"MOST FOLKS ARE ABOUT AS HAPPY AS THEY MAKE UP THEIR MINDS TO BE" - ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Introduction I could describe myself in many ways to someone who has never met me before. I could describe my positive traits and what I am proud of, and I could mention my aspirations in life. After reading this, you might have a better idea of who I am from an outsider’s perspective. However you must know I am a twenty-one year old college student at Western Washington University who has been just as lost and confused as the person before me trying to find my calling in life, or in this case, a suitable major. I am a student in the Human Services program and for once have found a place I might belong. It is important for you to know that I have always struggled with school, therefore it means a lot that I am here. If I did not have my parents constantly pushing me to uncomfortable expectations, I would not be in college. I have an incredibly creative mind, which has not been taught in the school system. Fortunately I went to an alternative high school, Tacoma School of the Arts and was able to express some creativity within the use of a grading system and standardized tests from the state. At a young age, I found a love for music and was privileged enough to take lessons by the age of ten. Later in life, music was my outlet when school was not going well. I knew I could still play the piano. That is how I found myself coming to Western’s music department. I am double majoring in Piano and Human Services at Western. My first two years were spent in the Music Department studying piano. Music no longer became my outlet but the main stressor in my life and I worked harder than I ever have in my life. I did not enjoy what I was doing anymore. My sophomore year I found out about the Human Services major. I have many hopes for this program as I discover new aspects of my identity and what I am suppose to do as a Human Services professional. Who am I? As a young adult with over three years of college under my belt I am now aware of the fact that I am constantly changing and developing my identity through my environment and systems working around me. I am beginning to develop an understanding of the “big picture”, how I work within it, and where I change within it. The influences on my life such as people, experiences, new perspectives, and opportunities are what change my thoughts, direction, and decisions. My perspectives, ideas, and attitudes are constantly changing as I find new challenges and new environments and those environments change as I live within them. It is difficult to explain my current identity, or what I perceive as my identity in just a few paragraphs, however I know that a large part of who I am comes from my childhood and my hometown Tacoma, Washington. It was not until I moved away from my hometown that I realized how much of my identity stemmed from Tacoma. Apart from the fact that I lived in Tacoma until I was eighteen, I experienced Tacoma in a new light every time I left home. As a small city, there were always new people and places as it offered racial, economic, and cultural diversity. It is amazing how vastly different people’s life experiences and perspectives are in the same location. My outlook on Tacoma was naive as an adolescent even after spending a lot of time in marginalized neighborhoods. This had a strong impact on my development as I reacted with my environment without fully understanding what was happening in my surroundings. Growing up, I spent a lot of time in the hilltop neighborhood of Tacoma, which has been viewed as a poor and somewhat violent area. There are many homeless veterans and people with drug addictions along with services that offer help for these people. My home parish St. Leo, where I attended since I was a baby is located in the middle of the hilltop neighborhood. St. Leo is the home to services such as the Food Connection, Keep Em Warm and Fed, aids such as clothing and blankets, and connections to help people get jobs and transportation. My mother was the youth minister at our parish so I spent a lot of time helping out with programs or just spent my free time around her office. I really got to know a variety of people including the homeless and many people getting their required community service hours in at the Food Connection. To me, their situations always seemed normal even though their reality and future was very different from mine. I have been a manager at the Summer Meals Program for the last six summers and have interacted daily with a variety of people. Every person had their own story as to how they ended up at St. Leo, and all of them were trying to better their lives, even though social services, government systems, and the higher economic systems were working against them. Every summer at the Food Connection has brought completely different situations and experiences. Unfortunately I witnessed a murder and have dealt with violent situations at work on a regular basis. I have had to make difficult decisions that affected people and their access to food. This has put me in a position of power to determine the lives of the hungry. I have really changed the way I view the community and the way poverty can be portrayed to the larger population. It is a hard situation for all of these people as they are dealing with racism, economic oppression, drug addictions, and mental health issues. All of these circumstances can not be tended to if you are already discriminated against and viewed negatively through society. Many stereotypes are targeted towards people in marginalized situations. When people are in these situations, it is easier as a person of privilege to make assumptions about their lifestyles. However, it is important to normalize their situation. People who do not fit in the social majority such as ethnic minorities, the low-income, immigrants, the homeless, war veterans, women, and children are often seen in a certain light at the surface. I have had many friendships and acquaintances with people that fit all of these stereotypes, and each one of them has shared a unique story of their experience. Many of my friends have had to deal with tough situations, such as being an immigrant, having the fear of being deported, getting kicked out of their homes, and having to work to support their families. Through these friendships, I have learned to be empathetic to be a true friend. Their situations are normal and should be seen that way before they are labeled and stereotyped for their gender, race, or cultural background. I really learned a lot about empathy from my high school, Tacoma School of the Arts. Empathy was a high value and through my experiences there in downtown Tacoma, I learned how to be empathetic in a community setting. I had the opportunity to travel to Laos and Cambodia through my school and encountered how to travel with a small group in a new country where everything was unfamiliar and uncomfortable. Throughout my life I have had many privileges and have been well aware of it as I interact with people who did not have the same opportunities. In many ways, I am in a position of power as a caucasian raised in a middle class family. My life has gone down a separate road because of these chances and will continue to as I follow my studies in Human Services and strive to reach my goals. I have great support from my family and friends as I have chosen my service to be in the field of social work. MY GOAL IS TO NEVER LOSE MY ABILITY TO LAUGH |