Kelsey Chapman

Personal Interest Statement

My bachelor's degree in Social Work has impacted my life in many ways. I
started my journey as a psychology major, but a class I took a few years back motivated
me to switch my major to social work. It was the best decision I had made. Social work
has shaped me into the person I am today and has helped me understand not only about
others but also about myself. My experiences in my classes and my work with others in
the classroom and in my internship have opened my eyes on difficult topics. My other
experiences that fueled my interest in social work were being involved in helping innercity children, volunteering with after school programs for children and sports, which I
have been involved in for majority of my life. Sports contributed to my interest in social
work, and over the years, I have come across many individuals who helped me find
resources to enhance my athletic abilities and provided me with an understanding of what
happens when you help out someone in need or how making a difference matters and
what it does for people in need. Also, working in after-school programs has provided me
with knowledge about what children need in life and how important role models are.
My field placement was working with young children in foster care. I completed
my internship at Ennis Center for Children where I provided referrals, services, and
assessments for children and their families. I attended court hearings, parenting-time,
family treatment plan meetings, foster parent home visits, and staff meetings. Interacting
with foster care children and their families was a great experience that allowed me to
explore what I wanted to do in the future. I had the opportunity to work hands-on and
observe parenting sessions. I learned that teaching yourself is important and the skills

Ive obtained from my classes helped me through. My field placement has helped me to
grow as a person and opened my eyes to certain situations; in sum, it was an
unforgettable experience.
The BSW program has helped me to improve my ethical and critical thinking
skills and to gain knowledge in many areas. I have had the opportunity to practice my
skills. In my SW 3020 (Winter 2014) course, I learned about the importance of cultural
competency in individual therapy sessions. Having the opportunity to learn about social
work practice with individuals and groups prepared me in my field placement. In my
fieldwork, I learned about how to best serve diverse clients by providing them with
needed resources.
For me social work is about making a difference without having to saving the
world. Social work is about making an impact in one person's life, which, to me, is saving
the world. I am interested in school social work and social work practice with at risk
children and adolescents. My experiences as a volunteer at inner-city schools and having
a mother who is a special education teacher have sparked my interest in dedicating my
life on behalf of children and adolescents with health and mental health needs. Working
in schools and developing programs for children made me realize that my presence is
needed. Many of these children come from dysfunctional or impoverished families and
receive inadequate parental supervision. There is a critical need for programs for these
children who are deprived of resources that are necessary for academic and personal
growth. I was fortunate to work in an after-school program called Girls on the Run, a
program for elementary school-age girls to work as a team to reach their goal of running
a 5k marathon. These girls learn about the importance of self-esteem and self-respect.

Helping the girls be better and see the excitement on their face gave me a sense of
fulfillment. Because I wish to empower children and foster their resilience, I decided to
pursue a masters in social work. I am confident that obtaining my MSW degree would
give me a better understanding of empowering vulnerable children and adolescents and
cultivate my leadership skills to carry out the missions and goals of the social work
profession.
My values are rooted in my upbringing and the experiences I have dealt with throughout
my life. I firmly believe that everyone deserves to feel special or cared about. My
personal values will assist me in effectively serving and empowering vulnerable and
marginalized youth who yearn for a person that cares about them. However, one serious
barrier to my work with vulnerable populations is that I will become too attach to the
people I serve. I can be too sensitive when it comes to certain situations because I want
to help everyone. I've learned from my experience that people are going to do as they
please, regardless of what's best for them. But I learned that you can't take that to heart,
because not everyone will benefit from your services. To illustrate, while I was
volunteering at one of the inner-city schools, I came across a young boy who was living
in poverty, coming to school with no winter clothes, and was wishing he had a better life.
Although I did my very best to help this boy, I was unable to change his situation and my
services were not very helpful, given his circumstances. Despite this, I want to help youth
gain access to needed resources or develop programs that can benefit them. It should not
matter where you came from, or what you don't have. After all, everyone deserves a
chance.

I have had many opportunities to exercise my leadership, responsibility, and

judgment. One experience that impacted me the most was being a captain of my track
team at Wayne State University. It was a major role which taught me a lot, helped me
develop my leadership skills, and gave me a sense of responsibility and accomplishment.
It was a lot of responsibility because 32 girls relied on me and if one needed advice or
help with something, they came to me. I was overwhelmed at first but in the end, I made
a difference and my teammates were grateful that I was there for them. Being there as a
teammate and peer showed me how I can make a difference in someone's life.
I plan to meet the demands of graduate school at Wayne State University by
devoting a great deal of my time on my studies. I understand that the graduate program
requires a huge investment of your time and energy. I also understand that graduate
education is an investment of resources; thus, I plan to apply for financial aid and
scholarships, and receive financial support from my family.
Being a social worker is about making a difference and being an advocate for
individuals who are in need of help. My experiences have provided me with all requisite
skills to make a difference in my clients lives. As one of my professors once said,
"Experience is not what happens to you; it is what you do with it."