Degree Program Rationale, Essay Example

Introduction:  Aspiration Overview

My professional goal is to work in the Health and Community Service Field.  To pursue this field, I have enrolled at Empire State College to obtain a Bachelor of Science  (B. S.) degree in Health and Community. I have always had a desire to provide people with quality service and health assistance. I have seen many people in the course of my life who have been in need of reassurances during particularly difficult times regarding their health, a recent diagnosis for themselves or a loved one. Seeing people in need of help in times of intense emotional distress and being able to help them through their anxiety has been a life-long dream of mine.

Prior Accomplishments

My prior accomplishments include the acquisition of my Associates in Applied Science (A. A. S.) degree in Human Services from Monroe Community College. The entire program was two years long, and provided communicative, computational, applied science, human relational and social job skills. The enrichment of my education at this institution helped me to develop the skills I needed to be adept in the areas of youth programs, senior programs, substance abuse prevention, victim help and advocacy, mental health programs, and other services intended to aid people in need of support regarding health and welfare issues.

The education was mainly interactive, providing me with a solid foundation in providing support to those in need of help. During the course of my training, I applied and participated in a field study assignment.

In 1999, I began a course toward a Bachelors in Social Work. Shortly after, I found the coursework was time-consuming and I needed to suspend my work in this area to focus on my family. During my hiatus from my educational pursuits, I developed an interest in the nursing field. I originally planned on an Associates in Applied Science in Nursing, but when I invested more time in this intellectual pursuit, I found the recurring problem of less time for my family in this field as well. Nevertheless, I decided to pursue this career with the assumption that I could work around the arduous and lengthy hours later.

A Turning Point

Soon after, I relocated to Rochester Monroe Community College (MCC) and was deterred by the two-year waiting list before I could enlist in its Nursing Program. This was obviously infeasible due to the fact that my educational aspirations were already delayed by the aforementioned need to spend time with my family. So I mused over the possibility of a new career path. As I began looking into Human Services at this point.

Prior to finding the waitlist for nursing, I had never contemplated a Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Community Services. With a closer look into the program, I found myself attracted to the humanitarian aspects of the career. A venture into the Health and Community Services edification seemed to offer the exact career prospective I desired.

My Current Course

A degree in Health and Community Services will fulfill all of my personal goals as well as opening the door to a field of spectacular interpersonal relationships. I am currently working at the University of Rochester as a Manager for Financial Counseling Management, which features new experiences and new ways to help people in need every day. However, monetary assistance is not the kind of interpersonal work for which I have a passionate interest. Rather, it is a means to help people seek an education through financial assistance programs. This is a noble cause. But with my extensive background in the health sciences, I want to provide counseling and help to those in need of health assistance.

My planning for this degree was partly accomplished in the numerous meetings I had with various school counselors and a female who currently holds a degree in Health and Community Services. Learning from these people helped to solidify my commitment to the program. The fulfilling nature of helping a person in need is even more apparent through the stories proffered by the female who currently holds her degree. Like me, she has always aspired to reach a profession in which she could help people through health and community service.

Through my interview with the woman with the degree in Community and Human Services, I learned a lot about her day-to-day activities.  She claimed that her days are never boring and sometimes – she admitted – quite stressful. Through her kindness and accommodating nature, I was allowed to watch her work throughout her day. By the end of the day I understood why she deemed the job so stressful. But at the same time, the work she handled and her clientele were exactly what I was seeking in my professional career. I longed to help people, and I was convinced even more soundly that a degree in Community and Health Services was exactly what I needed to attain.

On further research in to the area of Community and Human Services, I found that there were very few colleges that even offered the program. Rather, there were similar degrees available but I have made up my mind upon earlier research: The degree in Community and Human Services was the quintessence of my vocational pursuits. Therefore my selection was limited to the few universities and colleges that actually offered this degree. Once I set my sights on Empire State College and its diverse, intricate course load, I knew I had found the perfect match for my ideal degree.

For my Associate of Applied Science degree, I need to several more credits, but I am very eager to further my edification in this area.  The long hours and the arduous workload will be met with my fervent enthusiasm  every step of the way. All through my training, I will happily be able to remind myself of the reward for all of my hard work: A thrilling career in which I get to help people and satisfy my intellectual aspirations which have always been keenly set on Health services.