As a Latina growing up in New York City with parents from the Dominican Republic, I knew the difficulties of living in poverty. As a child, financial arguments were a common thing, budgets were strict and extra funds were low. However, when it came to education money was not a factor. Education was the solution to poverty, with a good education you’ll succeed and obtain a great job. I kept this mentality with me throughout my academic career. I completed my undergraduate studies in Rhetoric and Communications in hopes of starting a marketing career. That quickly changed when I started my first post-undergraduate job. At this time, I became a group leader in an after-school program for a 3rd-grade class. This was my first time working with children and as imagined, it was a tough transition. The students were Latino and African American, living in poverty stricken neighborhoods with a dysfunctional home life. The program focused on students who were at risk of retention. A large number of students were below average and had been recommended to receive extra academic support. As a result of my time spent working and learning with the students, I choose an educational path. After working with the 3rd graders, I became an assistant teacher at an early childhood education center in a low-income neighborhood with numerous students who needed extra support due to behavioral and emotional disorders. At one point, I encountered a student with selective mutism; selective mutism is when a person is capable of speaking but voluntarily chooses not to communicate verbally. I began to work one on one with him to understand why he didn 't communicate verbally. The first course of action was a meeting with his mother to learn more about him and th... ... middle of paper ... ...l in an urban area. When working closely with students in the past, it was difficult knowing that I could provide extensive support but didn’t have the expertise. I 've explored different careers involving help children and their families but it always led back to social work. As a graduate student, I expect to be challenged as a student and a professional. I expect to learn all the different theories, practices and policies in place to properly help students. I look forward to the combination of coursework and practicums to enhance my skills. In retrospect, practicums can be the most challenging areas. To overcome this challenge, I’ve observed the school social worker at my current position and have developed a better understanding of the daily responsibilities. I am confident that I will succeed and to be able to help and advocate for students through social work.
It’s considered a rarity now days to walk down a major city street and not come across a single person who is fighting to survive poverty. The constant question is why don’t they go get help, or what did they do to become like this? The question that should be asked is how will America fix this? Over the past year, Americans who completed high school earned fifteen point five percent more per hour than that of dropouts (Bernstein, Is Education the Cure to Poverty). According to Jared Bernstein, in his article “Is Education the Cure to Poverty”, he argues that not only do the poor need to receive a higher education, but to also maximize their skill levels to fill in where work is needed (Is Education the Cure to Poverty). Counter to Bernstein’s argument Robert Reich expresses that instead of attempting to achieve a higher education, high school seniors need to find another way into the American middle class. Reich goes on to say “the emerging economy will need platoons of technicians able to install, service, and repair all the high-tech machinery filling up hospitals, offices, and factories” (Reich, Why College Isn’t (and Shouldn’t Have to be) for Everyone). Danielle Paquette, though, offers an alternative view on higher education. Paquette gives view that it doesn’t matter on the person, rather it’s the type of school and amount of time in school that will determine a person’s
When pursuing a degree in social work, one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences within the degree aspect is the capstone project. The capstone is a multi-integrative assignment that is structure to provide social work students with the opportunity to apply their academic, professional and personal experience in the field through the application of a project. With allowing students to master the knowledge, skills, values, and ethics needed for effective social work practice, the capstone project also provide a development to really contribute in the knowledge of the profession. All social work capstone projects encourage students to unite their work to community issues and problems through learning, observations and internship. This paper examines the values, policy, conceptual framework, group
I knew I loved to help others but it was not until I was an emerging adult that I knew what my calling was. My devotion to improve the quality of life for those who are disadvantaged is one of the reasons I have chosen to pursue a Master’s in Social Work. After obtaining my masters, I plan on diversifying my masters by getting licensed and becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I would like to study social work because I feel it will lead me directly to one of the most emotionally fulfilling careers available, as well as giving me the chance to combine helping people 's mental well being with their physical
The question “Why is there so much poverty in the United States?” has such a broad spectrum of issues. There is no simple cure or single cause of poverty. According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, “the 2011 Poverty Guidelines are $10,890 for a single member household and $22,350 for a family of four” (par 13). In addition, “families’ incomes that fall below the threshold given, means that every individual in the household are considered to be in poverty” (par 13). Poverty is too complex an issue to be the result of just one problem, but we can narrow down the subject, to show the effects of how the lack of education can diminish our countries resources and how that has a ripple effect on future generations. Without an education, people receive lower pay; there is an increased rate of crime, and a higher reliance on state and federal aid, which is draining economically.
As Nelson Mandela once proclaimed, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Unfortunately, some students do not have the chance to take part in a college education. Not receiving a post-secondary education is a rising issue among those below the poverty line in the United States. In 2010, eighty-two percent of high income students continued their education into college; while in contrast, only fifty-two percent of students living in poverty had the opportunity to receive their college education. Poverty can be defined as having little to no money, goods, or means of support. Living below the line of poverty is an ongoing struggle for at least fifteen million young adults nation-wide, according to the Institute for Higher Education Policy. This accounts for at least forty-four percent of young adults. Currently, one person out of every four people living in poverty as an adult has earned their college degree; but somehow cannot escape the life of poverty, while eighteen percent of adults living in poverty dropped out of high school without even earning a GED or an equivalent degree (Low-Income). According to the New York State Department of Labor 2010 statistics, an individual with a Bachelor’s Degree will earn over fifty thousand dollars more per year than an individual who has only completed high school (Smith). Earning a college degree will not ensure escaping the life of poverty; however, it provides a solution to escape that lifestyle and gives an opportunity to move on to a more successful life that those living in poverty have only dreamed of.
To provide effective social services, a social work graduate must possess a multitude of knowledge, skills and abilities. This will be a reflective paper on everything that I know for sure as a student of social work who is about to go into the world of work.
The stories and resilience I’ve seen and heard remind of the importance of civic engagement and leadership. I recognize that without the support of mentors such as Mr. Bravo, I would not be writing these words today. At age 22, I have returned to the community that shaped the individual I am today. My way of giving back for the opportunities I have had in life is by serving as a resource, mentor, and tutor to the youth in my community. I work closely with 11 at risk eight grade students at Carver Middle School, a school in South Los Angeles. My purpose in serving in this community is because my students deserve a quality education that will allow them to develop the skills to be civically engaged citizens. Therefore, building brave spaces for my students is crucial to me; because, I am aware of the importance of social and emotional support of one’s personal and professional development. I want my students to know that they matter and that they are not
Social work practice requires many skills, which need much practice themselves. This needs social work students to be open to trying within safe environments and scenario’s for mistake, such as with their peers and with emotional safe scenarios such as stress at University. This begins with a requirement to do 5 minutes of interviewing with a peer which includes many social work skills such as active listening, encouraging, paraphrasing, being/creating a welcoming and safe environment and other such basic and beginning skills.
However, it is generally not acknowledged until the child starts school and is expected to reply orally and/or intermingle in social situations (Foundation, 2016). A common misconception about children with selective mutism is that they appear to be shy and that they will grow out of it. Furthermore, immediate intervention is logical for those that are undergoing severe forms of Selective Mutism because the symptoms can increase overtime. In general, a younger child has a better chance of recovering from SM because of the shorter interval of time where no articulation has transpired in school or in other major situations (Foundation,
Working with others and improving own learning and performance are highly essential skills in social work. In this essay I will reflect on how well I have developed these two skills and what I need to do to improve them.
In addition, various studies that were the same generated different results. Some researchers argued that SM children remain silent to reduce anxiety (Scott and Beidel, 2011), While some claimed, SM children are oppositional and defiant. After researching this phenomenon through books, articles and studies, I believe that strategies will be useless until all teachers are trained to recognize SM children. Otherwise, a large enough sample of likely SM children will never be produced. The first step that Martinez, et al. took regarding teacher surveys will be the best route to determine what teachers need training in as it relates to SM. At this point, information in literature is so conflicting that all data collecting need to start from ground zero. As an example, while the literature reviewed on SM helped reveal the etiology of selective mutism, limited information and gaps in knowledge still exist and show a need for additional study to understand Selective Mutism (Viana, Beidel, & Rabian, 2009; Harwood, & Bork, 2011). Limitations of studies that appeared in the literature reviewed may be the cause of some of the inconsistencies in studies. As an example, the majority of studies found on SM came from literature and many of the treatments referred to in the literature expressed results from case studies, narrative reviews, or use of one particular case (Viana, Beidel, & Rabian, 2009). Moreover, while reviewing the literature, it was noted that some inconsistencies appear regarding various research, treatments, practices, and investigation of SM. According to Vianna, Beidel & Rabian (2009) these discrepancies were caused by researchers using the same structured diagnostic procedures, and this made the outcomes difficult to interpret since various
Becoming a social worker would be the greatest and rewarding achievement I could ever accomplish. The social work profession facilitates social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people. (Australian Association of Social Workers, 2016, para. 2).The area I’m interested to work in is Child Abuse and young people with disability because of personal experience. One of my major inspiration through her quote is (Mother Teresa 2001) “If you can 't feed a hundred people, then feed just one". I connect with this quote because I know I can never change the whole world but I can make a different in one-person life. After I completed year 12 of high school education I wasn’t sure is social work was for me. I decided to do a diploma of community service to get more idea of what social work do. Studying a diploma of community motivated me more to pursue a career as a social worker. This essay will reflect on my past experience and the things motivated me the most to become social work practitioner. This reflection will discuss the values, beliefs as social worker.
More and more people are falling into insular poverty. Insular poverty is rapidly growing, in our nation, into a huge problem today. It’s affecting student’s education causing them to work so much harder than the average American. To get a higher education in a poverty stricken home is almost impossible. Research is showing that poverty negatively impacts students during their educational
For years, when I thought of Social Workers, I imagined a person coming into a client’s home and taking their kids away for neglect. Later, I found out that social workers could go into so many dimensions, such as clinical social workers, case mangers, and even administrative positions in agency settings. Furthermore, I realized that I was maturing into an adult. For example, when I began telling people of my decisions to become a social worker, a lot ...
Over the course of the semester, I have learned a variety of many things regarding social work. These things vary from learning how to help oneself to understanding how to help others. Not only were the textbooks very useful, but also the materials that furthered this textbook learning. The in class presentation, activities, and guest speakers gave us insight and a different perspective on the material we were learning. I feel like this course has given me a good foundation and prepared me as a future social worker (1).