I will never give up on my dream social worker is good for me

 Helping others through social work is one of my main goals and passions in life. I have always wanted to advocate for people. 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, only you can convey your message to reflect its significance to you. Therefore, my life experiences and perspectives enhance my desire to teach any individual self advocacy skills so they never struggle with expressing themselves. As 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 of 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’s 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. As a social worker, I will have the ability to help people by fighting to change 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. A second global issue that I feel passionate about is Islamophobia. Islamaphobia has led to 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. Islamophobia has created hatred among the Western world against Syrian refugees, causing them to be viewed as terrorists, and worsening the problem. If Western nations viewed the Syrian refugees the same as refugees from other backgrounds, the world could potentially find a solution for this crisis. As a counselor, I recognize that although I cannot end all world conflict, I can provide people knowledge on the topic and help them utilize their voices to contribute to the fight for refugees. Through this field, I long to extend a helping hand for both those with disabilities and also those who need a voice because society has muffled their sound with unfounded discrimination by offering emotional support. I plan to create an environment that does not instill fear or any negative emotions in my clients because I want to allow people to have a space to talk freely without any judgment. 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 own differences and embrace their unique identities and talents and embrace themselves.  

           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 a 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. 

One feature that attracted me to LIU Post social work program is the Inter professional Simulation Center for a multitude of reasons. I am a very open person, talking about my problems with other people helps me alleviate my stress, find solutions to my problems, channel my frustrations in a positive way and acquire new perspectives of other people. This will establish many connections with my clients. However, I realize many people have a difficult time expressing themselves to people they do not know, let alone opening up about their feelings to professional strangers is a very nerve-racking ,awkward, judgment prone, and uncomfortable process. This is why I believe that without the initial connections between the client and therapists the therapy sessions would never make any progress because” the ice was never broken”. Therefore, trust does not form meaning therapy will not be effective. Connections are the foundations, which create the necessary fire that allows people to build a good relationship with their therapist so they actually feel comfortable talking to a complete stranger and not feeling like there is something wrong with them for going to therapy. As social worker the Interprofessional Simulation Center will help me to 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 . 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 result, I plan to utilize the Interprofessional Simulation Center so I can develop the skills to find many unique environments where all my clients no matter what struggles or circumstances they have, or background they are free to be who they want to be.  

After realizing how blessed I was in life, I decided to give back by interning at Abilities. My internship at Abilities allowed me to focus on this issue and make a difference. During this time, I worked in business communications and helped students with their resumes and cover letters. I was able to advocate for the students and highlight the qualities that made them stand out as individuals. This internship helped me realize that I want to become a therapist to help people with their problems, along with becoming an activist who speaks up for people who feel like they do not have a voice. I am aware that there is a stigma against attending therapy, so I want to create an environment where people feel safe and comfortable to fully express themselves. I hope to make people comfortable talking about a variety of topics so we can alleviate their frustrations together. 

I look forward to becoming a part of LIU POST of social work program; I believe the social work program can provide me with the skills necessary to foster my development as a therapist, who allows people to understand themselves so that they can reach their full potential and influence others to do the same. Through the LIU POST social work program, I want to enhance my skills as an empathetic advocate for individuals. I know how good it feels to have someone believe that you have the ability to make a difference and bring out your full potential; as a result, I want to enlighten people so that they embrace their differences and highlight the qualities that make them better people. I can achieve this by using my social skills and ability to fully attach myself to something I’m passionate about: the success of my patients. Counseling is about connecting with people on a deep level, and my patience, dedication, and genuine passion make me an ideal counselor.