Innately, social work defines, drives, and inspires me. Continually, I seek to gain insight into people, families, and systems pondering behavioral choices and outcomes. This desire guides my pursuit of experiential and academic opportunities. In obtaining my PhD, I want to initiate my own research and further promote the well-being of humanity.
To promote humanity, I need to understand it, challenge my views, seek new experiences, and use the world as my classroom. An outdoor cafe in Egypt became my classroom. Conversing with locals, we compared Western and Egyptian cultures including religions, families, and experiences. Likewise, the rainforest of Costa Rica became my classroom. While living off the land, I seized a spontaneous opportunity to visit a Guaymi Indian family. Climbing through the rainforest, trapping shrimp in the rivers, and learning the rights provided to the people deepened my understanding of the struggles the Guaymi Indians face. Moreover, living in the slums in India, establishing a night school, teaching health education, and working with the strong community of women opened my eyes to these impoverished communities. I experienced first-hand the oppression of women and people in a society.
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I listened to the Dalai Lama discuss controlled emotional impulses, love for humanity, forbearance, and interreligious harmony. Dr. Richard Davidson presented his research on neural emotions and styles to understand individual responses to stimuli. He discussed contemplative meditation research, showing brain scan results. An internal fire ignited. Craving more, I studied teachings of meditation. I searched for methods to promote resilience. I brought meditation into my