I was born and raised in New York City my whole life. Currently I live in the borough of Brooklyn. My mother enrolled me in preschool at the age of two soon after started going to a catholic elementary school till the 8th grade. I attended Resurrection elementary located in Gerritsen Beach which was a predominantly Caucasian school with very few minorities. So from an early age I knew I was different as far as diversity but felt that I was accepted and no different from my peers while attaining success as best I continued in that learning environment. Growing up, there wasn’t much diversity to draw upon so at an early age I wasn’t as open minded or sensitive of other cultures besides what I saw on a daily basis. After completing elementary school I continued my education at Leon M. Goldstein HS for the sciences which was also located in Brooklyn in the neighborhood of Manhattan Beach. Going there was a very huge culture shock for me and I had to adjust very fast to such a new setting and larger school. Over time I came out of my shell and experienced diversity on such a new platform understanding different types of people as well as cultures from a new perspective. Right after high school I attended Kingsborough Community College and my intended major from the beginning was Physical Therapy. At the time it seemed like a good idea but suddenly changed I my mind and pursued Liberal Arts. From that point on I began to focus more on what I really wanted to study to pursue a career that I was passionate about and that was helping adults with developmental disabilities.
What made me decide to enter the field of Human Services I believe was something bigger and beyond what I knew I was capable of doing. It dawned on me while I was in HS and did not appreciate how other students treated disabled individuals with disrespect which I felt was wrong and disheartening. The student may lack social skills but it is not necessary to treat them like second class citizens through no fault of their own. Once I became serious about helping this vulnerable population my need to help expanded and I wanted to do more than just assist people with mental and developmental diseases. Not really knowing much about this profession I began to ask questions at my local YAI center to best help me find the answers I needed. In doing so I felt that I could do more than accompanying them on local field trips to museums and local parks by making them feel more part of the society to enjoy life more than what they already have.
It was instilled in me I was brought up to help others less fortunate than myself especially in the Catholic Church as well as schooling. I learnt that the right thing to do is not to seek some type of reward for a good deed but be thankful that someone else can benefit from my assistance and gain a deeper respect. In high school and college my circle of friends comes from various cultures all over the world. As a caring person I believe that I can be very effective in my professional work. I became friends with disabled persons during high school and till this very day continue a strong relationship with a developmental disabled person and I continue to treat him the way he ought to be treated. It all begins with respect and empathy for others and not looking down on another, accepting that individual for he or she is and encourage them to attain what they would like to accomplish in life. Having seen with my own eyes the stigma associated with the individual with mental/developmental disabilities inspired me to do so much more and provide that chance to others what I experience in my daily life.
My strengths are shown in the confidence that I have and positive energy that I share with those around me. My personality is outgoing and easy to get along with. In some instances people tend to gravitate towards me because of my warm hearted spirit and the willingness to help others. I keep my personal and professional life separate due to the fact I take my career very seriously and the dedication I have to hard work was instilled in me from my parents. In my community the local YAI which I have shown interest in working for as a volunteer it will help gain some exposure to working with diverse group of clientele. What can make me effective as a human service worker is the charisma, respect, knowledge and willingness to learn. It’s a learning process that never ends and that’s what I like to do and live and make my profession more interesting and the daily challenges it brings.
I strongly feel that while working with a disabled population is not only learning more about myself while empathizing but having a greater respect and appreciation for those who have so many barriers and their ability to overcome obstacles and limitations. The mentally developmentally disabled population is by no means and their issues are varied. The severity in how disability may affect each individual and family suffering from Autism, MS and Mental Retardation etc. and these families’ needs are taken into account. By continuing my education and increasing my knowledge through I will be able to handle situations in which one may not necessarily feel comfortable or be able to I will be to explain and understand how they feel and what may be going on in their mind, and make the best decisions not only for myself but the client as well. There are continuing human service needs through advocacy to better give society a broader perspective and diminish the stigmas associated and get a better understanding of this population through education and social policies to better assist their needs as far as healthcare and transportation. From the Special Olympics, to marathons raising money for research continues to demonstrate that a disability doesn’t prevent people from living their daily lives by maximizing their potential. Social welfare programs that provide assistance and guidance through advocacy can better provide stability to this disabled population who needs it most. What I have begun to develop through this learning process is by finding services and resources to begin the process of what may lie ahead of me in this field and begin to work with disabled adults. These types of services include observation, research and an internship to build the experience I need so that I may be at more ease to lend my abilities in caring for others.
My career path in the near future to 10 years from now would be to own my own center for adults with developmental and mental disabilities. Some of the major activities would include but are not limited to camping trips, amusement parks and sporting events. I feel that it would be beneficial to those clients who may not have experienced outings beyond their local communities with more to offer them and will gain a positive experience through it all. Support groups will be made available would be able to make a dream of mine where not only the clients gain but everyone is going beyond themselves to provide and build a greater relationship with those they may not know and gain a long lasting impression or close relationship with.
In conclusion human service workers cater to a various groups of vulnerable populations with countless needs and unheard voices they need help to be productive members of society. In doing so I want to work with people with disadvantages who are capable of achieving anything they put their mind to if given the chance and seen as a sign of hope to future generations. By wanting to provide more options than what is already given I feel that I can be that person who wants to accomplish so much more through positivity and respect through that anything is possible. Adults with disabilities should not be limited in what this population is capable of but gives a chance to show we are all the same regardless of differences.
