Psychology and Social Work

I’ve seen people struggle, looked down upon, and labeled. I discovered that I wanted to work in the social services while volunteering at a women’s shelter and while working in an assisted living facility with Alzheimer patients. So I decided to change my major from education to interdisciplinary social sciences. This area would allow me to work with the underprivileged, and I would be able to have a positive impact on someone’s life.

My two cognate areas are psychology and social work. I chose psychology because I was always interested to know why people do the things they do, and if they are making the wrong choices how can I help them make the right choices to better their lives. I felt that as a social worker I would be able to help people who needed help. While volunteering at times I felt like the people needed someone to advocate on their behalf.

I’ve seen social workers and what they do and that inspired me to pursue that area. Social workers are all about social justice and empowering the people that they work with. The two cognates relate to each other because the skills that I’ve learned from both fields of study enable me to help the people that I work with because I’ve learned about human behavior and the skills associated with effected helping. Both cognate areas also deal with working with a diverse group of people and with growth and a planned change process.

With this degree I will have a broad perspective and I will have options when I am done with school. With my work experiences and my education I will be able to help people change their lives for the better. Life is a learning experience, and people at times need someone to help them as they confront the issues that they face.