"Get up! Wakey, wakey. Sunday school is about to start. You need to get ready to go." These are the words I woke up to for years as a child. I remember my mom and I walking down the street on Sundays to attend church. Church became one of the most stable and peaceful places I could go no matter where I was in the world or stage of life. I contribute obtaining this knowledge to my mom who encouraged me to get up no matter how down and out I felt. My mom has positively impacted my life by demonstrating love like no other. It did not matter if it was ninety degrees outside. She would always ask me, do you have a sweater in case you get cold inside? Growing up she always had my interest, safety, and well-being at the heart. She is instrumental in helping me become the person I am today by assisting the start of my faith journey and my foundational values. My mom raised me to be kind because you never know when your all's path will cross at another time in life. I found this information very true as an adult. I am grateful that I heeded her wisdom because volunteering at various organizations, I have crossed paths again with different people I had previously been graceful. They remember the kindness and compassion shown to them. I have learned that volunteering creates relationships and a network of support around the passions of the heart. So these same people assisted me by connecting me to other people I needed to know within organizations internally and externally. Another way my mom was instrumental is in teaching me how to be a strong, independent woman. I learned persistence and determination from her. When I want to reach for the stars, I overcome obstacles. She taught me in life there are interruptions, distractions, and leaps. I will have to continue to hurdle over and push through to reach high for my dreams to become reality. Life does not make it easy for women in various ways. She encouraged me not to let these ways defeat me in fulfilling my happiness in life. Through my foundational values, she positively impacted the choices I made as an adult. She taught me fear is just an adjective and does not control my path. I do not let fear choose for me the route I take. Within these lessons, I have been able to experience new beginnings, cultures, and places that fear would not allow me to thrive. These experiences have positively shaped my outlook on life. I have experienced joy, adventure, and love. Most of all, my mom showed me how to be a good mom to my own children. I am thankful for her example. She modeled well this difficult task in life. From her love, and God's love, I can recreate love in my children and others. I can pour love and compassion into others as a career. Moreover, I enjoy doing so. I am honored to have my mom and to call her mine. I know one day I will not be able to have her say, "wakey, wakey, it's time to get up", but I will remember the values and faith she has instilled inside me as the best person I can be and continue to become.

Have you ever been unable to resolve a problem or needed assistance trying to make ends meet? Well, social workers help give others the tools to solve their situations, in their way, and with their solutions. My career of choice is social work. I have been in this boat sailing the rocky seas of life. I have reaped the benefits and appreciation for the work of social work in my journey. I wanted to pass it forward and pursue an education in social work. I am passionate about social work because communities, especially rural ones, need more qualified providers to work within the different systems advocating on behalf of victimized children and supporting family preservation efforts in families and culture. The areas of practice that need extra support and that I desire to pursue are clinical, children, families, mental health, preservation, preventative service areas, veterans, and geriatrics specifically with hospice. I am finding out in rural communities that have limited funds to employ social workers that private practice is the most common way to provide quality services to families who are limited in options of access and care. Also, I desire to pursue a clinical practice, because my lived experiences have led me to understand life differently. I believe I have learned from trauma growth that difficult areas that individuals find hard to overcome and build resilience, especially under grief. I enjoy working with multidisciplinary team members and a team-based approach to clients. These types of services focus on strength-based models and trauma-informed language. Additionally, the input and insight from natural informal supports and non-clinicians are equally important in the individual’s maintenance of recovery. Some sacrifices that I have made to accomplish my personal goals include the loss of a network of friends and support. I have sacrificed the “mom’s night out club” to accomplish my personal goals of raising and uplifting my special needs family out of poverty. I have sacrificed precious time away from my husband’s attention and affection to ensure our family has the best quality of life I can provide. I have sacrificed additional time seeking out needed community resources to make ends meet. Additional sacrifices that I have made to accomplish my educational goals include currently not working to align my family and personal obligations, responsibilities, and duties with the social work program as a priority currently. Therefore, my family and I are financially stretched for me to pursue my dreams and education. I would like to be more financially secure to continue with the same focus throughout. I have sacrificed countless hours away from my family looking at a computer to master my assignments for my educational goal of obtaining a degree in social work. When my name is called to collect my diploma, all these sacrifices will be worth it. I am on a mission and calling to uplift my family and my community to a good life worth living. In the process, paying it forward to the next generation.

Imagine waking up in another country, a different era, and a different class of society. This was my experience as I picked up the literacies that Jane Austin’s words stirred out of the pages of her timeless journey. The books that have transformed my life are Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion. I first read these books in high school for advanced class assignments. They were one of the first novels I vividly experienced. I connected with the author by imagining the peaceful large mansions that were filled with laughter and dance. I desired to experience these moments in real life as I grew up in a discontent and disharmonious environment. With my family's low socioeconomic status, walking inside a mansion was out of this world. I remember embarking on the different cultures and values of the colonial age. Every custom, norm, event, and language used during this timeframe had a meaning of respect, self-control, and standard of expectation. These concepts were missing in my life. I imagined if everyone could be more respectful and maintain self-control, then maybe my environment would be happier. These books made an impact on me through the sheer joy they brought into my life. I could relate to the characters within the books. The characters’ characteristics majority were Caucasian females attempting to figure out the dating scene, their futures, risky choices that directly impact their families, self-confidence, and self-esteem. The new knowledge of “walk abouts” and going on nature walks as forms of entertainment outside of electronics, bikes, and playgrounds were fascinating to me. Additional new concepts were the ideology that made a “well-rounded woman” ideal for marriage with a significant dowry such as being talented in playing piano, reading literature, crafts in minding clothes, and dancing. As I was coming of age myself, I leaned into this new knowledge of the unspoken expectations of my day. Once newly married, my world travels and adventures consisted of stopping in Bath, England. I wanted to explore the novel in real life and step back in time. The most memorable place I visited was a restored mansion like Jane Austin’s courting balls. As I stepped into the environment that the literacies brought to life as an adolescent, I was transformed as an adult in Bath. I was able to soak up the experience of an elite social class by sipping high tea and reading my favorite literature just as Jane Austin described it so long ago. The effect these books had on me was significant, so much so, that at the first chance I had of autonomous adult opportunity, I traveled across the world. Similarly, to my imagination, while reading these books, I stepped into a different country, England, transformed my day into a different era, and experienced a different class of society. I was able to explore curiosities and learn interpersonal skills through Jane Austin’s literature. I am appreciative of these literacies during that particular period of my life. They gave me a more optimistic outlook on life. This outlook has carried with me through life, contributing to my resiliency.

Imagine waking up to realize that you are just a fly on the wall, without a voice to cry out for help, and turn back into a happy human. This was me after I lost my protector and beloved older brother. Overnight, I realized that I had to make difficult life decisions and solely rely on my voice for the right answers. This was challenging since I was raised in poverty, was the only female sibling, and witnessed domestic violence most of my childhood. I always looked towards my older brother for guidance, advice, and assistance in various aspects and domains of my life. He was my role model on milestones to accomplish, choices not to make with undesired consequences and financial stability. I have grown over the past year in confidence and leadership capabilities. My confidence has been built through connections of encouragement, validation, and chances. My leadership capabilities have been strengthened through opportunities for application, practice, and mentorships. The situation that inspired my personal growth was activating my unique voice through events of sharing my story. As I took leaps of faith and acted boldly in situations that I wanted to change or contribute to, I felt better and happier. I wanted to feel heard, and I wanted to share my lived experiences of my difficult life routes. My lived experiences give agency to courses that few parents understand. The participatory process in healing by providing empathy, a listening ear, and reflection is sometimes all someone needs to feel empowered. I wanted to tell hurting individuals that joyful and meaningful life is possible. I accomplished this goal by invitations for me to show them through my example and mentorship. I provide a positive lens, insight, and success. I demonstrated that no matter how hard the obstacle was to achieve, empowerment, strength, and growth will find one on the other side. I expressed the tools utilized to overcome grief, loss, and mental health challenges. I have changed by taking control of my narrative and journey. I have turned my passion into action through awareness walks, news reporting, and high school assemblies. I speak louder exerting confidence and authority on my topic, my story. However, what remains the same is my compassion, authenticity, and drive toward others in my community to thrive with satisfying quality of life and wellness. I have learned through my journey of self-discovery to speak up and show up consistently no matter who is showing up with me.