Category: About Myself

Business is not just about statistics and charts, it wouldn’t be the same without the people who are driving it forward. From an early age, I have always been attentive to the way the business world operates in our everyday lives. Since beginning my A levels, the complexities of the business industry have become more clear, the way it is forever changing and adjusting to form more paths to success is a feature I can also apply to my own life. I comprehend that not just educational understanding is required but the motivation, creativity, hard work, and calculated risks are what is needed to become a successful person in this field. At university, I am looking forward to putting the theories I have learned so far into practice by participating in a year in an industry and learning on a grander scale and detail about the complications of how a business succeeds.

Being able to study Business at A-level has allowed me to observe the way companies operate to a much higher standard of understanding. I was exceedingly interested throughout the whole of my A-level, but in particular, I enjoyed the Business Environment unit, it allowed me to use my mathematical skills and then use the data to evaluate a business situation. My profound interest and enjoyment in this unit have encouraged me to pursue a career in the Business industry, possibly in the financial sector.

Having worked with several companies and organizations it has been interesting to observe how a company operates from the inside and how they deal with customers, staff, and the businesses around them. I took every opportunity to learn from the experience and feel it has given me a much more hands-on practical understanding of how a business functions. While I was in sixth form I participated in various activities, and programs and kept myself active. I have learned vital speaking and listening skills in discussions and debates that help me to depict my point of view along with the ability to think quickly in high-pressure situations. In and out of school I am dedicated to being involved in extra-curricular activities.

I have an open mind to many sports but I particularly love to play volleyball as I have been a member of the school’s volleyball team for 3 years and we have competed in the Volleyball London Youth Games and we have got 2 silver medals, one is from the U15 and the second from the U18. These activities have also strengthened my capabilities to lead and communicate within a team. To play in a top team involves dedication, time management, being strategic, and teamwork. I possess all of these skills. I also took part in coaching/teaching a sixth-form sports class; this required me to provide structure, organization, and leadership whilst teaching/training them, as well as developing my basic skills like learning/adapting and projecting my voice whilst teaching throughout the lesson.

However, I felt that Business has always been of high importance and interest to me and I believe it’s key to enjoy a subject to achieve your full potential. For an extended time, it has been an ambition and desire of mine to have a Business-related career and to study at a University. Furthermore, I look forward to the educational challenges I may come across and find along the way as well as offering my various talents and skills to the community. I will not only advance at a personal level but also become one step closer to setting the foundation for a successful business future. I am truly and rightly excited and looking forward to furthering my knowledge of Business Management with Marketing. This degree will turn and act as a foundation for future success and accomplishments in the fast-moving and powerful world of business. I am ready and eager to meet new people, explore a new environment, and above all submerge myself in the study of business.

Flying across with the wind, letting it carry me across the vast greenery. The vivid green mustard plants set ablaze with hypnotizing yellow-colored petals from its flowers. I run across the dirt, slipping and having reality smacking me with awake from the daydream, in which I flew with the wind, as I held on to my friend for dear life. We did not stop. We ran and ran, but we could only see the beautiful scenery of green and yellow painted across the land. The leaves would tickle my arms and legs, playing along mischievously.

This is what I remember, from the beginning of my childhood, in Bangladesh. I was born there and spent 6 and half years of my life frolicking amongst the mustard and various vegetable plants. Amongst the clean and clear breeze, the clear waters with all the fish playing what I believed to be hide- and- seek of the fish land. The fish were just as fast to glide across the water, making it jiggle like jelly, as I was in trying to run away from being caught by my friends like a slithering snake.

I that was all left behind, as my family moved. The clean air and peaceful symphony chirps of the birds were traded in for the bustling noise of the buses, cars, taxis and people of the city which never sleeps, New York.

My parents, had left their friends and family, those whose memories brought a dreadful tug inside, where the heart was, and weakened their knees from the pain separation, as tears trickled down like water on windows during the winter days.

All, this was done to provide us and bless us, the children of the future with a better education and chance in life. Though it was not easy, I could not communicate, I felt as if I were watching a foreign movie without subtitles as my new schoolmates spoke. But there were people there to help, a teacher, Mr. Patel, form India who knew exactly what type of place I had left. He helped my reading, writing, pronunciation and all, who I also lost because of the unfortunate heart attack, which grabbed and fought his live away from him.

I am me; I am unique in my own way, in how my childhood has shaped me. I grew up with love, and peace was all around. I have what others do not have, my special childhood memories of the vivid mustard plants.

Though I am able to speak freely, and understand completely, a language which was new to me, I will never forget where I came from to be blessed with this life. I will also, never forget the place where I have come to be who I am today. It is easy to understand I am only me with my life as I know it, in Bangladesh and now here in New York. I am not me, without these two places as my home.

As I cleaned every corner of the room, I came across a piano. It was rather filthy and dusty, so I began my duty of cleaning, turning the keys pure white. Back in Africa, the white people dumped all their trash near our homes and while I looked through their piles of trash, I spotted a piano. The piano was rusty and small, but that didn’t stop me from playing it. From that day on I would go to the dumpster and play the piano.

In my 20 years of living, I never had the privilege to play on a grand piano before. My dark skin on the pale white keys of the piano made me feel rather uncomfortable but yet drew me in with curiosity. I sat down next to the piano and started playing, my hands instantly started to dance on the keys. I’ve never felt so free in my life!

Then I heard footsteps above me, each step gets louder and louder, closer and closer. Suddenly I hear a voice calling me. My heart stopped and I turned. I saw my mistress with her luxurious handbag, platinum blonde hair and her shallow blue eyes stare at me. I was afraid because she had a fierce look, she had a pleasant look on her face. She looked rather surprised and impressed by my skills. How was she not the slightest bit angry? I smiled at her and hoped to hide my astonishment and turned back to the instrument. My fingertips felt at home on the keys, almost as if they were ready to get lost with me in the world of music.

As I finished, she explained to me how she got in an accident and lost her arm and how much she missed the sound of music. She made a deal with me: if I played for her every day, she sent me to piano lessons. Fireworks were going off in my brain: black women like me would never have the opportunity to even go near a piano!

I remember my first piano lesson; my teacher gave me a nasty look as if I didn’t belong here. I knew I probably didn’t so that didn’t bother me, at least I got the chance to have classes.

My dream was to be the first ‘colored’ woman to go on stage and perform. I perceived my dream and worked hard every day, still working as a maid but also practicing the piano. One day my mistress announced to me that she signed me up for a competition, my heart raced. I thought about the moment I would walk out on stage, more than a thousand pair of eyes staring at my dark skin rather than my actual performance.

Every day I would play to my mistress, I played over and over again until she was happy with my work. When I didn’t clean, I would spend most of the time on the piano, practicing until everything fell in place.

After three months of practicing, it was time for the competition. The host cleared his throat and announced my entrance to the stage. I walked out. The sound of my shoes filled the entire place, every pair of eyes finding its way to me. My hands remembered the way they moved like when I practiced, the familiar tune in my head. Minutes later as I ended my piece, I heard clapping. I stood up, turned around and saw people standing with smiles of joy on their face. I looked at the piano, then my fingers and smiled.

In this paper I will reflect on my own entrepreneurial profile and how it was influenced by Oprah Winfrey.

Oprah Winfrey, in my opinion, has one of the most incredible modern rags-to-riches stories of all time. As you may know, Oprah Winfrey is the wealthiest African American of the twenty-first century, and with a net worth of over $3 billion, she is possibly the most powerful woman on the planet. Given her difficult childhood, her tremendous accomplishment is all the more remarkable. Oprah grew up in great poverty as the daughter of an unmarried girl who worked as a housemaid. Oprah’s family was so poor that she was bullied at school as a child for wearing clothes made of potato sacks. She was also a victim of sexual abuse by family members, which she shared with television audiences during a special episode of her show. Her first big break came when she got a job at a small black radio station. Oprah’s oratory and passion charmed station managers, and she worked her way up the ranks to bigger radio stations, eventually appearing on television as well. Robert Ebert was the one who persuaded Oprah to sign the deal that created ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’. The rest, as they say, is history.

A big role model for me is Oprah Winfrey her story. She is an inspiration to all, and many celebrities should follow in her footsteps to assist make the world a better place for the less fortunate. Oprah Winfrey has been awarded the world’s most generous celebrity. She is well-known for her charitable activities. She has spent her entire career in her prime and has paved the way for others, particularly women, to build their own empires and get to the top of the profession. Her success has inspired more female journalists to follow in her footsteps and change the game by elevating the minority to the top. Finally, Oprah Winfrey has had a big influence on me and was one of my first role models. The reason why I look up to her and try to emulate key characteristics of her is because I inspire to be such a big figure and very influential for the next generation, I want people to look up to me and adore the things I’ve done, and have a big change the way she did with woman around the world and also the less fortunate.

A key entrepreneurial characteristic is being able to take risk which is common factor of all the successful entrepreneurs they all take big risks which results with them having big rewards however not all risks pay off which is why another key entrepreneurial characteristic is being persistent as well. These entrepreneurial characteristics are features I would like to say I have as I thrive of the idea of taking risks and I’m very persistent as well to add to that an example of this is where I had to make a choice where there were two investment alternatives available to me. The first is a fixed-income security, which will provide a fixed annual return of 15%, while the second is a market-linked security, which will provide a return based on market performance. The second investment has a high risk since if the market underperforms, where I may receive nothing or perhaps lose some of my money (negative rate of return). I am a risk taker who enjoys the uncertainty that comes with the second option. Furthermore, I am well aware that market growth can result in a return much higher than the 15% on a fixed income security. I then selected the portfolio’s second investment option which shows I’m willing to take risks to be accomplished. My inspiration originates from my own personal experiences. Many personal obstacles had to be conquered, which helped me put business issues into perspective. With the aid of family, friends, and mentors, I was able to overcome those personal challenges, and I realized that if I can do this, I can do anything. It inspired me to do something to improve working conditions for everyone, so that if individuals are having problems with their mental or physical health at work, they can get the treatment they need – something I lacked. Entrepreneurial mindset: a way of thinking that enables you to overcome challenges, be decisive, and accept responsibility for your outcomes. It is a constant need to improve your skills, learn from your mistakes, and take continuous action on your ideas. My entrepreneurial mindset at this current stage is I’m able to be very decisive and accept a lot of responsibilities on myself however a way I can definitely develop is getting better at overcoming challenges and taking calculated risks not just any sort of risks and I’m sure I will work on this and grow and become way better in that aspect.

In conclusion, in this report I’ve discussed my profile and these are the highlights. I’ve discovered Oprah Winfrey was my role model and main influence as I want to have a similar or bigger impact than Oprah Winfrey. Another thing I’ve discussed in this report is my own entrepreneurial characteristics how I’m persistent and a risk taker and showed examples where I’ve shown these characteristics. I’ve shown the sociological perspective and psychological perspective of how it influenced my entrepreneurial motivation. I also talk about how I was motivated by my environment which includes friends, families, mentors. All these things I’ve spoken about are key things in becoming a successful entrepreneur.

I am currently a gastroenterology and general medical registrar in the final 6 months of training. Working in these areas of medicine requires highly effective leadership skills, as the registrar is required to lead effective and cohesive teams, particularly in an on-call capacity. Through completion of the medical leadership module at Edge Hill University, I have gained a much greater understanding of my own leadership and personality traits. This in turn has highlighted just how they impact directly upon my leadership, the impact upon those I lead and the organization in which I work. With the use of reflective patches and available evidence I will discuss the impact in these three areas.

My leadership development and future as an NHS consultant is dependent upon an awareness of my own leadership quality, personality traits and skills. Furthermore, in order to effectively lead one must have an awareness of one’s own weaknesses and limitations in order to effectively delegate and form an effective team. These traits can be inherited and acquirable with the interaction between nature and nurture, for example emotional intelligence (Goleman, 1996), habits (Covey, 1999) and the Jung Type Indicator (JTI) (Swanwick, 2017). In this learning outcome I will explore how the JTI influences my leadership, the limitations of the JTI and based upon the JTI, I describe an action plan for personal development.

Completion of the JTI identified me as Introverted-Sensing-Thinking-Judging (ISTJ). This was the first time I had conducted such a personality test but reflecting upon the results, I did not find the outcome of the JTI a surprise in any way, feeling that it has accurately categorized my personality. Making up 9% of the population my ISTJ characteristics label me as a traditionalist.

The first element of the JTI which resonates with me the may strong association with the introversion category. This feature of my personality can have both positive and negative effects upon my ability to lead. Introversion allows me to remain composed and calm in high pressure or stressful situation, for example when leading a cardiac arrest or other difficult clinical scenarios I frequently encounter as a gastroenterology registrar. The ISTJ personality type is also described as focusing on the inner world, happy to work alone, having a strong sense of duty and responsibility. The introversion trait can sometimes be interpreted by others as detached and unapproachable, which can clearly impact on one’s ability to lead. Despite this trait in the JTI such comments have not been made during my prior MSF. This demonstrates my ability to adapt to different situations, for example adopting either autocratic or democratic leadership styles when required. This is further supported by my strong adaptability score in my emotional intelligence profile.

It could be argued that psychometric tools such as the JTI in isolation are too simplistic in order to define the complexity of humans. Such opinions have been defined by Boyle (Boyle, 1996) whose work suggests that the JTI provides appropriate psychometric description of personality types but how this translates to a prediction of behavioral and occupational outcomes is lacking. Since this work, there have been dedicated studies to explore the impact of JTI in the workplace, including hospital executives (Lawrence, 2010). This was further emphasized by the Royal College of Physicians (Physicians, 2016) who have conducted workshops for candidates to explore their JTI to develop themselves as medical leaders.

In order to be a more effective leader I need to consider the introvert aspect of the JTI outcome and aim to adopt some of the extrovert traits. In some circumstances the combination of introvert and thinking mean that I can be a bystander to situations, particularly multi-disciplinary team meetings. I understand that in order to be an effective leader in some circumstances I will need to take a more proactive role in group discussion and lead such meeting, e.g., as the chair. On the other hand, sensing, thinking and introversion can allow for effective delegation and a transformational style. This can be highly effective when training more junior staff as part of their continued medical education. Furthermore, organizations with transformational leadership can be rewarded with positive outcomes and quality indicators. My adaptability, as evidenced by the emotional intelligence assessment, will hopefully allow for the transition according to the situational requirements.

Being Turkish has always been a huge part of my character. As a child, I felt so self-conscious about who I am. I wasn’t taught to feel this way, I just didn’t like how different my life seemed to be compared to the other kids from my school. I had to take ESL classes while everyone else was taking regular English because I was raised learning a mix of Turkish and English. I was so embarrassed by all these things that formed my identity for some reason. I dreamed to be more like the other kids at my school, mostly having a ‘normal’ name that all the teachers could pronounce.

As I started to grow older, I started to become more accepting of my culture. I felt this in middle school. How long could I be embarrassed? There was no reason to be embarrassed. Although I was embarrassed, I still didn’t fit in. No matter how much I tried to fit in, I was still raised differently from all the other kids. I never realized how strict my parents were until I started going to school. I was not allowed to go to sleepovers, I couldn’t wear certain clothes because they were ‘too exposed’, even if everyone else in the world was allowed to. Now, I think that these are just some of the simple things that you have to carry about when you have Middle Eastern parents. Things that were so natural for every other kid were so remarkably offensive to my parents. As a middle schooler, I thought this was so frustrating to deal with.

As I get older, I still am coping with their strength. I still acknowledge how my parents have raised me this way and why they have. As immigrants coming from Turkey to the United States, they struggled with a lot of the same feelings I felt when I was younger but much worse. When my mother’s family moved here, she was only eight years old. She didn’t have anyone to relate to around her other than her siblings. She had it so much worse than I did but today she has grown up to be the strong immigrant woman she is today, raising 4 children. My dad moved to America when he was twenty-three. Today I see him as one of the strongest men on the planet.

My dad always stressed to me that I couldn’t make many mistakes, he never wanted me to get lower than 100. Although he always wanted me to not make mistakes, he never wanted me to lose my identity. My parents raised me from nothing, they wanted me to love who I was, but they also didn’t want me to try so hard to be something I am not to fit in. They taught me how to stay true to myself. Although it was frustrating at times, overly it benefited me to be raised this way. They taught me not to compare myself to other students, and not to set these limits upon myself. In America, you can do anything you want as long as you give it your all.

I thought this whole time that their difference in culture would separate me from everyone else but I learned one of the most important American values from my immigrant parents. My parents were really what made me feel comfortable with myself now. Today I live to set myself no boundaries or limits. I set a goal for myself and give it my all to achieve this goal. But one goal does not stop me, after achieving one goal I continue and continue. How can I not? When they have given up everything for me to be happy and successful.

Personal strengths. We all have a set of personal strengths and weaknesses. These are a person’s everything. These strengths and values are what make each and everyone of us unique. Some strengths and values are more important to us than others, and some we display more than others, but all play their own individual role in growing and developing.

Before taking this test I thought about and reflected on what some of my personal strengths and weaknesses are. There were so many things that I had to consider. I first had to ask myself and my peers, what type of person am I? How do I work? What am I good at? And after asking myself these questions, I came to the conclusion that I am a lot of things. I am and have always been a detail-oriented individual. When working on something, not only do I look at the big picture and the end result, but I also look at all of the small details involved. Everything matters and holds significant importance to me. Another one of my strengths is being a team player while also acting as leader. I am comfortable being in charge. In fact, I actually prefer it. Being in charge ensures that the project being worked on is being completed accurately and in a timely fashion. I like to work and think in a way that allows everyone to reach their desired outcomes and thinking logically and analytically is how I function. But one of my strongest personal strengths that I truly value is my ability to communicate effectively. I like to make sure everyone has a clear and concise understanding of exactly what is being discussed, planned and communicated. These are just a few of my strong suits.

After taking the StrengthsFinder test, I found that my top five strengths are the following: 1.Achiever, 2.Discipline, 3.Responsibility, 4.Strategic and 5.Significance. This took me by no surprise at all. Quite frankly, it’s exactly what I expected my results to be.

I’m an Army ROTC Scholarship student. Upon graduation, I will serve in the Army. I will be representing a leader of the United States of America’s Army. And when this happens, and I become a Second Lieutenant, I need to show a level of authority, respect, discipline, responsibility, strategic thinking and so much more to the soldiers that I will one day be in charge of. In ROTC I am a leader. I am the company 1st SGT and I am a strong and confident leader. I lead by example. I often show others that it is important to challenge yourself, set goals and work hard in order to meet those set goals. This is how I have worked in the past and this is how I will continue to work in the future. I will to the best of my ability use and take advantage of my personal values and strengths in all that I do and in all of my relationships, both in my professional and personal life.

I am also a responsible individual. Being reliable, trustworthy and meeting my deadlines and obligations is something that is very important to me. It is incredibly important for others to see me as loyal, dutiful, responsible and respectful, act in selfless service, value honor, integrity, and possess strong personal courage. These are just some of the skills and values that I live by. And they help define me as an individual.

The reason why I chose to do nursing is because of my past experiences. These experiences made me cherish the field and its excellence. After losing my parents at a young age, I was raised in a very big family. As the oldest, I was taught responsibility from a very young age. After completing my ordinary level, I noticed that the same skills and actions in my private life would prove me victorious in the nursing field. I not only uphold a nurturing character, but I also have empathy and I am very hardworking. Based on my past, I think I can manage stress in a good way, and I believe the intense and demanding nursing career match my abilities.

As I am about to graduate, I have essential goals that I hope to commit to as long as I am in the nursing field. One of my major goals is to develop the main characteristics that describe a successful nurse. My next goal is to develop and maintain my professional nursing portfolio. My other goal is to commit to lifelong learning, followed by being a competent nurse. Lastly, I would like to provide ongoing community support to those in need of medical assistance, especially in my country.

To be a good nurse, I have some qualities that need development, and these qualities are very demanding in the nursing field. Nurses are the connection between the patients and the doctors, therefore I found teamwork to be the main characteristic required in the nursing field. Goosen (2015) mentioned that teamwork is highlighted and cherished in nursing. To understand the goals of patient care needs, improved outcomes, and patient safety, Goosen (2015); suggested that nurses should work together. I need to develop the qualities of a good team player; since I know my strength, I am going to use them to my advantage so that I can be a respected member of the team. The research suggested that the job of caring becomes more effective and easier if teamwork is present in the workforce (Goosen, 2015), so that is the reason why I chose this skill.

Another quality that I plan on developing is effective communication. Crawford et al. (2017) described effective communication as essential in developing a rapport with patients including nursing roles such as patient assessment, education, etc. Australia is a multicultural country and according to research there are growing concerns relating to the potential for miscommunication as differences in language and culture can cause misunderstandings which can have serious impacts on health outcomes and patient safety (Crawford et.al, 2017). I will continue keeping my good sense of humor as it can help me to build myself as an effective communicator.

I plan on adopting resilience as a strategy for struggling against challenges related to the nursing profession by maintaining my hopeful outlook while nurturing a positive view of myself. I understand that the problems related to workplace adversity can be negative, stressful, and traumatic and this will result in difficult situations or episodes of hardship for me as a nurse. Despite all these challenges, this strategy allows me to cope with my work environment and as a result, my healthy and stable psychological functioning will be maintained. Yilmaz (2017) defined resilience as the ability to bounce back or cope successfully despite substantial adversity. I chose these strategies because by being a resilient nurse, I will learn to overcome all difficulties. I will develop better coping mechanisms to address stress through exposure to difficult working situations and environments (Yilmaz, 2017). Yilmaz (2017) mentioned resilience as a supportive factor, meaning that this strategy will help me to adapt to my profession’s difficult physical, mental, and emotional nature. These are some of the crucial qualities that I hope to attain as a nurse and are the important goals I need to conform to throughout my years as a registered nurse.

My first goal is to develop and maintain a professional nursing portfolio. According to Davis (2015), developing a professional nursing portfolio is one way to preserve my educational, clinical, and professional accomplishments. This portfolio will also provide my peers, future employers, and my educational faculty with a comprehensive view of the path I have taken to be where I am currently which will be a certified oncology nurse in 5 years (Davis, 2015). To attain my long-term career goals, I am planning to use this professional portfolio to write a list of my professional growth and skill competencies that I plan to complete in the future (Davis, 2015). My tool to showcase all my ongoing education, clinical competence, and my leadership skills will be this professional portfolio.

Maintaining my continuing professional development records will also assist me to ensure that I comply with the governance requirements (Chang and Daly, 2015). According to the Nursing and Midwifery Board (2016), as a registered nurse, I will be required to undertake 20 hours of my Continuing Professional Development per annum. The portfolio will help me track my CPD to ensure that I met the requirements (Chang and Daly, 2015). Ongoing development will enable me as a registered nurse to maintain and improve my knowledge, skills, and competence for contemporary practice Chang and Daly (2015).

Committing myself to lifelong learning is the other goal that I tend to achieve. This is so because I believe that education doesn’t end at graduation. l would like to continue for as long as I am in the nursing profession. Lifelong learning is known as an important component of all professionals (Chang and Daly, 2015). To achieve this goal, I should demonstrate persistence and diligence. Some of the qualities that I must develop include being able to reflect on myself using Gibb’s reflective cycle which is a model that nurses frequently use (Chang and Daly, 2015). Another quality that I should develop is being able to question and enjoy learning by actively seeking learning opportunities throughout my career. Once I am in the workforce, I understand that there will be numerous opportunities for me to engage in lifelong learning and professional development (Chang and Daly, 2015). Other education opportunities I plan to undertake to include formal in-service, attending conferences and seminars as well as undertaking post-registration education such as graduate certificates, and graduate diplomas in oncology nursing as this is where l want to specialize (Chang and Daly, 2015). Some of the strategies that I can use to enhance my lifelong learning include maintaining my Australian College of Nursing membership (Chang and Daly, 2015). I know that these professional organizations will continue supporting me to pursue my lifelong learning. (Chang and Daly, 2015).

According to Galler (2007), continuing education is one of the methods to increase the skills, knowledge, and performance abilities of practitioners. It is necessary because of the unprecedented growth in professional knowledge, rapid changes in the healthcare system, and the consequent changes in nurses’ roles (Griscti & Jacono, 2006). To update my clinical skills, nursing theory, research, and local policy and procedures, I will be undertaking in-service and staff development programs. Therefore, I will become more aware of current trends in nurse education and new developments in clinical practice. According to nursing research, continuing education is an essential component of the professionalization of nursing and could be a catalyst for the development of nursing practice (Galler, 2007). Therefore, continuing education will be the driving force that will promote me as a nurse to continue my professional development.

My other goal is to be a competent nurse. I want to have the ability to understand the rationale behind everything I will be undertaking. I would like to avoid doing anything that is outside my scope of practice. I plan on advancing my career and expanding my effectiveness as a successful nurse by completing all my goals. My final goal is to provide ongoing home or community service to those who are less fortunate and requires medical assistance. It has always been a wish for me to go back to my country and give back to my community. Once I have attained enough nursing skills, l plan to register with disaster response organizations as well as it will give me a chance to interact with various people with different cultures and backgrounds. It will be a privilege for me to serve deprived and needy people, especially those suffering from cancer and who don’t have enough income to pay for treatment, I would like to help such people as this is my way to further define my own meaning of being a registered nurse

Conclusion

In conclusion, I chose a nursing career as a result of my past experiences. This allowed me to gain essential qualities of what l believe determines a successful nurse. To remain on this path to success I have established important goals that I attend to achieve in 5 years’ time. This includes attaining the main characteristics that define a successful nurse. My other goal is to develop and maintain my professional nursing portfolio, followed by committing myself to lifelong learning and continuing education in my nursing career. Giving back to my community and providing ongoing medical assistance is the final goal that I would like to achieve.

Introduction: Aspiration to Pursue Social Work

What can be more rewarding than finishing up your work, and going home knowing you have made a difference in someone’s life? In today’s society, we have people who need caring and support for them to have quality lives and be healthy people overall. Pursing a social work career is my aspiration and I am enthusiastic to apply to the Master’s Degree in Social Work program at Jackson State University. I have always wanted to be able to make a difference in people’s lives. With social work I know I can do this in a caring and supportive way. I also see it as an opportunity to improve the lives of society’s most vulnerable people by being a voice and helping them build a great life for themselves.

Life Experiences and Influences: A Mother’s Example and Community Involvement

There have been many life experiences that led me to have a desire to want to become a social worker. For example, all of my life my mother has taught me the value of helping others. I grew up in an atmosphere where the needs of others were put before my own. My mom‘s example has truly helped me to understand the importance of helping others. As a direct result of this, I always knew I wanted to be in a career that helps people, especially children. Growing up, my mom and I would volunteer at the Salvation Army to give out and serve food to people who cannot afford food or the homeless. Also, I would try to stay involved in organizations that do things to help the community. Some of the organizations I was a member of led me to be involved in going to the nursing homes to visit the elderly, cleaning up around my community, and helping children with their homework to improve their grades in school. In addition to that, I also did workshops and educated teens about domestic violence with Our House Incorporated. I just loved the experience and wanted to be involved in my community in some type of way and bring a smile to people’s faces. Although my undergraduate degree is in Physical Education and focuses mainly on educating a student about their health, I realized that being a Physical Education major meant that I will only be in one setting, primarily a school. I wanted to be in a career that is flexible and that is not limited to just one setting. So I began to do my own research in other helping professions and I came across social work. After researching I enrolled in an introduction to social work course and I have learned so much about what social workers do. I learned about how marketable the field of social work is and all the different types of settings a person can work at.

In addition to that within my social work course, I had to go volunteer at an agency in the community. The agency I decided to volunteer at was called Bolivar County Community Action Agency in Cleveland, Mississippi. Bolivar County Community Action Agency provides a variety of services ranging from preschool childcare to a senior companion program; from a transitional and homeless shelter to a Homeless Prevention Rapid Re-housing Program; from an adolescent opportunity program to a general education diploma program; from utility/rental assistance to education assistance. The agency’s mission is to enhance the well-being, economic independence, and growth of low-income individuals and families to become self-sufficient and foster community empowerment and development. I think the agency fulfills its mission by providing opportunities and resources for the clients through services they offer and by connecting them to other agencies. At this agency, I learned that social workers have to be caring, and supportive, and document everything that they do. The reason why I want to attend Jackson State University to pursue my Master of Social Work degree is that I have learned so much about the program and how many people have gone into the program and entered their careers and they tell me they look back at how much Jackson State University has poured greatness into them and molded them into great social workers. Also, another reason why I am applying to Jackson State University is that the Master of Social Work program’s mission, goals, and objectives align with what I am looking to achieve and learn in a program to be a successful social worker.

The transition from Physical Education to Social Work: A Broader Impact

The reason I am transitioning from Physical Education from the Undergraduate level to get my Master in Social Work is that with my undergraduate degree my goal was to help decrease the obesity rates in Mississippi. I believe that the reason why Mississippi has the highest obesity rate is essential because we are not very wealthy. Many families and their children eat many unhealthy foods because they are cheaper and last longer than healthy foods that cost more and do not last very long. I wanted to educate children about their overall health so they can live long healthy lives. However, I wanted to do more than just educate children about their health. I knew that I wanted to make a bigger impact on people’s lives as well as work with other populations and groups of people. When I was researching and came across the profession of Social Work, I looked at how social workers work with children, teens, women, men, and the elderly. There are a lot of roles social workers play and things that they do. Some social workers ‘roles include being an advocate, broker, case manager, facilitator, and so on. My career goals for social work are to advocate for children and adults when they are dealing with domestic violence; assist individuals with the resources they need such as childcare and healthcare; identify people who need help, such as vulnerable children, adults, and the elderly; to support those that are living in poverty. In addition to that, I am also interested in working with government assistance and benefits programs such as Medicaid, Social Security Insurance, and food assistance. My overall goal is to empower people so that they can feel stronger and become more successful.

Volunteering and Learning: Experience at Bolivar County Community Action Agency

In my junior year in college, I gained experience working with diverse populations when I had a roommate from Pakistan. She asked me if could I join or be a volunteer for the International Students Club on campus. Within this organization, I was responsible for helping international students from different counties to learn English as much as possible before they left America at the end of the semester. In addition to me teaching international students English, I was eager to learn about their different cultures. So the international students shared with me more about their different cultures, their religions, the foods they eat, different dances they perform, and clothes that they wear in their countries. From this experience, I believe I have the skills necessary to be a great social worker.

Personal Qualifications and Balancing Responsibilities: Skills for Success

Some personal qualifications that will enable me to practice social work successfully are that between work, school, and even my social life I have to interact with other people from different cultures who have different values than me. It is necessary to be accepting of other cultures and not discriminate against them. I believe everyone deserves to be respected and to be able to share how they feel. This ability is essential in social work because I know I will be working with people with different values, cultures, and lifestyles. I have served others by understanding and addressing their needs throughout my life. I have often been described as a people person and love interacting with others. I feel that my experiences and the skills I have developed will help me be a great social worker because it is critical that social workers understand and empathize with their clients. Social workers must be understanding and start from where their client is. By making the client’s goals the most important focuses the social worker is able to help the client to be able to help themselves. Also, social workers must work toward goals themselves even when challenges may come up. This skill is necessary because there will be challenges in the field of social work and I will need to be able to not stress but organize myself to handle the situation.

I will balance outside responsibilities with academic responsibilities by developing great time management skills and having a schedule. With my schedule, I plan on writing down when my assignments are due and begin working on them in advance so I do not get behind. I also plan on setting boundaries for myself on what is important and needs to come first when dealing with my academic and outside responsibilities. I will make connections with my classmates so that if I miss a class they can help me by providing information that I need and form a study group together to study for upcoming tests. Also, I plan on practicing self-care when balancing my outside and academic responsivities so I do not get burned out or stressed. I believe when balancing outside and academic responsibilities self-care will be very important and it is very vital in the Social Work profession. If I do not take care of myself and get proper rest I may not be successful within the program as I need to be therefore getting rest and knowing how to manage my time and go strictly by it will be important. Some of my outside responsibilities may include me working a part-time job to support myself financially while in graduate school, being active in organizations on campus, or being active in my community with my Sorority. My academic responsibilities will include me being a full-time student in the Master of Social Work program, studying for tests,s and turning in all assignments on time. As well as doing my internship within the Social Work Program and any other academic things my professors require of me to do.

Conclusion: A Commitment to Helping Others and Achieving Dreams

Overall, I want to be a dedicated social worker who is willing to go beyond for a person because I believe everyone deserves to live a happy life. My career goal is to work with underprivileged people from all walks of life and be there to help them with anything that they need. Social work is a field that suits my strengths, interests, and professional approach to working. My greatest desire is to go to Jackson State University to get my Master’s Degree in Social Work and enter the career of my dreams. I believe that Jackson State University is the place for me to be and is a family-oriented institution that will mold me into the best social worker that I can be. I greatly appreciate your consideration for helping me to achieve this goal in advance.

It was the crack of dawn on June 21st which used to be one my utmost favorite days of the year. As I woke, I could smell the comforting familiar scents that I had longed for all year. I could hear the calm yet bustling sounds of chatter coming from family members whom I loved with every fiber of my being. And, I could see several items which represented an abundance of memories from summers past. They say home is where your heart is and my heart couldn’t have been more at home than there on my godparents’ farm. My godparents’ farm was undeniably the best place for a teenager to spend their summers learning, growing, and finding their true self.

The overall farm included an average sized yet quaint home, several barns and outbuildings, multiple cross-fenced pastures with ponds and streams, a large herd of cattle, a few horses, one dog, several oil rigs, and a mother-in-law unit all nestled amongst a hundred acres of what my family and I considered heaven on earth. Each room of the main house, having its own style, added to my sense of peace and tranquility. The room which would be mine for the next three months was full of small trinkets, numerous Teacher of the Year awards and large boxes of decorations stacked from floor to ceiling. These items were from my godmother’s years of teaching within the public school system. Even though I would’ve thoroughly enjoyed staying in bed all day soaking up my summer freedom while being encompassed by a love-filled homemade quilt, I could hear my godfather saying, “Arlene, we’re burning daylight”. I knew it was time to get up and make my way down to the farm for what promised to be a day full of hard work with numerous opportunities to learn life’s character-building lessons.

Once dressed, with a homemade biscuit in my hand and Finn, the loyal farm dog, at my side, I skipped my way down to the main gate. As I whistled an old spunky tune, I smiled at how happy I was. I was as happy as a duck in water. The gate to the main area of the farm was as large and heavy as an elephant. I always had to climb up and over it rather than make any attempt at opening that large beast. As my feet hit the dusty road on the other side of the fence, I was instantly transferred into a world of agricultural bliss. I could smell the cows, horses, grain, oil, and even the apples rotting under the nearby trees. The air was crisp and clear as the sky was blue. The silos were as tall as skyscrapers. The pastures had a pleasant smell from the mixture of grasses blended with a not so pleasant smell of manure. The cows and horses smelled like a summer dust storm blowing in. I would always end up with a mouth full of hair and dust, which to my surprise, would never bother me. As the cows would run back and forth, kicking and bucking, I would be reminded of cars on a typical chaotic day back home during rush hour traffic. The oil rigs were always moving up and down like a toy drinking bird. They were as quiet as a mouse, yet they had a pungent smell of grease and oil like walking into a local auto shop full of old, broken-down cars.

My list of chores was plentiful. From moving grain around to counting cattle, my horse Buck and I would be busy right up until the sun would start to set. I would begin my adventures by saddling up Buck. At times, he could be as stubborn as a mule. I loved this horse. He always made me laugh, and he could always bring a smile to my face. To me, he never seemed to have a hair of meanness on him. But he got his name from one time when he bucked my godmother off while she was riding him. She fell, breaking her back which caused her problems from that moment on. Even with this on my mind each time I saddled him, I was thankful for his kind manner towards me and the opportunities I had with him out on the farm where I was free to be alone, while filled with the utmost trust from my godfather and with the open land to learn and grow.

Buck and I would spend most of the day making our way around the farm doing our chores. We first had to pass by the mother-in-law unit which was old as dirt and smelled like a moldy wet towel on a hot summer’s day. We would then quickly approach the first of many pastures. Depending on where the cattle were that morning, we would have to move them from one pasture to another. From there, I had to follow the fence line around the outskirts of the farm counting the remainder of the herd. I had to keep an eye out for calves that might have been separated from their moms or older cows that were left behind. I needed to make sure none of them had become sick or injured. If I found a cow in need of assistance, I would have to ride back to the barns in order to find my godfather and tell him what I had found. As Buck and I made our way around the farm counting the cattle, I was also in charge of making sure the ponds were full as well as making sure there were no points along the fences that needed to be tended to. One especially fun thing I was able to do in and around my chores was stopping for a snack of an apple or a handful of fresh ripe berries. I would also grab a drink from the cool crisp natural spring waters. Buck thoroughly enjoyed our snack and water breaks as well.

I cannot express, enough, how my godparents’ farm was undeniably the best place for a teenager to spend their summers learning, growing, and finding their true self. All things grow with love and I grew more during those summer months on the farm than any other time in my life. No other experiences this world has to offer can even come close to what watching cattle graze, seeing oil rigs tying to seek oil and saving a calf from possible death can do for a person’s growth. These are things you can’t appreciate until you’ve experienced them. They were moments well spent finding myself, learning to give back, learning how to spend time alone, feeling trusted and important, while at the same time being one with nature. The feeling at the end of the day of accomplishment was worth its weight in gold. I simply would not be who I am today if I had not spent my summers on my godparents’ farm. Farming is in my roots.