Personal Statement for the Admission to School of Social Work, Florida Atlantic University

Life is a cycle with everyone requiring help at some point. The statement has been the core principle in which I have been brought up. Throughout my developmental years and as a young person I have learned the virtue of caring for others. My interest and desire in the social work field stem from these teachings that have given me a passion and drive for impacting the lives of others. Interacting with the less fortunate in society has provided me with a better understanding of the challenges they face. In particular, my primary aim in venturing into this subject area is to help young drug addicts.
Drug abuse among the youth has been on the rise in recent years, and this has led to the loss of potential contributors to economic development. The many challenges that the society faces currently, such as teen pregnancies, rising crime rates, spreading of sexually transmitted diseases, and addiction arise from drug abuse. The subject area is of significance to me because I have had the direct experience of how the vice can entirely destroy one’s life. I had a friend in high school that I believe if he had gotten the right support and counseling would still be alive. He lost his life while trying to steal money to purchase drugs. I did my best in helping him find help, but the lack of the support of the family and being seen as an outcast by the community took a toll on him. He considered drugs to be his solace as other people had rejected him.
From then on, I knew the exact area that I would like to focus on as a social worker.

Early detection of drug use is the best method to deal with the issue. Parents and guardians require training that will give them knowledge concerning the symptoms to look out for in their children. Moreover, these people need the constant support of both the parents and the whole community. Shunning them away only serves to make them find a companion in substances. Educating young people is also a critical aspect that makes them aware of the effects of using drugs.
In addition to my upbringing that instilled the caring nature in me, I also have the first-hand experience of working with the less privileged. In particular, I have been involved with activities that relate to helping the community upgrade their living conditions. I come from a community in which the majority of the families are poor. After high school, I volunteered to be part of an NGO group that worked towards assisting individuals in my community develop life skills. One of the primary challenges that we identified as the significant cause of lack of development was the prominence of drug abuse. Most families lacked the ability to grow themselves because the little money they got went into waste. The first task was thus to deal with this underlying issue; making these people understand how much they lose in substance use. There were intense campaigns to create awareness and provision of counseling services. From here, our other responsibility was helping these individuals discover areas that they could invest. Some of the suggestions that some families started adopting were that of forming groups in which they could bring together their earnings and start businesses.
My primary responsibility as a volunteer to the NGO was that of helping organize community groups. Since the activity was done on my home ground, I had the essential knowledge about the culture and problems that existed. In addition, I also participated in offering counseling services to the young people. The experience I obtained from the program has given me some basic understanding of how to deal with others. I also developed skills of how well to help the individuals that are involved in drug abuse gradually get rid of the habit. I learned that the whole treatment and recovery procedure is not easy for the person, their family, and the whole community and thus integrating all of them is critical. Through the experience, I also learned the virtue of patience in social work is significant. At times, we may expect to see results rapidly, but this might not happen, and a social worker is supposed to help them pull through the adversity.
Moreover, after my undergraduate studies in criminal justice I worked in Afghanistan for a year. During this period, I had the opportunity of witnessing the numerous challenges that veterans face, and this gave me a drive to become a social worker. Adjusting back to civilian life is a significant problem for veterans. The community and their families expect them to go back to their previous lives, and this leads to the veterans isolating themselves. The lack of a continuous support system that provides counseling services to these individuals makes their situation worse. As a result of this, veterans in most cases start becoming violent, angry, and at times may go into depression. They thus turn to drugs as their way out. The experience gave me an understanding of the importance of both the family and societal support. I also learned the significant role that a social worker plays in assisting these people.
Furthermore, my life objectives are in line with those of the University. I have a dedication towards seeing a healthy community. I can also efficiently work in a team and work in regions with diversity. I have always had the heart and desire to help others which is among the goals of the institution. As a volunteer I developed skills that am assured are significant in my career. I learned the importance of respecting everyone irrespective of their culture, lifestyle or religion.
I am applying for an opportunity in your University stemming from my research concerning the type of skills and knowledge that you impart to students. With the capable and dedicated school of social work, I trust that I will get the in-depth knowledge that will help me realize my dream. I believe that the knowledge and experiences that have given me the foundation as a social worker make me suitable to get an opportunity to be part of you. Being part of Florida Atlantic University will significantly impact my career.