My Career Aspirations, Personal Statement Example

Prompt #1

My mother is a psychologist.  She works in a senior center as a counselor.  When I was young, I was surrounded by a lot of Psychology books and my mother’s friends who were also in that profession. I would listen to them talking about cases they had and people they had helped. I became enthralled with their stories. Having a job that involved helping others seemed like such a noble enterprise.

The mind is an incredible thing. Understanding the functions and processes of the mind motivated me to further my education and begin the journey to becoming a psychologist.

Several years ago, one of my good friends committed suicide.  He had been under a lot of stress because of financial problems.His death was a shock to everyone who knew him.

Despite how close I was to him, I never “saw it coming.” I know his death was not my fault but I still wish I could have done something.  For me this experience was a sober reminder of how fragile the human mind and spirit can be.  This tragedy redoubled my commitment to finishing my degree in Psychology and working in a field that helps people deal with the conflicts and troubles they have in life.

Along with the personal experiences that continue to drive me toward my goal, I have also benefited from the volunteer work I have done.  For the past few years, I have been working with an organization that reaches out to the homeless.

The main mission of my volunteer work is to provide food for people living on the streets.  As I delivered food to address the physical needs of these people, I began to get to know them better.  I listened to their stories and heard their frustrations and hopes.

There was one time I delivered food to an old man. He told me that when he was younger, he had been a successful businessman who owned several companies.  He had made some serious mistakes, and ended up losing everything.  Now he was homeless.

He began to cry as he talked about his regrets and how much his attitude and values have improved after he lost all the “things” he thought were important to him.  He said “Maybe if I had been able to see life then as I do now, this might not have happened.”

This conversation and many others like it have given me deeper insights into the fragility of the human condition.  As a psychologist I hope to be able to guide people into better and more fulfilling lives.  Whether it is mental illness, personality disorders, or destructive thinking and behavioral patterns (like the old man once had), there are answers to help people overcome these issues.  I want to provide those answers.

Prompt #2

Achieving a dream is never easy but is by definition, worth the sacrifice and effort required to achieve it.  My dream is to earn a PhD in Psychology.  My journey began at Diablo Valley College.  As an ESL student, it was not an easy journey for me.  Studying to earn good grades was challenging enough, let alone having to do so in a secondary language.  According to (Spurling, Seymore, and Chisman) 47% of ESL students within their study dropped out of college without finishing their degrees.

I am very passionate about my dream and my goals.  It would be easier to pursue a career in something that does not require such a high degree of skill in the English language.  I am not however, interested in taking the “easy” road in life.  I have set my sights on a future I am passionate about and am willing to do whatever it takes to achieve it.  Of this fact, I am very proud.

I have had many setbacks in my education but I continue to get up every time I fall down.  It is this determination that will help me overcome my challenges as an ESL student and ultimately achieve my dream of becoming a psychologist.  This dream represents my own reach for self actualization as defined by Maslow (Simons, Irwin, and Drinnien).

Many people do not realize how difficult it is to study a complex subject like psychology in a language that is not native to them. I am actually studying two subjects at once – psychology, and English.  I have to do twice as much work as many of my classmates.

For example, when I have to write a paper (such as this one) I first have to write the content of the paper, then sit down with someone who can help me rephrase the whole thing in proper English.  It is like writing two papers instead of one.

I am not complaining about the extra work I have to do.  I am however proud of the fact that I am willing and determined to do it.

Summary

If I am admitted to the University of California, I cannot promise to be the most articulate person in my class.  I cannot promise to deliver the most eloquent papers.  What I can promise is this.

I will be at the top of my class where motivation and tenacity are concerned.  I have worked hard to get here and will continue to do whatever it takes to realize my dream.

Works Cited

(Simons J Irwin D Drinnien B  Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs 2010)Simons, J., D. Irwin, and B. Drinnien. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. 2010.  <http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/maslow.htm>.

Spurling S. Seymore S. Chisman F.  Pathways & Outcomes: Tracking ESL Student Performance. A Longitudinal Study of Adult ESL Service at City College of San Francisco 2008)Spurling, S., S. Seymore, and F. Chisman.  Pathways & Outcomes: Tracking ESL Student Performance. A Longitudinal Study of Adult ESL Service at City College of San Francisco. Diss. , 2008. San Francisco: Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy, n.d. http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED506600.pdf. Web.