Values
My personal and professional values are congruent to social work and the NASW Code of Ethics. One of the values is my self-determination to promote social justice and social change on behalf of the clients. I would like to emphasize how significant this value is to me because this was one of the reasons that motivated me to pursue this career, which is not related to my B.A. in Art/Major in Graphic Design. Prior to starting the MSW program I was working as a tutor and did a bit of volunteering at the American Breast Cancer Society, which further developed my interest for social justice. On my second day of volunteering at the WIC office in Palmdale for the American Cancer Society, I encountered an epiphany as I was waiting in one of the presentation rooms. I realized that social work was my vocation. I was able to foresee myself doing something related to this population, which would challenge my skills. I saw a need of sincere and passionate people like myself in this type of setting in where these women are being oppressed. Oppression has always bother me because I find it unfair that individuals are not treated with dignity and respect as they should instead many people take advantage of them for lucrative purposes. Now as social work intern at my internship and a MSW student I am able to challenge social injustice. An example of partaking in social justice advocacy was attending a phone bank on No on proposition 85 at the Planned Parenthood office in Los Angeles the day before elections. I have always wanted to do this type of political activism but lacked the courage to attend on my own. It was very historic for me to attend this phone banking because I finally went through with it. The experience was very rewarding; it was fulfilling to know that I contributed to a social cause that was successful. In my internship I have yet participate on a macro level of social justice, however occasionally I do minor social justice by empowering my patients with