Narrative Statement for UTSA MSW Program - Admission/Application Essay Example

The divorce of my parents after twenty five years of marriage taught me the value of a strong support system in relationships. Raising my own children has also been a contribution in the development of nurturing feelings in me. Helping others is in my nature. I am considered the peace maker in my home and ever since my childhood I have tried to contribute whatever I could for the peace and well being of those present around me, be it my family or the society I live in. Building on this social sensitivity inside me, the first job I did during high school was that of a nurse aid in our community hospital.

After that I have also taken up various volunteer positions to help the members of the community who have fallen on hard times. When I am close to a community that doesn’t offer help to families in need of assistance I reach my hand out to help. I have helped in food banks and have even started food pantries in communities where I have lived. I believe if we can help those in our communities we can help make the world a better, safer place to live by simply showing someone cares. While earning my bachelor of science I became certified and began volunteering as a Guardian ad Litem for the state of South Carolina, Governor’s office.

This job has further shaped and strengthened my values and motivation to earn an MSW degree. I feel great sense of fulfillment by helping children placed in foster care. It is great to be the one for these children to assist them during the foster care placement process. To make their voices heard in the court is a real honor. I believe programs like these are of vital importance for social justice. My personal strengths are patience, social sensitivity and strong moral values. I generally have a positive attitude towards life and I believe that no matter how much hardship one falls into, there is always a way out of it.

In addition to this optimistic approach, my organizational and professional skills have developed a lot over time. I know the importance of effective communication, most of which I have learnt during my experience with foster care children; I am capable of motivating a group of people to engage in volunteer activities aiming at helping those members of the society who need help. I am an ‘easy to work with’ kind of person. People usually trust me and are comfortable in working with me. I make it a point to maintain a positive working atmosphere; for I believe it always enhances work productivity and sense of satisfaction from social work if the work is conducted in a relaxing atmosphere, with maximum concentration and organization.

No human being is perfect and being a human, I too have some personal and professional shortcomings. However, I am conscious about my professional and personal limitations and I constantly try to overcome these. For one thing, I am a bit socially over sensitive and I do have a tendency to get emotional about social issues sometimes. I understand that I need to develop a more neutral and less emotional attitude towards social work since this is a psychologically sensitive field of work. I also strongly feel the need of more professional experience.

I acknowledge the importance of theory, but I also believe that knowledge can be obtained first hand via practical experience. I am working to enhance my professional experience by volunteering for as many social welfare programs as possible within my given time and resources. The main limitation professionally is that I have limited education. I strongly