[Amanda]

As a Latina growing up in Sunset Park, Brooklyn New York was a blessing before gentrification began. The area was always predominantly Hispanic, of course as I grew older the neighborhood became more diverse. But even that is beginning to change due to a decrease in affordable housing and or apartments. I attended High School of Telecommunication, Arts, and Technology in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, of which is where I became inspired by my Guidance Counselor to pursue a major in Human Services(HUS).
Ms. Mayo, was my guidance counselor throughout my four years of High School. She inspired me because of her nature and nurturing mother personality. I felt that with every angsty teen that walked into her small office, she was able to get through to them and help them to the best of her abilities. There was never a time where she had given advice(as in giving a solution that may not help) or brushed off a student truly in need. What was most intriguing, was the HUS professionals which were apart of her network in the school. There was a psychiatrist and social worker available, and I believe every high school should have access to these professionals.
Growing up in Sunset Park, Brooklyn was a very educational experience, from both a negative aspect and a positive one. My family has moved from home to home four times, which has now left us in an affordable housing building. Being a lower middle class or what I believe now is living impoverished, has been a challenge for me and my mother for a very long time. Sometimes we can not afford a decent meal without having to get the rent paid in time, this experience, which is most new yorkers’ experience, has made me realize there is so much wrong in this country and there needs to be a change. In order to see this change I decided to major to HUS instead of becoming a nurse. I have recently joined NYPIRG, a student activist group, which I hope to achieve the change not only I deserve but that many other new yorkers need.
The population of focus would be Adolescents, many teens in america struggle with being able to graduate from high school. Most cannot even afford free school lunch because their income does not meet the requirements. As the future generation adults, I believe Adolescents deserve all the help they need in order to move on from high school. For this population, I would need to study the adolescent mind and become aware of the many different cultures I may encounter. A high school student in general deal with financial problems, and the stressors of life in and outside of schools. Throughout my journey in this major I have learned to be open to diversity which is key for most populations and I feel I have learned to better communicate with others. Having good communication skills and being open to diversity is essential for the adolescent population since most high schools are public, and the mindset of an adolescence is largely different from that of an adult’s.
What I envision for my future in the career of the Human Service Professional, is being a part of a high school which has access to a social worker and or psychiatrist available. I am not sure if I would like to do independent work or settle for counseling in a public high school. I can imagine having an office in a public high school, and in order to hone my skills I would store books to keep on hand in the office or at home for when I would need to do more research. I hope to learn more on how to properly communicate with the children/adolescent population.
In conclusion, the journey from now until I am hopefully settled in the HUS field will definitely be challenging. I expect to feel discouraged at some points in time, but with my determination and help from family and peers. I hope to achieve or at least make a dent in the progress for change in this city, no matter how many papers/reports I must write. Every person in this world I believe has the right to food, shelter and education.

[LisbethT]

Nice conclusion !