My Story: Over the summer, I was at my friend’s house, who has had multiple family issues as we’ve grown up. I’ve seen many of her family arguments and heard many second hand. I’ve learned over the years how to be a buffer for her when needed. I was eating dinner with her, her mom, brother, and sister. It was her brother’s turn to do the dishes, and upon being reminded, he said, “that’s a woman’s job.” Ten minutes later, he was washing the utensils, and my friend poked fun at him doing a “woman’s job.” His comeback was “shut up, you have no friends, no one likes you.” So I, as her friend, said, “yeah I’m being paid to be here.” Her brother laughed, and I said, “wow, you just laughed at a girls joke; that’s a little embarrassing.” He left my friend alone for the rest of the night, and I was able to step in without overstepping my boundaries.  

My strengths: Purpose match said my strengths were compassion, perception, connection, and artistry. I have always been described as compassionate and perceptive by those around me, and I think it comes from being as nervous as I am. I am very observant of others’ feelings and social patterns and have learned how to help others tailored to their needs. I’ve always been fascinated by neuroscience, human behavior, and heath, whether physical or mental. If I volunteered at a health clinic, I would be able to further educate myself, gain more exposure, and help others.

Purpose Statement: My purpose is to provide people with comfort, compassion, and perspective to better navigate their mental health and relationships with themselves and others. 

I want to volunteer at some kind of health clinic, whether that be physical or mental health. All of my aunts are social workers, and I have helped out at multiple organizations over the years. I think it would be very possible for me to work with one of the organizations. I love working with people and better understand people’s personalities and social patterns.