Help me achieve my dream

 

Please read my blog I love my audience and I am advocate and writer and social worker please help me raise 800000 for a new vehicle with a ramp for my power wheelchair

Life: 

From from the shining star who will change 

The world with my love and writing 

A

I need a modified van with a ramp and modified van so I can learn to drive and get a job 

    Hi, I use a wheelchair and my name is Sarah elgohary The majority of people I meet see my wheelchair and disability first before they see me. The first social interaction with someone or lack thereof is a hazard of spending your life in a wheelchair, or so it seems. I wish that wasn’t case, but I can’t change the way people think, I can only change how I react to it. 

I have Cerebral Palsy. It is a physical disability that was caused by a brain injury at some point during my birth. I am twenty-two and I love my life. No, you didn’t misread that last statement, I do love my life. I have a great family and awesome friends, there’s not much more a girl can really ask for. I won’t lie to you and tell you that my life is all rainbows and sunshine as I seem to be, because as you probably guessed by now it’s anything but that. Throughout my twenty-two years, I have learned more than most people my age. I have struggled with my own limitations, laughed until I couldn’t breathe and felt as if I was completely alone. Yes, I’ve had a myriad of emotions about spending my life in wheelchair, but who wouldn’t? 

    People have often asked me if there was a cure, would I take it. My answer to this question depends on when you ask, 90% of the time it’s no because this disability has made me who I am. It is a part of me, but it doesn’t define me. However, there is other 10% of the time when I would take a cure, more than anything. The physical challenges, the feeling of betrayal by my own body can sometimes be too much for me to carry. When those times come, I think of my family and the majority of friends I have that would help me through it. Although not everyone can fully understand what those moments feel like, the fact that they would do just about anything to put a smile on face is enough for me. However, I do wish that there was someone who had lived through this before to guide me sometimes, but I have learned so much throughout my life.  

    There are a few lessons I’ve learned over the years that I think are really important. 

My wheelchair is  not a part of my name

There have more times than I can count that I have been referred to as “the wheelchair girl”. Newsflash, I have a name and if you don’t know it, there are other ways to describe me. Do not call me “the wheelchair girl”, the wheelchair is not a part of my body so please, pretty please with a cherry on top, stop making it my whole identity. 

It’s really hard to keep a straight face sometimes when people ask questions.

When people ask me questions, I am an open book. I would rather they ask me then speculate because I have learned that speculation is never good. I have probably been asked every question in the book, ranging from general from general to extremely personal. “How do move around your house?” This is a common one, I move around my house by walking on my knees because I don’t have a ramp. “Can your wheelchair climb steps?” Sadly, it can’t but that would be so cool. I can definitely say it would make my life and the lives of people around me so much easier. My favorite of all time is “Does your wheelchair go on top of you when you sleep?” I failed miserably to keep a straight face for this one. The answer is of course no, wheelchairs have seat belts so I get out and go about my life. 

Most situations are out of my control 

When you have a disability, especially a physical one, you have very little control of situations. Last year I was at school on a Saturday for an event. I was on the second floor when the fire alarm went off. I panicked because I was with other people, but in the same way I was alone. Someone went outside of the room we were in and saw that we really did need to evacuate the building, so people started running. I grabbed my things. I left the room with the mob of people and followed the school’s procedure for events like this, if only everything went that smoothly. 

The public safety office told me to wait so I did, however, a few people who were at the event with me turned back and decided to wait with me. After five minutes, they decided we shouldn’t wait for public safety. One of my classmates introduced me to a friend that was waiting with us, he picked me up and carried me down the stairs. We got a few looks as he exited the building and put me on a bench outside. Somehow they were able to get my wheelchair down too. Public safety came after I was safe and sound with everyone else. 

I am not upset about what happened because after this incident, steps were taken to make sure it didn’t happen again. My mom’s response to the ordeal was I’m glad you’re fine and it’s a good thing you’re light.   Thoroughly discuss a current social issue that is relevant to social work practice and fostered or confirmed your interest in the social work profession. You also may mention additional reasons for deciding to pursue graduate social work study at this time. Discuss your career interests and/or objectives and how you plan to take advantage of the resources at Fordham University’s Graduate School of Social Service to support you in your goals. 

Helping others through social work is one of my main goals and passions in life. at Fordham University’s Graduate School of Social Service at Molloy College, 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, but I also plan to advocate for any individual seeking to discover the power of their own voice as a tool to enable them to communicate their messages and experiences in a peaceful way so that they make people aware of their problems. As a counselor or social worker, I want to guide people to become powerful individuals despite their circumstances. 

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. As a Social Worker, I will have the ability to help people by fighting to change policies and the perspectives of society. 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 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, but at least as a counselor, I can use my voice to not only provide emotional support for refugees but also provide 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 association of Muslims with violent acts, expansionism, and intolerance. I am eager to provide cultural education of the Muslim religion and its actual teachings for society in hopes of eventually providing peace and stability for Syrian refugees who are not being accepted globally after being driven out from their homes.

I have learned that society tends to cast out individuals who exist outside of the small bubble known as the “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. But what I realized I am very good at is 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 and encouraging him with positive words. This experience made me realize that I want my future career to involve this individual care for people.

As a counselor, I can create an environment where people are not afraid to talk about religion or social problems. I plan to open up discussions with my clients by letting them start a conversation 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; this connection to clients is the foundation of therapy. I want to give clients room to express what is going on without subjugating them to double-binded questions in which however they answer, they are somehow wrong. Rather than put a negative connotaton 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 own 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 life. In order to progress as a society, we must cast away this false idea of what “normal” is. 

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 believe the social work program at Molloy College can provide me with the skills necessary to foster my development as a force which allows people to understand themselves so they can reach their full potential and influence others to do the same. Through the social work program at Molloy College I want to enhance my skills as an empathetic advocate for people, and help individuals by creating with approaches unique to their situations. 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, so 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 to fully invest in 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.

Laugh at yourself instead getting annoyed that people think you’ll break into a million pieces. 

This is a good one, I have learned that you need to laugh at yourself because everyone has mishaps. I went to movies with my best friend for life and learned this lesson. My mom had driven us to the theater for movie, helped me get out of my wheelchair into seat and left. When the movie was over I felt awkward about sitting in the seat while the ushers were cleaning so I decided to transfer back into the wheelchair on my own. I knew it would be fine because I had done it a thousand times, I couldn’t have been more wrong. Dana, my best friend, positioned the chair where I needed and all was going well until the top half of my body decided to follow my brain and go to the right, but my feet had other plans. I fell, it was like a slow descent to floor that was completely uncontrolled. 

Dana and I burst out laughing and laughed to the point of tears when we realized I stuck in between the rows of chairs. Dana, in between fits of laughter, suggested that we call my mom again. I said “that ship sailed a long time ago.” After Dana freed her foot that happened to get stuck under me, she managed to pull me out into the aisle, that’s when she informed me that we had an audience. I looked over to see who was watching us and realized that four male workers were staring at us from the door, again we burst into another fit of laughter. I was finally able to get into a kneeling position in front of the chair and climb back in. The “audience” had disappeared and the one usher had been in the theater, cleaning the same spot for ten minutes. Dana went to throw our drinks away and informed me that the usher had not moved because he had a big smile on his face. We still go to this movie theater, but it took two years before we could go there without laughing so hard we couldn’t breathe       

when I was fifteen years old. I used my voice to advocate resolving a family fight between my aunt and uncle that had lasted two hours. Although I could not physically intervene and resolve the issue, I acted as a moderator and was able to use my voice to convince them to listen to and see each other’s each other’s perspectives. I realized that I was never going to stand idly by and do nothing when people are in trouble. This experience taught me that I have the power to advocate for myself and others. This was a realization for me because when I learned to advocate for myself, I was able to communicate my needs without worrying about whether others would advocate for me and understand what I truly needed. I want to be able to teach my clients, and those I come across as social worker about this very important skill that has changed my life.

 My physical disability gives me a unique sense of empathy for those who are disabled as well as any individual seeking to discover the power of their own voice. I want to help each of my clients use their voice as a tool to enable them to communicate their messages and experiences peacefully, so that they make people aware of their problems. People must never be afraid to stand up for what they believe in and ensure that their powerful voices are heard. Even if people have no other resources available to them, each person has a voice. It is your most valuable resource because no one can ever take it away from you. As a social worker, I will encourage my clients to utilize their voices by helping them use their passions to create different outlets that help them become comfortable sharing their unique experiences with other people. 

 My passion for writing also contributes to my interest in social work. I enjoy writing because it helps me express myself and alleviate my frustrations. Writing has had a huge influence on my life. It taught me valuable skills, including patience, authenticity, dedication, and confidence. It strengthens my ability to advocate for people and share my experiences knowledge and feelings with people. This began when I created a beautiful heartfelt blog called the Shining Star where I write posts on many different topics. Writing makes me happy and a better person and advocate. My blog allows me to use my voice to advocate, inform, and educate my readers to help influence them to make a positive change. My voice is reaching a big audience people from all over the world—from the United States all way to Poland, India, Egypt , Saudi Arabia, France, Kuwait, and the Philippines. I use my blog to advocate for people by educating and informing my audience on many different topics that are important issues to me such as: educational inequality, gender roles, media, representation, Syrian refugees, and Egypt. Writing has enabled me to observe the world and its tendencies. Through writing, I can advocate for myself and others. As a social worker, I will work with my clients to help them find their voices and different outlets to express themselves while I teach them how to advocate independently so they become as comfortable sharing their unique experiences with other people as I am I with writing

    My past is filled with countless crazy stories just like this one and as weird as at sounds, I’m glad. These situations make my life interesting and teach me how to get out of situations. Although it seems like I have been through a lot, in some ways I know my life is just beginning and I am more than willing to hang on for the wild ride.