Social Work :: Graduate College Admissions Essays

Social lead It was the shrill ringing of my pager that jarred me away of the deep sleep I had been enjoying. The clock beside my bed read 330 as I fumbled around in the dark, reaching for the insistent pager. As I proverb the code that flashed on its tiny screen, my heart sank. I sight of the sleet that had been falling as I had fallen asleep a a a couple of(prenominal)(prenominal) hours before, and of the warmth of my cozy bed. The very last thing I valued to do at that mowork forcet was to get up and go out in the cold. Unfortunately, there was little choice I was the only Crisis dude available during the week between Christmas and New Year. Within a few minutes, I was dressed and en route to the hospital to pick up a charr and her small children, on the run from an abusive husband, and nominate them to our shelter several miles out of town. As both a hotline street girl and Crisis Companion for a community organization called Avalon, I had been trained to be an activ e listener, crisis counselor, and advocate for survivors of municipal violence and sexual invade. I thought of all the training I had received, as well as the resentment which had driven and encouraged my work with Avalon, as I ne bed the emergency means of the hospital and prepared to meet my newest clients. Every 15 seconds a woman is battered. 1 in 3 women and 1 in 10 men will be sexually assaulted during their lifetimes. 4 women in the United States are killed every day by their husbands or male partners. When I archetypical heard these statistics in a Womens Studies course my Freshman year, I was astounded and thoroughly incensed. The more I read, the more committed I became to doing something which would let about a positive change for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence. It was then that I learned about and began working with Avalon, which was active on campus and in the community. Through its outreach programs, Avalon is dedicated to educating the commu nity about the issues of sexual assault and domestic violence. It also offers a shelter, as well as advocacy and education, to survivors and their families. As a volunteer for Avalon I have answered a crisis hotline, acted as a court advocate, helped clients apply for food stamps, and been on call in the hospital to work with women and children.