“Leave me alone! Please. I want to die,” I will never forget the moment I heard a child say those words. In my sophomore year, I took a service learning course that required the students to spend spring break with children from the Middle Way House. These children had already experienced physically and/or emotionally abusive relationships in their short lives. The kids were relatively normal, silly children who jumped into puddles and chased their friends around the playground. Unfortunately, they were also fighting their own demons. The ten-year-old boy from above lived in The Rise’s free housing because his mother was hiding from her abusive husband. For the first few days of break, he was cheerful, joking around with the other boys. Then, …show more content…
With this degree, my hope is to gain the experience and expertise needed to help disadvantaged, troubled adolescents in society, specifically those from multicultural backgrounds and lower socioeconomic status. I believe that the University of Massachusetts – Boston’s social justice perspective will provide me with the skills to become a caring mental health counselor who can advocate for oppressed groups. Compared to other graduate schools, UMass - Boston is prepared to offer me with both research and clinical experience on how to help people from all culturally diverse backgrounds, which, I believe, will give me a well-rounded counseling perspective that is not seen in other programs. I also find it fascinating that this program offers a concentration in forensic services, as it addresses the complicated concept that criminal offenders can be victims too. Overall, I admit that while mental health is slowly gaining importance in society, the emotional and physical well-being of those from financially disadvantaged, multicultural backgrounds is highly overlooked. I am incredibly passionate about being a counselor, and I am hoping that with the help of the University of Massachusetts - Boston, I will be given the opportunity to help disadvantaged clients obtain a happier and healthier