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.
***
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!
