MSW Social Work Personal Historically Black University

Goals: After obtaining my MSW degree from ____ University, I aim to start my career as a certified social worker with Child Protective Services’ (CPS), Child and Family Agency. Over time, I aspire to become a Social Worker Supervisor at the same agency, focusing on ensuring the safety and well-being of families. My long-term goal is to lead a program dedicated to preventing child abuse and neglect. I believe children and families are inseparable, and child and family welfare will always be central to my social work practice and approach.

Experience: My choice to pursue a career in social work was directly influenced by the traumatic experiences I faced and overcame as a child, adolescent, and adult. My parents divorced when I was in middle school. My sister has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and depression and has five children, none of whom live with her. My mom and I have custody of the oldest, one is with their father, one is with a friend, one is with a paternal grandmother, and the fifth was placed in the child welfare system and adopted. I closely followed each case and did everything possible to ensure their care. My older brother, who had undiagnosed mental health issues and struggled with drug addiction, committed suicide when I was a senior in high school. We were very close, and his loss sparked my lifelong commitment to studying the harmful effects of substance abuse on families and children. I am also a survivor of domestic violence from the father of my oldest child, and I understand the challenges of overcoming such experiences. As a single mother of two, neither of the fathers of my children has assisted in raising or supporting them, nor have they complied with court orders for financial support.

I have been working two jobs since I was 15. My struggles have given me insight into my own strengths and weaknesses, as well as those of our society and social welfare system. My work with the Institute for Family Centered Services in ____ MD from 2009 to 2010 exposed me to critical family issues and motivated me to assist at-risk families in my community. Our goal was to preserve families, and my role involved conducting assessments, developing and implementing treatment plans, and providing 24-hour crisis intervention. I prepared holistic assessments and made practical recommendations for clients, collaborating with service providers, probation officers, therapists, case managers, and social workers. From 2010 to 2011, I worked with ____ Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington DC as a Fortitude Housing Case Manager, providing outreach, intake, assessment, employment search, and case management services. This role taught me a lot through collaboration with the Department of Human Services and the DC Housing Authority. In 2011, I started working with (SOME) So Others Might Eat in Washington, DC, as a Service Coordinator, independently managing a housing contract with the Department of Mental Health, including all statistics, data reports, phone conferences, screenings, intakes, and move-ins for two of SOME’s largest housing properties. I remain committed to helping the homeless in our city, and one of the highlights of my life was attending the National Alliance to End Homelessness Conference in 2010. I have also advocated for homeless individuals at Washington DC City Council Meetings.

Weaknesses and Essential Strengths: Friends, family, and coworkers often tell me I am “too nice” or friendly, take on too much work, and need to learn how to say ‘no.’ However, apart from my own children, I am a workaholic and thrive on helping people. My greatest strength is probably my professional experience. In addition to the experiences mentioned above, I have been enjoying my two current positions for almost two years now, working as a Substance Abuse Coordinator with DC’s CFS and as a Life Skills Trainer with ____. I find the latter position particularly beneficial in developing my leadership skills in crisis intervention. As a Substance Abuse Coordinator for CFS, I often feel like half scientist, half detective, working to find the most clinically appropriate treatment supports and options for families aided by the District of Columbia's child welfare system. 

Contemporary Social Issue: I hope to apply my experience in your program, focusing much of my research on child abuse and neglect related to or worsened by substance use and abuse. I am pleased that my BS degree is in Psychology (2009), as this background helps me understand the dynamics involved in the psychology of substance use and abuse. The father of my oldest son, who is now eight years old, loves him dearly, and my son loves his father. Unfortunately, his dad is frequently high on marijuana and lets my son do whatever he wants, requiring me to re-program my child every week. This has helped me appreciate the depth of our societal challenges in this area, as it hits close to home regularly.

Mission: I aspire to be a successful Social Worker who keeps families together by providing support and services available in the DC area. I aim to become a leader in our field and serve as a Supervisor or Program Manager for Social Workers at a Child Welfare Agency. I am particularly interested in statistics on removals and other child welfare issues, including but not limited to substance abuse, domestic violence, education truancy, and child cruelty.

Financial Aid: I am a white woman raised primarily among black people, which is why I attended an HBCU for my undergraduate studies at ____ University in Baltimore, MD. The fathers of my children are black, and we all face our own struggles. I want to continue my education in a predominantly African-American academic community because the wonderful black people with whom I have shared my life have taught me to admire and find joy in the struggle for advancement.

I am applying for financial aid through FAFSA to fund my graduate education. I appreciate your consideration of my application to ____’s esteemed MSW Program, as I strongly believe your University is the best fit for my personality, drive, capacity, resources, and high level of motivation. Thank you for considering my application.

MSW Social Work Personal Historically Black University