
	In pursuing an education in social work, I intend to follow a career path with the Division of Family and Children Services to help children who have been abused or neglected; and to provide support for troubled families. Values that I can provide to the social work field include the following: service, respect, ethical nature, commitment to help improve relationships between others and to improve myself professionally to remain competent in my field. These core values are not just important to social workers; they are important to me personally. 

	I have always wanted to help others, but I was unsure of the career path that I wanted to follow. Throughout my years in high school and college, I saw many individuals flee from their problems in denial and a few used coping mechanisms that were less than ideal. Because of situations that I have witnessed, I chose to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Still unsure of a career path, I decided to take a break once I graduated from Piedmont College in 2009. One day that summer, I visited a friend who introduced me to a sixteen year-old boy sitting nervously on her couch. She explained to me why he was visiting: to escape his abusive parents. The next day, I learned that he had called the police to his parent’s residence. To see if I could help in any way, I drove over to his parents’ house. Once there, I privately explained my concerns to the police and told them I had just graduated with a degree in Psychology from Piedmont College. The police requested that I talk to the parents since there was nothing that the law could do for the teenager. When I questioned the parents about the situation, they seemed nervous and used excuses to describe their son’s “manipulative” behavior for involving outside sources to resolve “simple” disputes. After this particular experience, I began to seriously consider a career in social work to help children with “simple” disputes among family members.

	Another value that is important for the field of social work is social justice. As a society, we claim that the individual is important and we mourn those that we have lost. The concept of the “individual” that society holds is more a follower of archaic traditions than actual uniqueness. So, if society mourns lost individuals, then why do we strive to be similar to “everyone else?” I am an individual and do not enjoy placing limitations on myself to be similar to others. Throughout my years at high school and college, I protested against social injustice whenever I could: coloring my hair unnatural colors, wearing clothing that fit my personality, piercing my ears past the traditional set, declaring my involvement with GSBA (Gay Straight Bisexual Alliance), fighting against both racism and discrimination whenever I witnessed it, etc. I believe in social justice and I will continue to protest against social injustice.
