My personal values and social position have influenced how I find myself within the profession, my views and articulation of social work, and my feelings about to becoming a social worker. I am a cisgender, heterosexual, English-speaking, chronically disabled African-Canadian woman in her mid-twenties. The personal challenges I endured while growing up black and poor in an affluent, predominantly white neighborhood and grappling with a biased education system gave me the fuel to encourage and advocate for women, racialized minorities, immigrants, and people with disabilities, all people who have been marginalized by mainstream culture. Since childhood, selflessly helping others (my elderly neighbor, the homeless, and hungry people around the world by contributing to my school food drives) has been something I was not only taught but also expected of me in my Christian family. As I grew up, I sought even greater ways to contribute to my community and our society at large. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The thought of becoming a social worker appealed to me and stuck in my mind. Since then I have volunteered and worked in different ecosystems: in a high school, in a childcare center, in a hospital, in a university, in a government organization, and in a college. Regardless, I have had the opportunity to be of service to others by helping them discover their inner strength through difficult and inexplicable life circumstances and by listening to the voices of those who have been silenced by mainstream culture. But aside from my life and work experiences, my educational background in human resource management, bioethics, writing, rhetoric, and social work also motivated me to become a social worker. My educational background not only exposed me to various contemporary social issues, but also enabled me to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to become an agent of social change. The core values of social work appeal to my values of respect, social justice, integrity, commitment, and service to others. Therefore, my experiences and values above have inspired me to want to make a difference and I realize that to be the positive change I want to see in our society and the world, I must embrace a career in the field of social work. And, as I fight to break down barriers and advance reform, I aspire to provide evidence-based service, innovation, leadership, and organizational planning within an advocacy/social justice human services organization..
tags