Help me become a social worker

Thirty-Eight years of life experiences have prepared me to be a resilient and empathetic human being, but those characteristics do not make me unique. Instead, what makes me unique is how I overcame adversity in my life. My life experiences have inspired me to dedicate myself to service work. To help me achieve this goal, I applied and was accepted to USC for the MSW program to pursue my dream of being a school social worker. When I become a social worker, I understand that the vast majority of people I will work with will be in a state of crisis and emotional distress. Therefore, I must be able to offer a caring, understanding, and empowering environment for them. It will be vital for me to understand others' difficulties, making myself relatable. My life experiences have taught me lessons that will make me a caring, understanding, and empowering social worker, and I hope to one day positively impact marginalized communities.

My life changed six years ago when I lost my sister to her 15-year long battle with Lupus. The loss of my sister sent me on a downward spiral of depression and self-destruction. Anyone who has ever lost someone they love can attest, the death of a loved one often leaves a gaping hole in the heart that it seems nothing can fill. So I sought professional help to overcome the grief. With the help of a licensed clinical social worker, support groups, and a life coach, my life today looks very different. I now know who I am. I know my goals, dreams, values, and boundaries, including protecting, nurturing, and validating them. Now at the age of thirty-eight, I wish to dedicate my life to service work.

My current financial situation places me in a position where I am dependent on scholarships, grants, and stipends to finance the two-year MSW Program at USC. Unfortunately, like many others who have been pursuing higher education, an adverse credit history prevents me from taking advantage of graduate student loans and is what stands between me and the realization of this dream. Without the assistance of graduate student loans, I cannot afford to pay the remaining $27,000 for 2021-2022 tuition. Your generous support would provide the financial aid needed to pay tuition and guarantee I participate in the MSW program.