Making Your Dream a Reality by Chris

Making Your Dream a Reality by Chris - August 2020 Scholarship Essay

Imagine your dream college or graduate program. What characteristics make it unique?

Practicality and passion are the core messages of what it means to be a social worker. One may be able to recite every psychological, sociological, and anthropological theory or practice to date, but when it all comes down to it, being able to find the precise time to implement such knowledge mindfully and in cooperation with your client group is the most important thing of any social service. It truly is a fine line between the thinker and the do-er; however, one must ask why there needs to be such a strong dichotomy in the first place? Principally it is because many institutions, of varying levels, do not offer the necessary experience or practical opportunity to exercise such core knowledge and motivation, and when such students find themselves in their first job of related to their degree, many find that their knowledge questioned, sometimes suddenly, on when to appropriately implement, if ever at all, into their occupational requirements. It truly is an enigma being thrust from the frying pan into the fire as we all feel in any new situation, and what we know may never be enough, or inversely, we may never want to be enough. For a college to be perfect in my eyes, it must be able to inspire a passion within its students, and give these individuals ample opportunity to exercise their passions accordingly.

No person ever wants to feel as if they are lost or that their time spent in college was impractical in the real world. This is the most important concept for me when I think upon my dream college or graduate program. When such an entity is able to seamlessly integrate knowledge into practical experience, such as through hands-on training or interactive learning opportunities, students find themselves actively engaged, in multiple facets, and are able to forms connections and real-world instances of their curriculum. For example, like the metaphor used earlier, I may be able to recite every theory about psychology, from Freud to Erikson, but I will never immediately know what theory is best for them, when to use such practice, and how my usage of theory will affect my clientele. It is something one needs to find through practical experience. That is the quintessential hallmark of active and meaningful job-readiness: integrating practical experience into theoretical knowledge.

In another facet, one needs to be genuinely interested in their subject material and major to truly enjoy and have a passion for their future profession. That is to say, how can one be unmotivated and expect to do their best work? It is simply impossible. Inspiring passion is equal parts the student's and institution's job in molding a mutual future for both the individual and the profession itself. A college that is able to integrate engaging and meaningful instruction, with ample choice for the student to mold their own future is essential in creating such passion. The student who was able to pick their classes, clubs, and in-class engagement opportunities, from a wide subject pool, while still fulfilling their degree, is one that will infinitely inspire efficacy and motivation for the student to go beyond their minimum requirements. When a student or scholar is given the tools to mold their own future, one may find that these are the students who are providing the most engaging practice and paving the way for innovation. It is the fine line between following your own agenda and someone else's when one is subject to the curriculum of any given college.

A dream college or graduate for me is one that is able to target both the internal and external manifestations of the major I am in. The choice and freedom to mold my own future, while still following a productive style, creates an efficacy within the student that is lifelong; an efficacy that will undoubtedly influence to what extent the individual will think about their job and its importance to the world. Conversely, being able to practically exercise this passion and efficacy is the core of being able to inform our own practice and knowledge. A college or institution that offers both finds that many of its students and faculty are those that are forerunners of our generation. It is never just about getting the degree to me. College is the time to invest in myself, and for others to do the same. It is my responsibility to mold my own future, but it is always true that those who start with more and have opportunity are those who are more likely to succeed and find more meaning in their life, although never always the case. If a college is able to fulfill these two basic requirements, then in my eyes, it is perfect for me and for my peers who earnestly wish to find a productive place in the world!