Personal Narrative: My Areas Of Social Work

Accomplishments take me one step closer to happiness and tranquility. For example, maintaining an “A” in a rigorous course, helping others that are struggling, cook for my family, etc. are minor achievements and events that have formed me into a better being. Sometimes, ignorance gets the best of me, and it does conquer my sweet, timid personality that I possess. Accordingly, my accolades never suggest nor imply I am better than anyone else. I never consider highly of myself because we are equally intelligent in our own separate ways. It is a way to build up my confidence level as I am an introvert myself.

At the beginning of my sophomore year, August 2015, I fractured my left ankle. My second season of cross country had just begun. The whole team had a Saturday practice at Atlanta Memorial Park. We came to this park for a time trial. Not being able to run was going to be a challenge for me. I loved running, and seeing myself not run was going to be hard for me.

I don’t recall having a hard time learning how to read. It was one of those things that just came easily to me for some reason. For the most part I enjoyed reading as well. The only time I didn’t enjoy reading was when I didn’t understand a certain word or a certain phrase. One of the strongest memories I have from learning to read was when I was unable to pronounce the word “the”.

I hug her knowing that this will be our last. Tears are streaming uncontrollably down my cheeks, staining her shirt. I'm not ready to say goodbye. I don't understand why this is happening. Out all of the 7.28 billion people in the world, why did it have to be her?

Lani: I was helping for someone’s project for COMM 245; I was in the video lab, in the studio. I was on campus and decided to contact everyone I knew who comes to the school. I remember I sent out a snap saying guys I think there is a shooting, be careful and then I started sending out individual texts to people making sure they were okay, like hey are you good? Stay out of an area. I didn’t know how many people were getting shot. I just knew it’s not good and that we have to be careful. At first, the campus was like we are unsure, just be careful, and then it took some time till I finally got an email that said stay on campus and were held there for about two hours, I just kept recording.

Social work is important to me because I see there are a lot of problems both systemic and with individual people that need to be addressed through research and clinical work. I want to spend my life working on improving services and quality of life of foster children and their families, supporting the grief and loss process with cultural sensitivity, working to reduce negative prejudice and discrimination, especially when it holds people back from living out their full potential, and understanding and providing needed resources to people who struggle with mental health and disability through evidenced based practice and scientific work. I want to provide services whether that be individually, in the community or

These past few weeks I've spent many, many hours debating about a pretty big decision I've been trying to make. I've covered every aspect from making the better choice for my career or for my finances or how it will effect my family and friends, and I've finally decided based on what I WANT to do. So with that being said, I am happy to announce that I have accepted a full-time position as a Mental Health Assistant in Nashville at Hermitage Hall!!! A month ago I would've never imagined this happening, but it did and I couldn't be happier to start my journey with a youth residential treatment center in a few weeks!

“Oh please! You guys say that you want to move into this new house because it looks great. The real reason is because the commute to my therapist is much faster. I’m fine mom and dad! I don’t need antidepressants nor do I need a therapist. Maybe the real reason why I have been depressed all these years is because you have no interest towards my life. Ever since you thought I starting having problems, you look at me like I am a deformed stranger!”

I was raised with Christian values in mind, and attended a Methodist school. I was raised in the Christian faith yet I find myself, as with some of my friends who were raised in the same conditions, we seem to be growing farther away from our upbringing as we age. I find myself simply not understanding as time goes by, a complete polar opposite from the song ‘Farther Along’. One of my hopes in attending PBA is to try and find answers and a reason to try and reconnect myself. I believe PBA, from what I’ve read, has a very friendly understanding environment. One where you sit down and go into depths about faith, instead of blindly following it because it was your parent’s

My cousin was born one month premature to a drug addicted mother. A couple of years later he was placed in foster care. That is when I met Ms. Irene Berry. She was his Family Service Worker. She spent a considerable amount of time with him, making him feel comfortable and safe. She made him feel loved. My mom obtained temporary custody of my cousin at the age of three. His mother would straighten up long enough to get him back, but then would falter and cause him to return to foster care. Through the years, Ms. Berry was constant in his life. She would come to visit and take him out to lunch. On birthdays, she would either call or send a card. When it came time to start college, I knew I wanted social services to be a part of my studies. I

It was a cold November morning in the valley of Cowan, when I fired my first shot. It was a smooth and clean feeling after I pulled the trigger. I than saw the deer hunker as the slug hit its side, and it began to run away from us. Dad, knowing I had made a good shot, still decided to jump out of the blind window to end the animals suffering. Unfortunately, when his foot caught, it was all over from then. Once, I was inside the blind and the next I was in the cold crisp air. I then saw Dad on the ground cursing himself for jumping through the window.

In the beginning of 2001 I was a SGT in the 82nd Airborne Division, by January 2002 I was standing in front of the Battalion Commander’s desk being read my second Field Grade Article 15 in seventy days. I was being demoted to Private First Class, being sent to Correctional Custody in Camp Lejeune, South Carolina for thirty days and being moved to a new company when I returned. The first field grade was for disobeying a lawful order from three senior NCO’s, the Brigade CSM, Battalion CSM, and my Platoon Sergeant. They had all told me in the same day at separate times to get a haircut and I failed too, the second was for stealing from the company supply room while on extra duty from the first field grade.

At the beginning of this summer I reluctantly attended a leadership seminar that was held at my school. What high school student wants to come to school, in full uniform, during break to hear about leadership? Certainly not me. As a senior, my teachers urged me, with incredible persistence, to attend. I eventually caved and went. In the midst of my annoyance and regret, something from the seminar stuck with me: “introverts can be good leaders.” Upon hearing that I felt more comfortable being the quiet one during a discussion. Someone finally confirmed that effective leaders aren 't limited to gregarious and forceful types but are open to INTP personalities like myself.

My field experience consisted of attending 3 Newton’s high school volleyball practices and the end of the season playoffs. Upon arrival I was greeted by old friends that are a part of the program. The coaches were not there yet so it was the girls and captains responsibility to set up nets and begin practice. The girls socialized for majority of the time and waited last minute to put up the nets. Once nets were up they would began to stretch and warm up then begin practice without the coaches. Again, the girls were more concerned with socializing. Some girls were warming up, some were in the hall socializing with football players, and some were still in the locker room getting dressed. As a whole the girls did not look like a team and they did not look like they were serious about being a part of this volleyball team. Since, I have an unconditional love for volleyball I took it upon myself to gather all the teams and have them warm up as a team.

Social work is a career that I have recently become interested in pursuing. I spent many years with misconceptions concerning the sector. However, following three years of working close by these experts, I have picked up a more profound comprehension of the significance of the work.I am especially interested in working in child welfare along with terminally ill children. I have got to a stage in my career where I have started to search out instruction that will make me more efficient in creating plans and providing services for vulnerable people. I am confident that the skills that I will gain from completing a social work master’s degree will help me collaborate with people in need and aid sustainable growth in their lives.