Finished (?) personal statement draft
After quite the writer's block, I've finally finished my essay. Since many of you are quite lovely at critiquing, I figured I'd bear it all and have you all take a look at my PS and give me any sage advice.
I'm applying to social work/mental health counseling programs, btw. It's a bit long, too. Sorry.
Often times, due to societal, cultural, or environmental pressures, many of us succumb to the pressure of trying to be the loudest in the room. In doing so, there is a natural desire to be heard from the moment we are infants. Naturally, we are all not born with the desire or the personality to have attention focused squarely on us. Young people, particularly, are always on a constant search to find themselves and their own voices while trying to make sense of the changes going on around them and being taken seriously enough to be heard.
Coming from a background that finds that the younger a person is the least likely the thoughts and ideas and general well being of one’s mental health is taken into consideration has fueled my desire to want to work with children and adolescents. As the first generation American daughter of former Haitian immigrants, there was always a conflict in learning how to deal with emotional and mental issues. Due to the cultural stigma surrounding mental health, an individual might find it quite overwhelming in understanding and coping with the stressors that might come along with having to deal with factors ranging from genetic disposition, mental illness, and/or environmental factors: Haitian culture often dictates that one should learn to deal with their emotions quietly, if at all. Children who might have emotional and/or mental issues are often seen as being unruly and unnecessarily difficult. The stigma that comes along with someone who might have any sort of emotional or mental stress that is not deemed normal, such as dealing with the death of a family member, makes it difficult to find any sort of support in an adult because children are not seen as having anything significant to worry about that should be attended to. Having to deal with the issues that are particular to an individual and their background is usually further heightened when there is the process of having to sort out all of the emotions that come from being a pre-adolescent child and adolescent. Without a proper outlet for a person to allow their emotions to be heard or expressed, there is often a chance for the child to rebel and become involved in self-destructive behavior.
I know that I would be able to bring a bridge of cultural understanding to both the individual and the family’s cultural background due to my own experiences in having to not only learn about the areas of mental health and parlaying it into something that is can be understood well enough by those who have not grown up learning anything positive concerning mental health. Stifling a young person from all possible avenues of being able to rightly find an adult to open up to does not do anyone justice. As we have seen with recent examples of the children who have been bullied and feel as though there were no adults to trust and talk to, the victim will often take drastic measures in order to cope with an-almost daily torment. Due to my own experiences from learning to navigate through two cultures, as well as my own personal experiences of bullying and harassment from school peers during my primary and secondary schooling years, I have found myself greatly interested in the dealings of young people. It is often believed that if a person could find ways to better resolve certain conflicts while they are young and continually put them into practice when the situation calls for it, then they will continue to put them into practice when the situation calls for it as they get older.
Working as a therapeutic aide in 2008 during my time as a student, I escorted a client to and from his therapy sessions. The time I spent with this child showed me that while he was indeed a young child of only seven-years-old, he had pressing issues that affected him deeply. While he did not express his concerns in explicit detail, there was a noticeable difference when he was around adults who he felt that he could talk to, trust, and respect. Watching the difference in his demeanor before and after his sessions has motivated me to want to work with children. Being able to find a way to get through problems with the right tools and a healthy prospective on the situation is a large factor in being able to navigate through life with an emotionally and mentally stable position as possible. Children are often relegated to not needing an outlet for expressing themselves in a manner that addresses whatever emotional and mental health concerns that could very well have an effect on their social and behavioral disposition.
In college, having engaged in classes and coming across teachers and peers who have had some experience in the field has influenced my decision in pursuing a post-undergraduate degree in this field. My time volunteering as a therapeutic aide has furthered my desire to continue education in this field, particularly with this specific age group. Also, I feel the experience I have had with biculturalism can allow me to truly understand the difficulties that come with dealing with the constantly evolving social and emotional constructs of a young person’s life as well as satisfying familial desires and expectations. The [SCHOOL] program would allow for a contribution to any community due to the idea that a child can better enrich their own lives and those he may encounter on a personal and personal level. I certainly believe that when we have the necessary tools in order to successfully navigate throughout the life, particularly early on in life, there is a greater chance of being able to handle much more assertively and with much more confidence.
Thanks in advance!
I'm applying to social work/mental health counseling programs, btw. It's a bit long, too. Sorry.
Often times, due to societal, cultural, or environmental pressures, many of us succumb to the pressure of trying to be the loudest in the room. In doing so, there is a natural desire to be heard from the moment we are infants. Naturally, we are all not born with the desire or the personality to have attention focused squarely on us. Young people, particularly, are always on a constant search to find themselves and their own voices while trying to make sense of the changes going on around them and being taken seriously enough to be heard.
Coming from a background that finds that the younger a person is the least likely the thoughts and ideas and general well being of one’s mental health is taken into consideration has fueled my desire to want to work with children and adolescents. As the first generation American daughter of former Haitian immigrants, there was always a conflict in learning how to deal with emotional and mental issues. Due to the cultural stigma surrounding mental health, an individual might find it quite overwhelming in understanding and coping with the stressors that might come along with having to deal with factors ranging from genetic disposition, mental illness, and/or environmental factors: Haitian culture often dictates that one should learn to deal with their emotions quietly, if at all. Children who might have emotional and/or mental issues are often seen as being unruly and unnecessarily difficult. The stigma that comes along with someone who might have any sort of emotional or mental stress that is not deemed normal, such as dealing with the death of a family member, makes it difficult to find any sort of support in an adult because children are not seen as having anything significant to worry about that should be attended to. Having to deal with the issues that are particular to an individual and their background is usually further heightened when there is the process of having to sort out all of the emotions that come from being a pre-adolescent child and adolescent. Without a proper outlet for a person to allow their emotions to be heard or expressed, there is often a chance for the child to rebel and become involved in self-destructive behavior.
I know that I would be able to bring a bridge of cultural understanding to both the individual and the family’s cultural background due to my own experiences in having to not only learn about the areas of mental health and parlaying it into something that is can be understood well enough by those who have not grown up learning anything positive concerning mental health. Stifling a young person from all possible avenues of being able to rightly find an adult to open up to does not do anyone justice. As we have seen with recent examples of the children who have been bullied and feel as though there were no adults to trust and talk to, the victim will often take drastic measures in order to cope with an-almost daily torment. Due to my own experiences from learning to navigate through two cultures, as well as my own personal experiences of bullying and harassment from school peers during my primary and secondary schooling years, I have found myself greatly interested in the dealings of young people. It is often believed that if a person could find ways to better resolve certain conflicts while they are young and continually put them into practice when the situation calls for it, then they will continue to put them into practice when the situation calls for it as they get older.
Working as a therapeutic aide in 2008 during my time as a student, I escorted a client to and from his therapy sessions. The time I spent with this child showed me that while he was indeed a young child of only seven-years-old, he had pressing issues that affected him deeply. While he did not express his concerns in explicit detail, there was a noticeable difference when he was around adults who he felt that he could talk to, trust, and respect. Watching the difference in his demeanor before and after his sessions has motivated me to want to work with children. Being able to find a way to get through problems with the right tools and a healthy prospective on the situation is a large factor in being able to navigate through life with an emotionally and mentally stable position as possible. Children are often relegated to not needing an outlet for expressing themselves in a manner that addresses whatever emotional and mental health concerns that could very well have an effect on their social and behavioral disposition.
In college, having engaged in classes and coming across teachers and peers who have had some experience in the field has influenced my decision in pursuing a post-undergraduate degree in this field. My time volunteering as a therapeutic aide has furthered my desire to continue education in this field, particularly with this specific age group. Also, I feel the experience I have had with biculturalism can allow me to truly understand the difficulties that come with dealing with the constantly evolving social and emotional constructs of a young person’s life as well as satisfying familial desires and expectations. The [SCHOOL] program would allow for a contribution to any community due to the idea that a child can better enrich their own lives and those he may encounter on a personal and personal level. I certainly believe that when we have the necessary tools in order to successfully navigate throughout the life, particularly early on in life, there is a greater chance of being able to handle much more assertively and with much more confidence.
Thanks in advance!