Running head: PERSONAL STATEMENT 1

Personal Statement
Teresa R. Hurtgen
Wayne State University

PERSONAL STATEMENT 2
Throughout the length of my educational career, I have considered various
different pathways and always found myself at the core wanting to help people. I feel strongly in
my decision to follow the Social Work path as I believe it most closely matches what I have
always been passionate about. I greatly appreciate that Social Work often reflects on the systems
theory and considers the person their environment. I believe its important to consider various
aspects when trying to most effectively help a person or situation and not many professions
retain this approach.
I undoubtedly found this most recent semester to be the most challenging.
Throughout all of my schooling, I have always filled my schedule completely. I searched for and
obtained a job at sixteen years old and maintained some form of employment ever since. I
worked twenty hours a week as early as my sophomore year of high school. Experiencing what it
was to enter employment at this age helped me to learn the roles of society early on. I believe
this helped me to become a generally well-rounded individual. I learned early the importance of
balance in life. I found myself often feeling the stressing effects from all of the different aspects
of life, from schoolwork, jobs, social situations, family, and even financial responsibilities at a
young age. I learned the best way to overcome these obstacles was to establish a positive support
system, and I did just that.
I actually obtained one of the best tools for coping with such a full and stressing schedule
in my first my first year of the Social Work program at Wayne State University. The idea of selfcare was taught and focused on strongly and really trained us how to effectively utilize the
concept. The first year in the program prepared me to be able to mentally conquer the second
year of the program, my senior year of college. This recent semester has been challenging for
multiple reasons. I had to balance my first internship, work, relationships, a regular full-time

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class load, and finances while I lived on my own and supported myself. Still, I found that the
trials presented to me in my internship were a challenge aside from balancing all these things.
My internship experience helped me to solidify the teachings from lecture and apply
them in the field. I was well prepared to face possible ethical dilemmas presented to me by
clients because classes in the program have students write papers regarding hypothetical
scenarios. I was, however, not prepared to experience similar dilemmas through coworkers and
superiors. I specifically recall a superior informing fellow staff about how to deal with a transgender individual. I found myself taken aback and somewhat insulted by the demeanor this
individual had toward the population. This person explained this situation stating they were only
concerned for the clients safety. It truly seemed to be more of a personal bias than it did general
concern for the individual. I quickly had to learn how to walk the fine line between advocating
for an at-risk, minority population, yet still respect and abide by my superiors instructions. The
essays I had to write for my classes had prepared me to deal with clients who might hold values
different from my own, but not for superiors or coworkers. Thankfully, this preparation still came
to my aid. I found a way to still respect and appreciate the place my superior was coming from,
yet still advocate and respect the client at the same time.
I have definitely found that my greatest challenge is learning to get past those who have
close-minded views toward others that allow these views to affect how they treat others. I have
always been very understanding to people who are different than me, except in this context. It
pains me to see that others can be so rash to dislike others. As angry as I sometimes become, I
have found that I naturally am more tolerant toward clients who have these views. I recall a
video shown in one of our lectures, where the social worker discussed that he does not ever find
himself angry with clients for having their walls up, because it is what has worked for them up

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until this point. I easily understood this idea and it sat very strongly with me. I have it written
down because its a concept I respect and do not want to forget. I rarely find myself struggling to
understand why a client may have a clouded concept of the world around them.
I would consider my strength to be my ability to understand. Because of my belief that
there are many different aspects that play into every situation, I am open to knowing that I am
not always right. I think by being open minded, it strengthens my ability to understand and assist
clients. This strength by itself abides closely with multiple ethical principles listed in the
National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics. To be open minded and understanding
aligns directly with the Dignity and Worth of a Person value. The desire to understand reflects
respect for others and being mindful of individual differences and cultural and ethical
differences. The Service value focuses on social workers elevating service to others above self
interest. Being open minded is seeing other people and ideas before your own, which strengthens
my ability to bring forth this value. To be understanding also strengthens the Competence value,
in that it encourages learning, which will aid in strengthening skills and adding to knowledge
base of the profession. The six ethical principles serve as a perfect guideline as they solidify
many of my personal beliefs and allows me to use them in a professional manner. If I am to ever
falter, such as in an ethical dilemma, I can refer back to this guideline.
As many people would contribute their current traits to life events, if I was questioned
why I developed an understanding nature, I would also contribute this to life events. My mother
was diagnosed with bi-polar/manic depressive disorder well before I was born. Because of the
stresses this can put on a family, as well as other reasons, my parents divorced when I was eight
years old. My father obtained custody because of the mental illness and my mother passed away
due to lung cancer when I was thirteen. These events played a huge role in who I am today. My

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mothers illness, and the troubles she and my father experienced because of it, laid a foundation
of understanding for me: that you cannot control all events and obstacles that happen in your life.
The divorce showed me I have to be accepting of others choices; that people must do what they
need to in order to be happy. Losing my mother at thirteen reinstated the concept of not being
able to predict what will happen next in life. It taught me forgiveness and compassion, and I
believe it changed me on a fundamental level and I developed a greater capacity to be empathetic
with others. It opened me up in a way which felt vulnerable at first, but I am learning has made
me a much stronger individual and broadened my perspective on life.
Looking at my mothers situation from a perception outside of myself, I was able to see
that mental illness isnt an isolated difficulty in itself. Many things come into play as to what
makes having a mental illness challenging, aside from the illness alone. As I grew older I grew
better able to understand the stigmas against mental illness, I grew better able to understand the
flaws of the mental health system and its various complications, I was able to see in what ways
everything was more difficult for my mother and family than it needed to be, and I grew angry.
A previous employment as well as my current works with the mental health field and
individuals suffering from mental illness. Working in this arena I am much better able to grasp
the lack of care surrounding mental health and the way it affects individuals. My mother
struggled frequently with getting adequate care. The health field generally does not see equitably
with mental health as it does other medical issues. I have learned that access to care is a very
great concern. From a social justice standpoint, this needs to change.
With mass shootings growing more frequent within the last few years, mental health has
become, at times, a topic of discussion. However, it is only discussed very briefly by the media
and government, and not even in all appropriate manners. Those in the spotlight speak about how

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the system needs to be improved, but rather than doing anything to improve it, the stigmas
against mental illness are only perpetuated through and through as these violent and irrational
events are the only ones in which mental health is seemingly discussed. I would likely find
myself fighting for this social justice cause because the population suffering has little of a voice.
I will use my social work career to help guide me in which ways I can advocate for this
population and this cause.
Naturally, because of my personal experiences, I have a compassion toward these
populations. People who are coping with things such as mental health struggles, grief and loss, as
well as the adolescent population, are all areas I am geared toward and want to help. I want to be
involved and help guide those who feel lost. I feel strongly about leadership and empowering
each other. These things are what lead me to begin my social work career and Ive since become
very interested in all of the various social work paths to take. Classes thus far have broadened my
perspective on both macro and micro level careers. I am looking forward to furthering my
education in the MSW program, as it will help me refine my objectives in being able to make a
difference.
I do not have any gaps in academic records, nor in employment. I have no misdemeanor
or felony charges.