How can I make a Difference? Essay
“How can I make a difference?” I have asked this to myself millions of time as I thought of the world and all the people in it. Life has never been easy on anyone and it had not been a smooth ride for me. From an early age, I had difficulty adjusting with my fellow peers because I could not decipher the simple arithmetical operations, or why is there a “t” in “kitchen”. I saw kids around me understand all of these with ease while I had to face the embarrassment of being the dunce. Discouraged by my academic incompetence, I would prefer to not mingle with others and often ate my lunch alone during the lunch hours.
Then one fine day, my English teacher, Mr. John noticed me and asked me to see him in his office. His help did not just extend to helping me with my academics but he gave me some simple yet powerful skills to communicate effectively, to cooperate and resolve conflicts. He taught me how to make decisions considering a wholistic picture and most importantly how to maintain my emotional and physical health by prioritizing myself. To this day, I feel obliged to everything that Mr. John had helped me with.
Having been challenged academically as a young student and witnessed many others struggle, I cannot accentuate enough the significance of a guidance of a professional counsellor. We are unable to recognize that as the world is evolving into a social technological hub, we are being isolated in the race of displaying our best versions to the world. No body wants to be a pariah and eventually end up conforming to the trends to be accepted socially. Our failure to accept our differences and function accordingly has caused many students to face problems such as eating disorders, depression and social anxiety. I have always wanted to support these students from a young age to help them overcome their fears, learn how to channel their emotions positively and succeed academically.
In addition to my love for knowing people and their lives, I have had a keen interest in psychology and the functionality of human brain. The exceptional capabilities of brain have never fail to captivate my interest or as a matter of fact, anyone’s. To delve into the complexity of it, I took different courses during my undergraduate to learn more about the brain and how it reacts to various stimuli. I want to extend my knowledge of other fascinating conditions like personality disorders and how they develop and surface. Therefore, I presume that my determination, drive and passion for this profession will assist me to achieve great heights.
My time at New Jersey City University as an academic coach provided me with deeper insight to the issues encountered by college students. Firstly, the pressure to choose a career path they will pursue is immense and often deteriorates their ability to perform well in academics. Having gone through college myself, I can relate with their dilemma all too well. However, I know now that college studies should not confine you to just your particular major but most of the times there are numerous sub-categories that will cater to their interests and expertise effectively. Secondly, college students strive to balance their personal, social and academic lives. The inability to do so leaves them with disappointment and lower self-esteem which leads to various psychological problems. It is imperative that these students are given professional guidance that will facilitate them to appreciate themselves and make informed choices.
I believe that multiculturalism and social justice are important aspects that need to be taken into consideration while counselling. Client and counsellor relationships are a unique accord of identities and personalities. The understanding of the perspectives and cultural background of a client is necessary for a counsellor to aid them address their issues positively. The concerns of minority differ starkly from those of majority, therefore, these culturally diverse clients need to be dealt differently. For example, additional aptitude is required to attend to populations which belong to gay, transgender, bisexual and lesbian communities to be aware of their world view. This require strategies and therapies to understand their respective religious values and believes, indigenous practices, biases and family dynamics and how they effect these cultural groups. Same is the case with people belonging to different societies, especially from the third world countries. These people have unique problems rooting from their respective cultures which might not be resolved with our western context in mind. Thus, counsellors must have eastern contemplative approaches to mitigate their feelings regarding their emotional problems.
Furthermore, I am currently working as a teaching assistant working with students of all age. After exploring my career options, I have decided that I want to seek counselling as my career. After much research I found your institution to be the best fit for me. I know for a fact, that if given a chance to study under your most qualified instructors in the field of Counselling, I will be adept enough to fulfill my ambition to guide students and help them through crucial times of their lives. Moreover, I will most probably not encounter the same diversity, one of the key facets I am searching for, elsewhere that I will experience in your university. As a prospect counsellor, I want to gain as much appreciation and awareness of people as I can.
