User:Tautologist/Rosemary

Personal Background

I wish to pursue a Master of Social Work with a (Families and Children) clinical concentration at (name of school), then dedicate my professional life to serving families with needs. I want to get A our of graduate school. I received a degree in B from C in (Year D). Since Year E, I have been working for F, a (homeless advocacy group), where I am currently (position G). My career goals have been influenced by my childhood and post-college work experiences.

Family Background

I was raised in a socio-economically disadvantaged part of Los Angeles. My parents ingrained in me the importance of education and public service. They were both born and raised in El Salvador, a poor country in Central America, where they received a partial high school education. They immigrated to the United States seeking better lives. Unfortunately, the opportunities available to them were limited. I grew up in a low-income community and witnessed my parents’ struggle to provide us with shelter and food.

First Eye-Opening Experience in 1993

My passion for helping others began at the age of nine on a trip to Mexicali, Mexico, where I first witnessed the harsh conditions of poverty: people living on the streets and shacks too small to comfortably house a family. On my trip I learned that a family of three considered a small room, furnished with only a worn mattress, home. I could not believe basic human needs were not being met here and was simply heartbroken. Despite my humble living conditions back home, I realized how fortunate I was to live in a place with multiple rooms, running water, and electricity. As much as I wanted to help that family in Mexicali, there was very little I could do then. However, I now have the opportunity to obtain the necessary training and skills through a graduate education to serve and improve poverty-stricken communities. My trip to Mexicali significantly shaped my value for service and social justice and belief that every person has the right to have his or her basic need of shelter, food and clothing fulfilled.

AmeriCorps VISTA Experience and the Development of a College-Going Culture 

In (Year?), during my senior year at Berkeley, I decided that I would join AmeriCorps upon graduating. As an AmeriCorps VISTA member, I was the Director of a program called Academic Center of Excellence (ACE) in Whittier, a Latino community. I left Berkeley and returned to an area not too far from where I grew up to help low-income students achieve their dreams of attending college.

My first task was to identify the necessary resources to plan and create a program that would help students overcome obstacles hindering a successful transition from high school to college. I then faced the challenge of finding schools that would be interested in ACE’s services. After being turned down by numerous high schools, I established partnerships with five college counselors. I had something to show for my weeks of determination and persistence.

Many of the students I met never considered college as an option after high school. In some situations, students were expected to find a job upon graduating. I devoted a year of my life to creating a college-going culture in an impoverished community because I believe education can bring low-income communities out of poverty. My high value for education drove me to spend hours creating Individualized Academic Plans for hundreds of high school students, conducting college workshops for parents and students, and running an after-school tutoring program. My hard work as an AmeriCorps VISTA exemplifies my ability to respond to challenging situations, my passion and commitment to sharing information and resources, and my desire to instill hope in others.

Work Experience with Homeless Families and Children

When I first learned that the rapidly growing homeless population had become a serious social problem, I began to research homelessness. The statistics were mind-blowing. I found that approximately 1.9 million children are homeless in the United States, with 200,000 in California alone. I soon developed a passion for homelessness and aspired to find work with an organization serving homeless families and children. At a career fair I discovered School on Wheels, a non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance the educational opportunities for homeless children.

Now as their Downtown Learning Center (DLC) Coordinator, I am responsible for ensuring that families are aware of rights for homeless children under the McKinney-Vento Act. Many homeless students are not enrolled in school because their parents fear they will not be admitted due to a lack of records such as immunization or birth records, school transcripts, or a permanent address. Therefore, my goal is to break the enrollment barriers homeless children face. I strive to ensure that these children have access to a free public education and to all educational services to which they are entitled. For the past two and a half years, I have served society’s most vulnerable and oppressed families.

Personal Insights

While my overall experience with School on Wheels has been amazing, I have had to make difficult decisions and faced challenging situations.

'''Why I value service: What does service bring to a community? How does it improve the community?'''

Why I value social justice

Why I believe that every person has the right to have his or her basic needs fulfilled