Crystal Manney

My motivation for becoming a social worker came about from past experiences.
During my adolescent years, I have both witnessed and experienced families in crisis.
There have been many personal experiences throughout my life that have transformed me
into the person I am today. I have struggled with my identity and low self-esteem from a
variety of situations such as; growing up in a dysfunctional home, surviving sexual
assault, losing a child at only nine months old, and unhealthy relationships which were
emotionally, physically, and mentally challenging. I was a single mother to five children
for a number of years and I have also experienced a negative relationship with protective
services.
Overcoming these challenges has empowered me to be a better mother, wife,
student, and all around person. I was discriminated against because I was the single head
of a home and my family lived under the poverty line. This was not always easy to cope
with. I believe the skills that I have learned through my personal trials can be applied to
helping others with their personal situations. It is important that I connect with clients, be
understanding, have compassion, and be empathetic. These difficult situations that I have
overcome have given me an abundance of knowledge and huge desire to help others. I
want to be a part of my clients journey encouraging them to set goals, reach for the stars,
and learn how to dream big. I want to teach and guide them on how to be empowered,
overcome difficult situations, and successfully survive any challenges they may face. I
want to fill their toolbox with a variety of different coping skills, strategies they can use
when faced with difficult decisions, and a list of useful resources that they can refer to if
needed. I have a unique opportunity to help clients who are experiencing similar
situations as I have in my past. I truly understand how it feels to be defeated and

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unimportant. I want my clients to understand that their lives matter and I care about what
they are going through. I believe this educational opportunity is the best use of my skills
as well as satisfying a need to give something back.
I started my educational journey when I was eighteen years old at Control Data
Institute (CDI) for computer technology. I graduated and then had my first child. I never
had the opportunity to work in the field. I began my career with Taco Bell shortly before
my second child was born. I have been employed with Taco Bell for approximately 25
years in a management position. When I became a single mother, I enrolled in courses at
Macomb Community College for electrical engineering. When I became pregnant with
my twins, my doctor advised that I take a leave from school and work in order to stay
healthy during my pregnancy. When the boys turned two, I decided to return to school at
Oakland Community College. I changed my career choice from engineering to nutrition. I
graduated in 2012 with an Associates degree in Liberal Arts. I was also inducted into the
Phi Theta Kappa honor society while attending this community college.
My intention was to transfer to Wayne State University to pursue a degree in
nutrition. While talking with an advisor she asked me why I choose nutrition, I told her I
wanted to help people. She asked if I had ever thought about social work. I went home
and researched different possibilities in the social work field. I decided to apply to The
School of Social Work and was accepted into the BSW program. I have gained insight
and knowledge and I am excited to share this new information with clients so their lives
can be changed. I have maintained a 3.93 grade point average and have been inducted
into the WSU social work honor society the Phi Alpha chapter. I want to further my

Crystal Manney
educational knowledge by obtaining my MSW to work with urban communities and
Latin American Countries.
In the past, I have had the opportunity to be an exchange student in Oaxaca
Mexico, as well as, go on different missions trips to countries such as Honduras and The
Dominican Republic. While in those different countries, I was able to see many different
social and economic issues; these include severe poverty, hunger, lack of access to
medical care, and unemployment. I would like to use the skills I obtain to work with
these countries and urban cities to develop and implement programs that will feed the
hungry and create job opportunities.
Learning to become aware of my weaknesses has become one of my strengths. I
struggle with saying yes and doing more than I am capable of handling. I must also keep
my personal morals and values in check so that I do not allow them to influence how I
approach different situations. It is very important to meet clients where they are and not
judge or criticize them based on personal thoughts or ideas.
My strengths include not being easily offended, understanding how important it is
to really listen to what someone has to say and not interject or cut them off while they are
sharing, empowering others to success, to use encouragement to motivate others to obtain
personal goals, maintaining a positive attitude in very stressful and difficult situations,
being able to multitask effectively, not being afraid to stand up and advocate for social or
economical injustice, and finally integrity and honesty are very important. These
strengths have been developed throughout my life as I have learned how to overcome
relational and financial difficulties and as well as social adversity. As a manager at Taco

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Bell, I have gained leadership qualities that will be a benefit to clients, agencies, or
organizations that I may work with.
The NASW Code of Ethics includes a set of guidelines and principles that should
be upheld by all social workers in the profession. These standards and principles have
been developed to ensure that everyone is treated equally with respect and dignity.
These values of Service, Social Justice, Dignity and Worth of the Person, Importance of
Human Relationships, Integrity, and Competence should always be the foundation when
working with clients, other professionals, agencies, and organizations. These values set a
precedence and expectation for myself as I work in the social work field. As a social
work professional my personal values and morals are just that..personal! My
commitment, as a social work professional, is to serve all people without bias and
judgment. I will treat everyone with the utmost respect and dignity, develop genuine
relationships with clients, agencies, coworkers, and organizations, and be a person of
integrity and have competence in this field (NASW, 2008). WSU is the perfect location
for me to obtain the knowledge and experience working with urban and Latino
communities within the city of Detroit.
I believe my success in obtaining my MSW at WSU will be a difficult but
rewarding journey. I have been able to attend WSU, work, be actively involved with my
church, attend to my husband and children, and participate in my field placement. I have
taken advantage of student loans and continue to work at Taco Bell in order to pay for my
education. With all of these demands for my time and attention, I have been able to
consistently maintain a 3.93 grade point average with school.

Crystal Manney
References
NationalAssociationofSocialWorkers.(2008).CodeofEthics(GuidetotheEveryday
ProfessionalConductofSocialWorkers).Retrievedfrom
http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/Code/code.asp