Four years ago, if you would have asked me where I would be today, I definitely would not have said here. I was planning on attending a large scale university studying Business Management, not studying social work at a small university 50 minutes away from my hometown. But here I am, more enthused than ever and ready to change the world.
When I was twelve, I was blessed with a beautiful niece named Bella. What I didn't know, was that one day she would become more than just my niece, but that she would become my sister, and my biggest inspiration. Unfortunately, her own story began to unfold when she was two years old- her mother committed suicide, and a tragic series of events unfolded afterwards, including the opening of a Child Protective Services case. For the months following her mother's death, my brother had gained custody of my niece, and we had a series of home visits to be conducted by Child Protective Services.
But, the details of their first visit are ones I remember vividly, and they were the ones that helped change my career path. They came inside our home, with relief on their faces. Things were neat and tidy, and it was evident that we knew what we were doing, and were going to take care of Bella to the best of our ability; and they had no problem telling us how relieved they were that our little girl would be safe and sound. Without revealing any details of other cases, it became evident that this wasn't always, or even typically what happened. Both of the women (who were young, but looked much older, with tired circles around their eyes) told us that they would be able to sleep easier that night knowing that Bella was somewhere safe- where people would take care of her.
And following that, I conducted my own research, read case studies, and was able to finally admit to myself that not everyone grew up in a home as privileged as mine. I walked upstairs the next day and wrapped Bella in my arms (feeling incredibly thankful that she was going to be taken care of), and I thought of all the other little girls and boys in the world who, unfortunately, would not have someone to wrap their arms around them. And it was at that moment, I decided that I wanted to work in Child Welfare.
My decision was incredibly meaningful, and it has stuck with me throughout my following years. It has become something that I have based my life around. I want to make sure that the children of this country, and of this world, are protected and are shown as much love as I was shown as a child, and as much love as I have vowed to share with Bella and my own children.
The purpose of this article wasn't just to share a personal experience on why I decided to become who I am, but to inspire you all to make sure that your career path is something that tugs at your heart strings. People always tell me "you're never going to make any money" when I tell them that I am going to be a Social Worker, but let me tell you- that thought has not affected me for one minute. It isn't about the money I will be making, it will be about the lives that I will be imporving, and even possibly saving.
It is never too late to change the course of your life, and I hope that you are all able to follow not only your dreams, but that you are able to take a step back and ask yourself what you can do for others.
