Life Changing

I made one of those pivotal life decisions this week; you know the kind that can alter the course of your entire life. I decided to make my Facebook page public again. Kidding of course, if you read my posts regularly, than you know the love/hate relationship I have with Facebook.

                At any rate what I did was decide to take part in a tuition reimbursement program offered in conjunction through my university and the Department of Child Safety. In exchange for tuition being paid, you agree to work for DCS upon graduation for 2 years.

                Yes, I realize DCS is the agency that “takes people’s kids”. But trust me I have been doing research on DCS for the last two weeks, and that is far from what they do in reality.

                While I haven’t been accepted into the program just yet, I was required to write an essay describing my understanding of the commitment required, among other things, here is an excerpt:

My interest in child welfare has just recently been something I’ve realized over the past few months. After being immersed in the Social Work program at Arizona State University I have come to realize that there isn’t one set population of people that need help, everyone needs help.     After hearing about the Department’s need for qualified case workers I have taken it to heart as a call to action.

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At first when I began looking into this program, I kept going back to the 2 year employment commitment that is a requirement of participation. It seemed like a lot to ask in return for tuition.

            However, I was lucky enough to have a recent guest speaker from DCS in my SWU 171 (Introduction to Social Work) course. There was an overview of the role DCS plays in the lives of families and children, the expected and unexpected aspects of the work with citizens, and a fair share of examples of what evil and misguided people are capable.

            That was followed up by a single statement that has stuck with me since, and ultimately motivated me to make the decision to apply for this program: “I can honestly say that because of my work with DCS I have saved the lives of children.”

            Personally, I can’t think of a better way to spend at least two years than being that kind of hero.

                This is a big decision for many reasons, the greatest of which is I am virtually guaranteed to make a positive impact in the lives of children. Not to mention, the people I will meet as co-workers, field instructors, and in the community. It opens up a whole new avenue for me that I wouldn’t have previously considered, and gives my studies a bit more focus as well.

                I am pleased to say I am excited, wish me luck!