Rutgers Grad School of Social Work Personal Statement

I am applying to the Rutgers School of Social Work because I know the value and caliber of a Rutgers education. My cousin received her M.S.W. from the School of Social Work in 2010 and has spoken highly of the program. And I received my Ed.M. from the Rutgers Graduate School of Education in 2009. When I was an undergraduate considering applying to graduate school I considered doing a dual degree in education and social work. But then I decided not to. I now regret that decision. So here I am in 2014 applying for admission into your Fall 2015 cohort.

I have always been interested in the intersection of education and social work. I used to want to be a non-profit coordinator that offered enrichment experiences to underserved and underprivileged populations. I also always wanted to be a teacher. I grew up in Newark and was a gifted and talented student in elementary and middle schools. And an honors and Advanced Placement student in high school. At Duke University, I double-majored in African American Studies and Political Science with a minor in English. I loved attending school; I still love learning. For the past seven years I have been an educator. I was an instructional assistant and substitute teacher in a Newark charter school for two years. And for the last five years I have been teaching high school English at an independent, all-girls' K-12 school. I love my job, my students, and literature. But after 7 years in education I am ready to transition into working in the social work field.

In 2007, during my last year of graduate school I was hospitalized with an acute manic episode. Shortly thereafter I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Graduate school was derailed as I was forced to withdraw from school only a month and a half from graduation. Undetered, I finished my degree two years later despite battling depression. I feel that my own personal experiences with mental health will make me a more compassionate, caring, and effective clinician. My hospitalizations have taught me a great deal about myself. I am resilient, creative, and innovative. I have not let my diagnosis steer me off the course I have set for my life. My "detours" have only made me stronger. I have started a blog to document my experiences; it is called Manic Monique's Meanderings: My Journey to Wellness. Writing can be very therepeutic. I've already had two former classmates contact me to tell me that they too suffer from bipolar disorder; they thanked me for sharing my story.

My strengths are my intelligence, my organizational and time management skills, and my concern for others. I have been an academic advisor, a club advisor, a teacher, and a facilitator while at my current job. I am also interested in matters concerning social justice and diversity, as I advise the student clubs Black Cultural Association and Diversity Council. My students have consistently scored well on the Advanced Placement exams, evidence of my strong teaching of reading and writing. I have great rapport with both my students and colleagues. The countless thank you notes and gifts I receive from my students lets me know just what my impact has been. I believe having been a teacher will make me a better clinician. I have honed my classroom management. Further, as a teacher I redirect tangential conversations, ask thoughtful follow up questions, and craft meaningful lessons and activities. As far as weaknesses, I think I can care too much at times. I feel rather deeply (I think it has to do with my mood disorder). I actually consider this a gift and a curse. It's a gift because compassion is a necessary trait to better the world. However, it can be a curse because it can be debilitating when I think about how vast and deep the problems go. Problems such as poverty, felon disenfranchisement, ineffective schools, poor life chances, lack of quality healthcare and the list goes on ad nauseum.

Inspired by my own three hospitalizations, I want to become a clinician. I've had great therapists and psychiatrists, my own personal providers that I've been consistently with for the last seven years as well as the ones I've met at the hospital and Intensive Outpatient Therapy. I want to help the mentally unwell get their lives back on track. An illness can derail one's plans. But with the right support the derailment doesn't have to be permanent.