with taught me a little something about life.

2 comments:

  1. Awwwww, Shanny. This totally made me tear up. I love you my sweet boo boo girl!! I'm so proud of you!! You are going to change lives!! You've already changed mine!!

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  2. If I was the reading this letter of intent... I would put it on the top to make sure that you were accepted FIRST. :) You will be the greatest social worker EVER!! Love you, Shanny baby!

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