What do you want to become when you grow up? Do you remember this question being asked almost everyday by parents, teachers, family members and friends? I certainly do! Growing up, there were many careers that I wanted to pursue. I wanted to become a Teacher, I remember at age 7, playing school with my friends in my living room, and me being the teacher. Then I wanted to become a Nurse to help save the world. Then it was a Psychiatrist, when I saw the less fortunate and homeless people with mental disorders on the streets in Jamaica.
With all these different variations of career choices, it is fair to say, all my ambitions had the same interest and that is to help someone improve his or her life. On the road to adulthood, I became more aware of the challenges that children and their families face on a regular basis. This is the motivating factor that drove me towards choosing a career in Social Work. Children deserve to grow up in a structured home with people who love and care for them.
I would like to be in a position to provide opportunities for these children. I would also like to provide a safe haven for adults who gave up, or is thinking about letting it all go, because society gave up on them and refuse to give them a helping hand. Everyone deserves a chance in life to be something of meaning, either to themselves or to their peers. I want to be that person to help someone cope with challenges, be a listening ear, someone they can depend on to fight for them.
Essentially, I want to make a difference in people’s lives, and with the drive and ambition instilled in me, help them to make their story one of success. For this reason I will become a social worker. I am currently enrolled at Housatonic Community College where I’m pursuing an Associate’s Degree in Human Services; upon graduating I plan to further my studies at the University of Bridgeport at which I plan to acquire a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services and Psychology. I am also a part time Sales Associate at Uniqlo.
Working and going to school is not something that is easy, it comes with lots of responsibilities and if you don’t have a steady plan one can get lost along the way, but, I am confident enough to know that I will make this work as I want good for myself. Waking up each day, there is only one thing on my mind, and that is to make my father proud. He is my motivation. I want my dad to be able to look at me and say ‘my babygirl, you did that,’ with a gleam in his eyes and a smile as bright as the sun. My dad motivates me because he is the true meaning of success and I want to be the person or half the person he his.
Success to me is not measured by social status or wealth, but, by the amount of happiness I feel, success to me is making progress by giving my work my fullest and undivided attention and not giving up until I am either out of time or out of possibilities. Success is never quitting. With this definition of success I know I will make an outstanding Social Worker. Social work is a rewarding profession, and in order for me to have a successful career in this field, I have to first acknowledge and accept my strengths and weaknesses.
Sometime ago I noticed my strengths outgrew my weaknesses. I had no self-control, I would normally take everything personal and become this emotional wreck, but, I found ways to turn that around because I knew that, that, one weakness could hinder me from pursuing my dream job. With the strengths that I possess, becoming a Social Worker will be a success. I am brave, persistent, helpful, creative, fair, curious, humorous, appreciative, and empathetic and I, am a leader. Being a social worker requires many skills that I know I possess.
One such skill is the ability to remain comfortable when presented with facts, opinions and surroundings that may be unconscionable. Another skill that is a necessity is to be accepting of others that have different backgrounds and values that differ from my own. I am determined to be a Social Worker because at my core, I am interested in the well-being of others. Social Workers strive to understand and value other people’s feelings and experiences and that is what I am about. As I may have been gloating about myself in the first few paragraphs, I am far from perfect.
I am faced with the biggest obstacle that stands between me and my dream job, that is, myself. I tend to blame people, surroundings or things for my misfortunes, I play the victim quiet too often. If I fail a course, I blame the Lecturer (oh, he was boring or he/she didn’t teach well) when I should have stepped up to the plate and take responsibility for not putting much effort. I blame my boss for giving me too many hours at work and not being able to study, when I should have been the one to study between breaks or during the time I am on social media.
While playing the victim I often times relished in anger, revenge, guilt and other emotions that made me want to give up on goals. So, I looked another way, I started being a Creator. I no longer feel the need to blame anyone as I know that whatever happens, I have choice in matter. When Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. were put behind bars, they used that opportunity to meditate and pray, to write letters and books, and to inspire their communities to stand up and make a difference in the world.
They prayed not only for themselves and their supporters, but even for those who jailed them and despised their work. They were unstoppable, powerful creators who continued to have joy and meaning in their lives until the day they died. Because I know what I want and how to get it, I am confident to say I am on the right path at securing my dream job. I am enrolled in school, doing my utmost best and I have a very strong support system behind me. I am currently seeking volunteer jobs at group homes, homeless shelters etc. anything that will help me mentally, emotionally and physically to promote my success.
One of the wisest people I have ever met once told me, “If you choose a job you have a great passion for, you will never work a day in your life. ” At first, I never really understood what she meant by this, but one day, it finally hit me! It means if you enjoy what you do, then it won’t feel like work, but more like spending your whole day simply doing what you love to do. What can be more rewarding than finishing a day at work, and going home knowing you made a difference in someone’s life?
