I am altruistic. If I do not help, who will? One person who stands for what is right can make a difference. I am a Pastor; I serve the people. Altruism and a strongly held set of core values, informed by my understanding of the systems of oppression and how they affect disenfranchised communities, spur my interest in social work. I grew up in inner city Los Angeles where substandard schooling forced driven parents who lived in poorer communities to bus their children to schools in more affluent areas to get a higher quality education. However, students like myself who stayed in the local schools experienced the lack of quality, current, relevant textbooks (e.g., in 1984, our high school history textbook had a list of presidents that ended with Dwight Eisenhower) as well as other deficits. Since there were not enough books for every student to have their own, we shared books while we were in class. At the end of class, the teacher collected the books; we did not have a textbook to take home for further study outside of the classroom. Inadequate educational resources in poorer communities is one of many systems of oppression and disenfranchisement that I personally experienced and that helped shape my core values. My core values include service. Service is providing assistance to help a person establish and …show more content…
After retiring from the military, I vowed to earn a degree in Psychology to understand struggles in the human thought process. My current education has better equipped me to understand the challenges and need for social structures to provide support, guidance, and opportunities to those who are systemically disenfranchised. A graduate degree in Social Work will equip me with the skills necessary to change lives. As with professional experiences in the United States Marine Corps, I am determine to be