Betty Leonard
HUS 1207
Professional Essay
I was born in Woodhull Hospital in Brooklyn New York on November 20th, 1984. I am the youngest of three girls therefore I am considered to be the baby of the family. We moved to the British Virgin Islands while I was a young child and then returned to New York for a short period of time. I completed both primary school (equivalent to elementary school in the U.S.) and high school in the B.V.I. I was raised to work hard, be considerate, and respectful of others as well as myself. The way I was raised played a major role in shaping the person that I am today. I returned to New York where I completed my Associates degree in Human Services Mental Health at LaGuardia Community College. I am currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Human Services at New York City College of Technology.
There are very few things in life that has my interest along with my lack of natural talent and natural skills such as creativity that could be turned into a career. My lack of interest in areas such as business administration, accounting and others made it an obvious decision to enter into a career that appealed to me by doing something that came natural to me as well as fill the need I have to fix peoples’ problems. I was 20 years old when my mother passed away and the last years of her life were very difficult for her. During that time it was hard for her to find and keep employment and she was also grieving the death of her older sister. I watched my mother suffer for what seemed like forever but at the time I was unaware of how serious it was, there was great financial strain on her as well as grief for her loss and these are only the problems that I was aware of who knows what else she was going through. There are many people in this world who at some point in time feel that they are alone, even when they are surrounded by others. There are times when people need someone to talk too and need help but don’t feel comfortable asking the everyday people that they have in their lives. I was always one to listen to peoples’ problems and the first hand experience with my mother made it clear to me that I wanted to be a counselor. My goal is to become that person that people feel comfortable enough to trust on a professional level and turn too in their time of need.After I figured out what my career goal was I became more aware of my environment and the mentally and developmentally disabled in particular. My interest in knowledge and a better understanding about those disabilities are what continue to drive me towards pursuing counseling.
I am naturally inquisitive and have a habit of paying close attention to all the small pieces of a story or an event and how they fit together and affect the outcome. This is a practice that would be valuable as a counselor and particularly when using the holistic view point. I would be able to look at and include all the areas of a persons’ life and won’t exclude factors that may be small but vital. I am also naturally a strong minded argumentative person, these traits could be considered negative if they hinder my ability to be receptive and if used at the wrong times but I consider them to be strengths within the Human Services profession. As a Human Services worker it is vital that I am able to stand my ground for what I believe to be right and be able to advocate for the population that I serve when the need arises.
I have a strong interest in the mentally and developmentally disabled. This interest stems from my interest in psychology and understanding people, the how and why the act the way they do. There are a variety of these disabilities and each person within the disability culture is different although they share the same or similar disabilities. One specific interest of mine is those clients who have Autism. I am intrigued by the various levels of this disability and how different clients are depending on how severe it is. I am intrigued by their behaviour and am eager to work with the population to become more knowledgeable. I think working with this population as well as others with mental and developmentally will teach me patience. That is one trait that I don’t possess but my desire to learn and help the people in this population gives me the patience I need to see it through. I am certain that when I begin to work with this population it will increase my ability to be patient and I will be able to apply that to all areas of my life. People are becoming more aware of Autism but I believe the area still lacks human services workers and care givers trained and equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to take care of and service the population.
I intend to graduate with a Bachelors degree in Human Services and continue towards a Masters degree in Social Work and then become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. While I am pursuing my Masters degree I hope to be employed at an agency such as a living facility for the mental and developmentally disabled. I would also like to expand my knowledge on the Autistic community and receive training and gain experience in the field by working with the population. While at New York City Tech I intend to take CASAC (Certified Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor) courses which will allow me to increase my marketability as a recent graduateentering into the Human Services field. After I have gained sufficient experience I intend to open a counseling practice of my own in addition to whichever facility I would have a supervisory position in. During this time I intent to continue to participate in workshops and courses relevant to the field so I may be abreast to any new changes.
Regardless of what direction I take within the field the possibilities are endless. There are a variety of ways to serve the population and it is imperative that they are served by people who are willing and trained to do such. With the education and adequate exposure I intend to reach my career goals and thrive within the field.
