The goal of independence and Syrian refugees

    Self advocacy has taught me what true independence really means it about knowing what you want in life and using your voice to get it not just performing daily living activities but achieving your goals and never giving up on passions in life and using your voice as a tool. Helping others through social work is one of my main goals and passions in life. I have always wanted to advocate for people because having cerebral palsy makes me realize how important it is to independently convey your own messages and communicate your ideas in a positive light. My experience with cerebral palsy has taught me that only the individual can truly advocate for themselves. As a result, I have learned that even people with the best interests and intentions to help you (your parents, friends or your support system) can advocate for you. However, they will never be able to fully advocate for you, and convey your message, with the same level of passion, and the importance that you have. Therefore, my disability enhances my desire to teach any individual self-advocacy skills so they never struggle with expressing themselves. As a counselor, I can empower my clients with the ability to stand up for what they believe is right, and fight for justice. People do not realize how powerful a tool an individual's voice is, even if people have no other resources available to them your voice is always your most valuable resource that no one can ever take away from you. As a counselor, I will make my clients utilize their powerful voices. At LIU POST social work program, I would like to become a counselor and make a difference in the world. By turning my individual situation of having cerebral palsy, into solutions that can create a path of advocacy for people who do not have a voice in society, I believe I can enable my future clients to be confident in their own identity. Because I have a physical disability, my experience provides me with a unique sense of empathy for those who are disabled and whose opinions may not be heard. However, I intend to not only work with disabled individuals. I also plan to advocate for any individual seeking to discover the power of their own voice, which can be used as a tool enabling them to communicate their messages and experiences to make people aware of their problems. As a counselor or social worker, I want to guide people to become powerful individuals despite their circumstances. Helping others through social work is one of my main goals and passions in life. I would like to become a counselor and make a difference in the world. By turning my individual situation of having cerebral palsy, into solutions that can create a path of advocacy for people who do not have a voice in society, I believe I can enable my future clients to be confident in their own identity. Because I have a physical disability, my experience provides me with a unique sense of empathy for those who are disabled and whose opinions may not be heard. However, I intend to not only work with disabled individuals. I also plan to advocate for any individual seeking to discover the power of their own voice, which can be used as a tool enabling them to communicate their messages and experiences to make people aware of their problems. As a counselor or social worker, I want to guide people to become powerful individuals despite their circumstances.


  As a social worker, I will have the ability to help people by fighting to change the policies and perspectives of society. One global issue that is important to me is the longstanding Syrian refugee crisis. My goal is to provide a platform for Syrian refugees to speak out about their personal experiences and opinions. Immigration laws, along with societal prejudice, make the lives of these refugees very difficult. Throughout the years I have become inspired to seek a solution for the root cause of this issue, which is Islamophobia. One of the results of this “phobia” is the proposal of a travel ban by the United States, against seven major Muslim nations. Although the ban was found unconstitutional by a federal judge, and was denied by the Supreme Court several times, certain people in power have internalized their hatred so much that they continue to be persistent in trying to stop Muslims from entering the U.S. What our society fails to understand is the distinction between the vast majority of Muslims who practice the peaceful religion of Islam and a small minority of politically motivated radical extremists who kill their own kind. So many Americans are consumed by Islamophobia, that it has become a deterrent from society’s hearing the perspectives of Syrian refugees, and thus, prevents people from coming together as a community to solve problems. We cannot take action when we are lacking in true understanding.
The only way to solve this humanitarian crisis is if Western nations and the rest of the world come together, regardless of their differences. I recognize that I cannot stop all conflict; however, as a counselor, I can use my voice to provide emotional support for refugees and knowledge to people so that they can recognize this global conflict and understand its underlying causes. My extensive research on Syrian refugees makes me want to advocate for them and eventually become an ambassador for the United Nations. Ideally, I would like to see the eradication of anti-Muslim sentiment and intolerance, as well as the automatic association of Muslims with violent acts and terrorism. I am eager to provide cultural education on the Muslim religion and its actual teachings to society, in the hopes of eventually providing peace and stability for Syrian refugees, who are driven out from their homes and unaccepted globally.
​I have learned that society tends to cast out individuals who exist outside of the small bubble known as “normal,” whether it is due to their religion or disability. From a young age, I learned that in order to reach my goals, I must employ different methods compared to others and put in more effort and dedication because it may take me longer to complete tasks due to my cerebral palsy. Having a physical disability means it is a daily struggle to perform basic life activities such as cooking, cleaning, and doing laundry. However, this does not mean that I cannot achieve my goals in life.              Because certain tasks take me longer to complete, it allows me to pay more attention to details and gives me a higher sense of satisfaction when I do achieve them.
Sometimes not being able to help people physically can be very challenging; however, I am very good at being empathetic and offering emotional support. This is what I experienced when my father was diagnosed with cancer. I could not do anything for him physically, but I sat home with him every day keeping him company; we watched basketball together, I talked to him, helped him with phone calls, and listened to him tell me stories. I encouraged him with positive words such as be strong and “I love you”. This experience made me realize that I want my future career to involve this individual care for people. As a counselor, I want to make people comfortable in their own skin, allowing them to use their voice to convey their messages and experiences. In addition, as a counselor, I will provide emotional support to my patients by listening to their stories and having them take initiative to develop self-advocacy by leading discussions. The most important types of emotional support are patience and a positive attitude. As a counselor, I want to provide the most positive emotional support for all my patients. I will be there for my clients and provide them with hope and confidence in their stories, talents, and abilities, allowing them to develop self-advocacy skills and become productive members of society. My father taught me how powerful emotional support truly is, and providing emotional support to my patients will be more important than physical support.

     As a counselor, I can create an environment where people are not afraid to talk about religion or social problems. I plan to have open discussions with my clients, by asking open-ended questions such as “Why do you think you are here today?” and “What makes you unique?”. These conversations can help me break the ice and build a strong rapport with clients. A therapist’s work cannot begin until a comfortable relationship with a client is established; a strong connection with clients is the foundation for therapy. I want to give individuals the opportunity to express what is going on without subjecting them to double-blinded question, in which however they answer, they are somehow wrong. Rather than put a negative connotation to their answer, I want to hear them out and allow them to express themselves more freely. As a therapist, I will teach my patients how to take advantage of their own abilities. As a result, my clients will learn to accept their differences and embrace their unique identities and talents, because no one should ever be ashamed of who they are. No matter what life throws at you, people can always achieve their dreams and goals. In order to progress as a society, we must cast away this false idea of what “normal” is.