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Simone Simone

485

Bold Points

1x

Finalist

Bio

My hope for my life is to have an impact where I leave the world a little better than when I arrived. I am passionate about serving, which is seen through my profession as a Social Worker and how I have made it a point to involve myself in my community however I can, lending my time to organizations that serve others. My current goals are to complete my Master of Social Work degree and pursue Clinical Licensure. With the knowledge and enhanced skills I will attain, I will be able to continue serving both professionally and personally. Receiving support for my education will be incredibly appreciated, as it will allow me to give my undivided focus to my studies.

Education

Florida State University

Master's degree program
2024 - 2026
  • Majors:
    • Social Work

Florida Atlantic University

Bachelor's degree program
2012 - 2013
  • Majors:
    • Social Work

Broward College

Associate's degree program
2011 - 2012
  • Majors:
    • Social Work
  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Social Work

    • Dream career goals:

    • In Home Family Services Consultant

      Father Flanagan's Boys Town
      2014 – 20162 years
    • MSW Candidate Intern

      Destination Hope, Inc.
      2016 – 2016
    • Intake & Placement Regional Advocate

      Childnet, Inc.
      2016 – 20182 years
    • Anti-Trafficking Regional Advocate

      One More Child
      2018 – 20191 year
    • Regional Independent Living Coordinator

      State of Georgia, RYSE/Chafee Independent Living Program
      2019 – 20223 years
    • Social Science Specialist/Crisis Responder

      Veterans Health Administration
      2022 – 20242 years

    Public services

    • Volunteering

      She Recovers Foundation — Administrative Support & Scheduling Volunteer
      2023 – 2024
    • Volunteering

      Habitat for Humanity — Home Selection Committee, Construction Crew
      2023 – 2024

    Future Interests

    Advocacy

    Volunteering

    Philanthropy

    Entrepreneurship

    Disability in Social Work Scholarship
    June 1, 2024 To the Scholarship Selection personnel, “Be like a tree. Stay grounded. Connect with your roots. Turn over a new leaf. Bend before you break.” This is a part of a quote by Clinical Psychologist Joanne Raptis. This is also a quote that almost perfectly sums up my experience. My story began as a young child, who had her innocence taken several times before understanding what was taken, then uprooted from the home she knew to a foreign country. My mental health diagnoses of depression, anxiety, and PTSD have been a lifelong obstacle, the highs, the lows, the ebbs, and the flows. The tree, its roots, and its limbs represent my life; the roots that dug deeper when life threw obstacles at me that I didn’t have a choice, being my sexual assault by a Step-Parent who was the only father I had a relationship with, and his subsequent death by suicide which I was the one to hear and find him. For a very long time, I did not know how to ask for help, as I thought I was strong and could handle anything thrown at me because that is how I was raised. The truth of the matter is I was not wrong. However, eventually, without support, rest, or help, you get worn down, and like the tree and its roots, without nutrients, water, or in my case, self-care and support, I started to wither. I consider myself, in a sense, in recovery from my mental health, and I am certainly in a much better place. Truthfully, I should not be here today, and as I submit this scholarship application, today is the 5th anniversary of that day I would not have been here. It is a badge I carry because I know the struggles of mental health and trauma and how it affects the person on a personal level. I also know that it is a daily effort to stay rooted, and when obstacles and difficulties come up, it is okay to bend and take a moment or reach out for help. As a Social Worker, I have a level of empathy and understanding that is magnified by my own personal experience. Not only do I have the educational foundation, but there is a personal foundation that allows me to understand why an individual’s healing journey is important to them and how I can walk alongside them on their journey. This has proudly been my profession for the past ten years, and completing this next chapter of my education, completing my Master of Social Work, is a continuation of my story. There is an incredible amount of new strategies and research on how I can support the populations I work with, whether it be Foster Youth, Human Trafficking Survivors, Unhoused Individuals, Veterans, or Individuals who have experienced trauma. The knowledge I gain will enhance my clinical skills, allowing me to support others better. I will have the knowledge needed to pursue my licensure as a Clinical Social Worker, so I can continue serving professionally and personally. A principle I have lived by is, “If nothing else, leave this world a little better.” With the goals and desires I have for myself, sharing my story, and my experiences, I hope to have others see themselves through me and what they could achieve, even when it seems the odds are against them. I want to have an impact and, with this impact, encourage others so that they, too, can impact others. Respectfully, Simone Adderly, BSW