Taylor

 The life of a social worker is not one most choose, but I enjoy the challenges of my job. My name is Taylor, and I am currently living in New York City with my husband and two children in a small apartment on the Upper West Side. I graduated from Wurzweiler School of Social Work with a degree in psychology and social work. I’d wanted to be a social worker since I was in the ninth grade, and I realized I should choose a profession where I’d be able to give back to society. Social work seemed like a great way to do that. My job is to give kids who have been abandoned or orphaned a home. When I decided on my occupation, my dream was to change a child’s life; helping even one child would be enough for me. I began working four years ago and for the first three years, it was extremely difficult to reach my goal. The hours were long, so I barely was able to see my own kids, and I was having trouble connecting with the children I needed to help. I honestly wanted to give up, but then one kid came to me, and he made me realize why I had chosen to be a social worker. David Grand’s mother had him when she was sixteen and still in high school. His father abandoned David and his mother soon after David was born. His mom dropped out of high school to support him, working two jobs and therefore never being able to be home to take care of David. David and his mom lived poorly in Harlem, New York where he was influenced by drugs and alcohol. Shortly after David was born, his mom became an alcoholic, and later case workers discovered his mom had clinical depression. When David was thirteen, his mom ran away from him, and that’s how David became my responsibility. I’ve been in charge of children who had lives similar to David’s, but one thing that was different about David was that he was sick. Shortly after David came to me, I noticed he did not look as a normal thirteen-year-old should, so I had a doctor examine him. We found out that David had lung cancer. The disease was discovered in its early stages, so it could have been easily cured, but the problem was that David didn’t have anything he felt was worth living for. Therefore, he didn’t try to fight his cancer. I knew I had to act, so I went in search of David’s father. It was tough, but I found him, and I learnt that David’s father had been looking for David for years and that David’s mom would not let David’s father see David or be there for him. David and his father bonded instantly, and now David had something worth fighting for. Today David is in remission and is living on Long Island with his father. My experience with David has made me realize how important my job is and how I really am giving back to society. The above story is not true, and is obviously not about my current life, because I am still a sophomore in high school. However, when I grow up, my dream is to be a social worker and be able to help even just one child. My name is really Taylor, my favorite sport is volleyball, and my favorite color is green. I live in New Jersey, I’ve been to Israel three times and have also been to Aruba and the Caribbean Islands.