Best Buddies Personal Statement

Growing up in a foster home has opened my eyes and my heart to the wonderful world of social work. Ever since I was eight years old, my family has taken in several kids in need of a home and a family. Changing their lives was something I take pride in. There isn’t a better feeling in the world than being able to help someone out in need, protecting and comforting them. Whenever the social workers would come to visit the children, I would always ask questions about their job and what it’s like to be able to help people.

In high school, I was involved in the National Honor Society allowing me to serve my community on a regular basis. We participated in everything from picking up trash on the side of the road to raising money to support our local library. During college, I have been able to volunteer and participate in student-led research programs. I also enjoy getting to volunteer my time at my local elementary school as a teaching assistant. However, my favorite volunteering experience was getting to be a “Buddy for Special Olympics”.

When I first stepped into the door for the first general meeting, I felt like I was in a different world. Everyone was extremely friendly and welcoming. With the rush events, it helped me understand more about Kappas and the sisters and I have to say, Ayumi and Katie did an outstanding job. From that point on, I know that I want to become rush chair. I want to be able to interact with people who needed a support system like me.

The career I picked was Physicians and Surgeons which is another name for Pediatricians. I picked this career because I like helping kids and babies. I like helping babies because I have a lot of nieces and nephews and they make me feel loved. No one and my family have this job so I will be the first to be a Pediatrician. I wanted to be a Pediatrician since I was 6 years old.

Over the past year, working closely with local leaders in Mexico, Hands and Feet Ministries has helped care for the children and families at Nava School. Currently, we are praying for continued involvement from the community surrounding the small Christian school. God has already started to work on the hearts of the students parents. Every parent that has a child at Nava School recently signed a covenant stating that, among other things, they will be involved in their child 's education and provide a safe and wholesome environment for their children at home. After this covenant was made, the school 's parent teacher association doubled in size.

In my senior year at UC Davis, I worked part-time at the Academy of 21st Century Learning. My responsibilities included tutoring K-12 children, designing and teaching academic camps, and building the Kairos program. During the school year, I worked at the Academy for about 15 hours each week, along with the off hours I put into designing camps and working on the Kairos curriculum. Through my time here, I worked to develop close relationships with my students, a competence which will help me to become a better physician. Additionally, because the Academy functioned as a team in designing and implementing a solid goal plan for each student, I am prepared to apply the skills I have learned to working in a medical

I began volunteering at my town 's nursing home in high school. Initially, I volunteered as an arts and craft aide, coloring and drawing with the patients, but soon after my sister I transformed that time slot into a performance hour, doing our gymnastics, hip-hop, ppm, cheer, and kickline routines for the patients. It was very rewarding to see the patients smile in amazement and awe and also knowing that they looked forward to seeing me each weekend. At the same it was sad to see familiar faces disappear. After I acquired Home Health Aide certificate in the summer of 2013, I was able to help physically care for the patients.

When we taught together I do recall her having a heavy focus on vocabulary in her science class. She developed a vocabulary game called, “Last Man Standing” to help the kids not only understand vocabulary words, but also the parts of words. I always saw the positive impact it had on students’ success, but never understood why she had such a heavy focus on it. After our interview I now understand the why and it makes perfectly good sense. I then began to wonder what strategies could we, as a school, provide for our parents to help them support their child’s vocabulary development?

Watching my mothers work inspired me. During my 7th and 8th grade year of junior high school, I began babysitting my little cousinson weekends. I would also get paid for watching them. From then I knew what I wanted to study when I graduate high school, which is pediactrics. As a nurse I want to help children specifically.

“Are you ready to play doctor?” This is the question I always used to ask my brothers. I vividly remember asking that question consistently at an early age. Playing doctor allowed me to express my desire to help people as I was always taught there was value in helping others. My love of the medical profession stems from my mother who used to read to me about how African-Americans who have contributed to many technological advances in the medical field. As a child, I would dream that I was Charles Drew, who started the first Blood Bank to operate in the United States that saved thousands of lives.