At an early age, I believed that helping others is a core fundamental value. As I began to think about how I wanted to be a contributing member of society, I new that it would entail my belief of helping others. My mother worked for a non profit agency that was focused on supporting the homeless community. She would often take me to community events sponsored by the agency and this is where I had my first glimpse into Social Work. I recall at one of the events, one of the members of the community gave a testimony to how her Social Worker helped her cope with some traumatic events that took place during that period of her life. Through her help she was able to obtain employment and was afforded the chance for permanent housing for her and her children. Without providing many details, she shared that her Social Worker often encouraged her and was always there for her when she needed her. This woman also talked about how her Social Worker opened her eyes to different opportunities that she would have never known. I thought to myself, I want to be able to do that for someone. Fast forward to today, I make a very conscious effort to be there for those who are around me; offering words of encouragement and listening ear. As I look to beginning my college career, I am excited about gaining the tools needed to place me in a position where I can effectively offer guidance and support for those in need. Within the African American community, going to therapy and seeking help from a mental health professional is not always encouraged. I hope to become apart of the Mental Health Community and provide education so that narrative does not continue.

At an early age, I believed that helping others is a core fundamental value. As I began to think about how I wanted to be a contributing member of society, I new that it would entail my belief of helping others. My mother worked for a non profit agency that was focused on supporting the homeless community. She would often take me to community events sponsored by the agency and this is where I had my first glimpse into Social Work. I recall at one of the events, one of the members of the community gave a testimony to how her Social Worker helped her cope with some traumatic events that took place during that period of her life. Through her help she was able to obtain employment and was afforded the chance for permanent housing for her and her children. Without providing many details, she shared that her Social Worker often encouraged her and was always there for her when she needed her. This woman also talked about how her Social Worker opened her eyes to different opportunities that she would have never known. I thought to myself, I want to be able to do that for someone. Fast forward to today, I make a very conscious effort to be there for those who are around me; offering words of encouragement and listening ear. As I look to beginning my college career, I am excited about gaining the tools needed to place me in a position where I can effectively offer guidance and support for those in need. Within the African American community, going to therapy and seeking help from a mental health professional is not always encouraged. I hope to become apart of the Mental Health Community and provide education so that narrative does not continue.

I think it is important that people are educated about the advantages and importance of mental health. For far too long there has been a negative stigma associated with mental health and the important role that is plays in self care. Only in recent years has there been a push for people to become more aware about mental health and how it is just as important as physical health. Unfortunately, the increased popularity of social media has negatively impacted the mental health of many of the individuals who primarily use it on a day to day basis; particularly with middle school to high school students. There is an opportunity for this age group to become more educated about protecting their mental health and becoming more empathetic to the mental health of their peers. This opportunity comes in the form of adding topics related to mental health into the curriculum. The advantage of introducing mental health classes into school curriculum will help to change the negative stigma and narrative associated with mental health while also providing the necessary tools to promote self care and identifying when someone is in trouble. This in turn may help to open dialogue with students/teachers or students/parents that may not exist. Equipping students with the tools of learning how and when to communicate that help is needed can help lower suicide and cyber bullying.

At an early age, I believed that helping others is a core fundamental value. As I began to think about how I wanted to be a contributing member of society, I new that it would entail my belief of helping others. My mother worked for a non profit agency that was focused on supporting the homeless community. She would often take me to community events sponsored by the agency and this is where I had my first glimpse into Social Work. I recall at one of the events, one of the members of the community gave a testimony to how her Social Worker helped her cope with some traumatic events that took place during that period of her life. Through her help she was able to obtain employment and was afforded the chance for permanent housing for her and her children. Without providing many details, she shared that her Social Worker often encouraged her and was always there for her when she needed her. This woman also talked about how her Social Worker opened her eyes to different opportunities that she would have never known. I thought to myself, I want to be able to do that for someone. Fast forward to today, I make a very conscious effort to be there for those who are around me; offering words of encouragement and listening ear. As I look to beginning my college career, I am excited about gaining the tools needed to place me in a position where I can effectively offer guidance and support for those in need. Within the African American community, going to therapy and seeking help from a mental health professional is not always encouraged. I hope to become apart of the Mental Health Community and provide education so that narrative does not continue. When I consider addiction, I think of a coping mechanism that one may use to numb themselves to their individual reality. This reality may be the result of a past trauma/experience that was never properly addressed. Many times, people have experienced a trauma and are unaware that their experience was a negative experience because it seemed part of their everyday life. The feelings of those experiences were suppressed and in some ways come to the surface in the form of addiction, depression, anxiety, etc.

It was a cold Saturday morning and my mother asked me to accompany her to the grocery store. On the ride to the grocery store I recall our conversation about how unusually cold it was. She told me to be thankful and that many people were in distress due to the cold weather. I didn't fully understand it at the time but it made me pause and reflect. When we arrived at the grocery store, I noticed an older man sitting on what looked to be an old blanket that was spread out across the concrete. He was wrapped in a coat that looked to be too big for him, a scarf that was worn and gloves that didn't appear to be used for the purpose of the dangerously cold temperatures. My mom whispered, " things that people take advantage of". Immediately I went into deep thought on what possibly could have happened to this man and why was he in this predicament. As we got closer to the door, I put my hands in my coat pocket to warm my hands. It was at this moment that I realized I had a pair of gloves in my pocket. When I pulled the gloves from my pocket, I also realized I had a few dollars and a few loose coins. Before I realized what I was doing, I gave this man something that I normally would have taken advantage of. He looked me in my eyes and genuinely thanked me. I can't recall ever feeling this fulfilled and humbled. This experience changed me in many ways. It brought me to the realization that I wanted to help those who were disadvantaged in anyway. As I navigate my way through my last year of High School, I know that my purpose is helping others. My dual degree in Education and Social Work will equip me with the tools required to fulfill my purpose in my community.

It was a cold Saturday morning and my mother asked me to accompany her to the grocery store. On the ride to the grocery store I recall our conversation about how unusually cold it was. She told me to be thankful and that many people were in distress due to the cold weather. I didn't fully understand it at the time but it made me pause and reflect. When we arrived at the grocery store, I noticed an older man sitting on what looked to be an old blanket that was spread out across the concrete. He was wrapped in a coat that looked to be too big for him, a scarf that was worn and gloves that didn't appear to be used for the purpose of the dangerously cold temperatures. My mom whispered, " things that people take advantage of". Immediately I went into deep thought on what possibly could have happened to this man and why was he in this predicament. As we got closer to the door, I put my hands in my coat pocket to warm my hands. It was at this moment that I realized I had a pair of gloves in my pocket. Before I realized what I was doing, I gave the man my gloves. He looked me in my eyes and genuinely thanked me. I can't recall ever feeling this fulfilled and humbled. This experience changed me in many ways. It brought me to the realization that I wanted to help those who were disadvantaged in anyway. As I navigate my way through my last year of High School, I know that my purpose is helping others. My dual degree in Education and Social Work will equip me with the tools required to fulfill my purpose in my community.