Socially Enabled by Nia

Socially Enabled by Nia - January 2017 Scholarship Essay

For 14 years, my mother has been working at the Division of Human and Family Services in Chicago. As a result, I have had the opportunity to observe my mother’s level of social consciousness. Because my mother is one of my idols, and because my mother is a single-parent, she appears to demonstrate a drive and intensity towards human service. I have been both attracted to service and inspired by my mother’s social consciousness.
Since I have achieved young adulthood, I recognize the value of the many conversations between my mother and me. I have had the occasion to personally investigate the many dimensions of her work. My mother works with those who experience the conditions of social and economic inequality; this work is done among the following categories: the poor, the black and poor, the physically disabled, and the mental and physically impaired. I am inspired to select either one or some of these dimensions of social welfare as my life’s work. Therefore, as I have been listening to the conversations of my mother and some of her associates, I have been motivated to read much of the relevant material that she makes available as I attempt to determine my future in this area of social work.
I find that I have an intense interest in the category of the black and poor because I also have an interest in the history and the development of African American people in the United States. I have sought both reading materials in the history of African American people and in the contemporary circumstances that have contributed to the impoverishment of African Americans who are poor.
Because University of Missouri is a predominantly white institution, I am seeking enrollment as my matriculation might give me an environment that will contribute to my focus and also inspire me to become more scholarly in my personal development.
Since I live in Chicago, my pursuit towards my intellectual development has been centered around my visits to both museums, libraries and lectures. Chicago is a vast resource for both social and intellectual development. I consider myself fortunate to be able to visit these various libraries, museums and lectures as public transportation is convenient and it is my main source of travel.
In my early adolescence, I accompanied my mother on some of her welfare initiatives. I can identify at least three areas within which these experiences have contributed to my present focus.
One area is in the discovery of the economic conditions of the African American poor which affect family and community viability. This discovery has created within me a level of super sensitivity regarding how the African American poor survive under what appears to be very adverse circumstances. These circumstances appear to be passed down from generation to generation. A more intensive opportunity to study both the circumstances and conditions could be afforded me by my attendance.
Another area that contributes to my focus and also my understanding, is in the area of social analysis. My interaction with my mother, her associates and my travel experiences compliment my thinking. I have been able to raise questions about the things that cause certain conditions to exist. Seeking the answers to these questions is at the foundation of my intellectual pursuits. I feel that the participation in a wide array of intellectual environments will be supportive in aiding me to understand both causes and effects of certain social conditions.
Lastly, there is a question of how the discovery and the analysis contribute to my identity as I pursue the work of bettering the conditions of African American people.
At present, I have only my experiences to use to determine the quality and quantity of work that my aspirations presume. However, I feel an intense commitment to the work that I have described. I am looking forward to the university experience to take me to the next level. I realize that change in social conditions is inevitable and continual. Therefore, I suspect that any decisions that I make regarding satisfying my aspirations are not yet supported by a maturity that I hope to gain as I continue my future pursuit.