My name is Kameela Edun. I was born in Westchester Bronx, NY. My parents and old brother came to America from Guyana as immigrants. My mother was just a couple months away from giving birth to me when she arrived in New York City. My mom, dad and older brother stayed with my mother’s father and step-mother in the Bronx. Hence, my birth in the Bronx. My parents, old brother and I stayed with my grandparents for about two years until my parents were stable enough to be fully independent. After the two year span my youngest brother was born and my parents, my two brothers and I moved from the Bronx to Ozone Park, Queens to my current home. I have been living in my current home for twenty years. Living in a neighborhood as long as I have your neighbors become like family especially since I don’t have much family in New York City. Most of my educational background has taken place in Queens from elementary at PS62 to high school where I attended an all girl school Stella Maris until now that I attend City Tech in Brooklyn. I hope to go onto my master degree in the future with my main focus on social work.
My main reason I decided to go into the field of human service, beside me wanting to help others is because I want to make a different by encouraging others to improve the quality of their lives. We all just need a little or big push and that is what I want to do by encouraging others to take that first step towards a journey to a better life by showing others there self- worth and that they are capable of being independent. I want to encouraging others to go after their goals or completing certain goals in their life because we all are capable of a better future and life. I think the human service field in its entirety is intriguing to me, because there is a wide range of occupational titles that can be pursued under a human service degree and also a wide range of individuals that one can work with. But for me the main reason I am intrigued with the human service field is because, I personally enjoy communicating and with others face to face and also I know in the human service field, I can make a different in someone life in a positive way.
My personal and professional strengths that will enhance my effectiveness in the human service field. Starting with my personal strengths are I learned to be understanding and patient at a very young age to other because my older brother was born mentally handicap. The reason I say understanding and patient is because my older brother at time would act out in negative ways sometimes with temper tantrums or physical and being six years younger than him I had to understand not to take offense to his actions but be patient and understanding towards his disability. I consider my neighborhood very culturally diverse. Growing up in my neighborhood and especially living in New York City we have such a wide range of different cultures it interesting to me to take part in different cultures because I learn new thing and I learn to appreciate others culture groups traditions.
I consider myself very organized from the way I place my personal items in my personal space by this I mean on my table vanity I have items arranged from biggest to smallest. To my day planner which is my best friend I put all my activities that have to be done for the day in my planner. So, I basically use it religiously and it sad to say but if I forget my day planner on a busy day, I literally feel lost not that I forget my plans for the day but it make it so much easier to keep track of my daily plans. I don’t have much professional strength because I never really had a job. But I have done volunteer work at my local hospital where I put my organizing skills to work. I volunteered in the clinical department filing medical files according to numbers and letters.
The population I would like to work with is children. The main occupational title I would like to pursue is child advocate. I would learn patients and understanding from working with children. I believe the unique qualities of children that interest me are that children are our future and we need to educate and protect our future. The challenges that I will face with working with children’s are the children’s parents. I may experience parents that are neglectful towards their child’s need. The strengths of working with children are actually being able to provide service to children that may be in need of service. The skills that you need to learn to work with children is patients with parents and maybe the child, understand and compassionate while still keeping a professional frame of mind, a desire to teach children and learn from them, not judging individuals, observational and listening skills and a keen interest in helping kids.
The reason I want to work with children is because children are open-minded towards education and guidance. I want to help and improve children development in self-esteem because developing confidence and respect and an all around sense of self worth in one self can help a child develop into a positive adult with great characteristics. Children also need a given voice if not provide by their relatives to represent the child’s best interest. The human service needs towards children are being nonjudgmental, understanding, patients, compassion, willing to learn from others, observational and listening skills, and a determined individual willing to protect the wellbeing of the child. The human service skill I have begun to develop to be honest is being nonjudgmental of other actions and speech. Everyone judges everyone, I don’t mean I have negative view of people, it difficult at time when I meet new people and they are telling me something about their life that is a bit unusual and I am an expressive person by face so I try not to judge and also not show it on my face.
My envision and goals for my career path is to graduate from City Tech with my bachelor degree in human service in fall of 2014. With my bachelor I will get a job with an agency or organization being a child advocate. After a two year period of getting accustom to my job, I will attend a university while working to pursue my master and doctorate is social work.
In conclusion I hope you have learned a bit about me through my life background, my ambitions in life, my skills and my true passion to be dedicated to the field of human service towards children.
