The issues that most interest me have become more defined but have never stopped growing over the years. My interests involve: volunteering, helping others, social work, religion, gay rights, deaf culture, art, web design and women's studies, just to name a few.
I have spent my life living this child-like dream of changing the world of being a superhero. You can call me "Super Woman." I see things that need to be changed, and I work on them. I develop them. I will achieve my dream of changing the world like the superheroes of my youthful years. I know that if I can change one person's life positively, I have changed the world for that one person.
In Social Work we have shirts that state, "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. - Winston Churchill" I try to lead my life by what I can give to others. Helping people has always been an interest of mine because I lost my home in a fire at the age of ten and lost another home to a fire at the age of thirteen. My family of eight brothers and sisters (two had moved out) could not afford to keep rebuilding our home, so we moved into a smaller home in a poorer neighborhood, to a house that my parents could afford. I began to see problems of hunger and mental illness. I saw them in the outside world and in my own home. I knew from then on that I wanted to find a way to help people and make their lives better.
When I started at the University of Texas, I explored different major such as sociology, anthropology, and psychology. I had decided on psychology, but realized in my second year that I could not fulfill my passion for helping people doing psychological research. A professor suggested that I look into the School of Social Work; it was the perfect fit! Since I joined Social Work, I have put more of an emphasis on my interest in cultures and identities. It is an important tool for social workers to understand how culture and identity affect the client. This portfolio showcases my job experience, volunteer experience, international experience, and school experience including: my London Maymaster, Training in intergroup dialogue, volunteering at AIDS Services of Austin, courses I have finished at UT and my internship at The Gender and Sexuality Center.
My experiences have left me with amazing skills I will be able to use as a social worker such as tolerance, energy to help others, and a level of untouched creativity.