[Applause] hi guys um so I hope everyone can hear
hi guys um so I hope everyone can hear
hi guys um so I hope everyone can hear me and I hope everybody’s having a good
me and I hope everybody’s having a good
me and I hope everybody’s having a good time and I share my story with you
time and I share my story with you
time and I share my story with you experiences in my life
experiences in my life
experiences in my life have constantly changed Who I am and my
have constantly changed Who I am and my
have constantly changed Who I am and my views my roles and my opinions how I see
views my roles and my opinions how I see
views my roles and my opinions how I see myself in the world is ever-changing
myself in the world is ever-changing
myself in the world is ever-changing my family my friends and even characters
my family my friends and even characters
my family my friends and even characters in my favorite books continue to shape
in my favorite books continue to shape
in my favorite books continue to shape who I am and who I want to be during my
who I am and who I want to be during my
who I am and who I want to be during my childhood there was an apart there was a
childhood there was an apart there was a
childhood there was an apart there was a fill of fire in my apartment building
fill of fire in my apartment building
fill of fire in my apartment building however no one was severely injured but
however no one was severely injured but
however no one was severely injured but many people were displaced me and my
many people were displaced me and my
many people were displaced me and my sister and I and my mother of three of
sister and I and my mother of three of
sister and I and my mother of three of them even though the fire happened very
them even though the fire happened very
them even though the fire happened very unexpectedly we had no place to go so we
unexpectedly we had no place to go so we
unexpectedly we had no place to go so we were forced to move into a shelter we
were forced to move into a shelter we
were forced to move into a shelter we lived in that shelter for over a year
lived in that shelter for over a year
lived in that shelter for over a year where our living room our bedroom in our
where our living room our bedroom in our
where our living room our bedroom in our kitchen was one small room I often
kitchen was one small room I often
kitchen was one small room I often remember and think back to that time
remember and think back to that time
remember and think back to that time where I wondered how Santa came to us
where I wondered how Santa came to us
where I wondered how Santa came to us even though we had no chimney and I
even though we had no chimney and I
even though we had no chimney and I wondered how we could possibly be in
wondered how we could possibly be in
wondered how we could possibly be in this situation but still feel so much
this situation but still feel so much
this situation but still feel so much love in the air because we were
love in the air because we were
love in the air because we were constantly supporting each other we
constantly supporting each other we
constantly supporting each other we lived in this shelter for over a year
lived in this shelter for over a year
lived in this shelter for over a year however we had to move out but we still
however we had to move out but we still
however we had to move out but we still had no place to go
had no place to go
had no place to go we lived with multiple family members
we lived with multiple family members
we lived with multiple family members which I am forever grateful for yet we
which I am forever grateful for yet we
which I am forever grateful for yet we never really had our home our own home
never really had our home our own home
never really had our home our own home um and at the beginning of my freshman
um and at the beginning of my freshman
um and at the beginning of my freshman year we moved into another room
year we moved into another room
year we moved into another room basically where my mom and my sister
basically where my mom and my sister
basically where my mom and my sister shared their bed together and I had my
shared their bed together and I had my
shared their bed together and I had my own separate small twin bed and it was
own separate small twin bed and it was
own separate small twin bed and it was often kind of strange because
often kind of strange because
often kind of strange because considering how tall I am my legs would
considering how tall I am my legs would
considering how tall I am my legs would hang off the bed and it was very
hang off the bed and it was very
hang off the bed and it was very difficult because when my mom came home
difficult because when my mom came home
difficult because when my mom came home with groceries we’d have to pack them
with groceries we’d have to pack them
with groceries we’d have to pack them away in our mini fridge and that um pots
away in our mini fridge and that um pots
away in our mini fridge and that um pots and pans
and pans
and pans were covered under a large fold-out
were covered under a large fold-out
were covered under a large fold-out table where I often did my homework and
table where I often did my homework and
table where I often did my homework and my mom packed her own lunches for the
my mom packed her own lunches for the
my mom packed her own lunches for the next day living there was very tough
next day living there was very tough
next day living there was very tough because I never had any alone time
because I never had any alone time
because I never had any alone time I found myself getting frustrated with
I found myself getting frustrated with
I found myself getting frustrated with how many people were living with us
how many people were living with us
how many people were living with us because we lived with five other people
because we lived with five other people
because we lived with five other people considering how we only had a one room
considering how we only had a one room
considering how we only had a one room and I never felt I never complained
and I never felt I never complained
and I never felt I never complained though because I saw the struggle and I
though because I saw the struggle and I
though because I saw the struggle and I saw I saw how hard it was for my mother
saw I saw how hard it was for my mother
saw I saw how hard it was for my mother to live here and have have me my sister
to live here and have have me my sister
to live here and have have me my sister live here and I did I tried try very
live here and I did I tried try very
live here and I did I tried try very hard not to complain but often if me and
hard not to complain but often if me and
hard not to complain but often if me and my sister fought I couldn’t just storm
my sister fought I couldn’t just storm
my sister fought I couldn’t just storm out and leave the room because this room
out and leave the room because this room
out and leave the room because this room was our room this is where we lived and
was our room this is where we lived and
was our room this is where we lived and grieved and shared our space constantly
grieved and shared our space constantly
grieved and shared our space constantly and we just had to accept it that this
and we just had to accept it that this
and we just had to accept it that this was our life however in my junior year
was our life however in my junior year
was our life however in my junior year we moved into our own co-op and my mom
we moved into our own co-op and my mom
we moved into our own co-op and my mom bought it all by herself and she now
bought it all by herself and she now
bought it all by herself and she now owns that co-op and it’s two bedrooms in
owns that co-op and it’s two bedrooms in
owns that co-op and it’s two bedrooms in our big living room and big kitchen and
our big living room and big kitchen and
our big living room and big kitchen and I love that room and I love my room and
I love that room and I love my room and
I love that room and I love my room and I love my mom’s room I loved everything
I love my mom’s room I loved everything
I love my mom’s room I loved everything about it and I’m just very proud of my
about it and I’m just very proud of my
about it and I’m just very proud of my my own mother she continued to fight for
my own mother she continued to fight for
my own mother she continued to fight for us even though there’s many people who
us even though there’s many people who
us even though there’s many people who don’t have mothers who will fight for
don’t have mothers who will fight for
don’t have mothers who will fight for them and I’m so proud of her and I just
them and I’m so proud of her and I just
them and I’m so proud of her and I just I never had to ask for anything because
I never had to ask for anything because
I never had to ask for anything because she always gave us enough she always she
she always gave us enough she always she
she always gave us enough she always she woke up and that was just enough for me
woke up and that was just enough for me
woke up and that was just enough for me her being there her me going to my mom
her being there her me going to my mom
her being there her me going to my mom that was always enough and that’s why I
that was always enough and that’s why I
that was always enough and that’s why I want to become a social worker social
want to become a social worker social
want to become a social worker social workers are equipped with the right
workers are equipped with the right
workers are equipped with the right tools to help people in situations that
tools to help people in situations that
tools to help people in situations that I was in and make sure that they can
I was in and make sure that they can
I was in and make sure that they can improve their lives on their own they
improve their lives on their own they
improve their lives on their own they are able to build honest and reliable
are able to build honest and reliable
are able to build honest and reliable ation ship reliable relationships with
ation ship reliable relationships with
ation ship reliable relationships with their patients and clients and make sure
their patients and clients and make sure
their patients and clients and make sure that they can improve their lives
social workers resolve challenges in
social workers resolve challenges in creative ways and make sure that people
creative ways and make sure that people
creative ways and make sure that people in vulnerable situations take action to
in vulnerable situations take action to
in vulnerable situations take action to improve their lives often there are no
improve their lives often there are no
improve their lives often there are no clear answers but social workers assist
clear answers but social workers assist
clear answers but social workers assist people in need and make sure that they
people in need and make sure that they
people in need and make sure that they have someone willing to fight for them
have someone willing to fight for them
have someone willing to fight for them make their voices heard and advocate for
make their voices heard and advocate for
make their voices heard and advocate for change
change
change no two cases are ever the same which
no two cases are ever the same which
no two cases are ever the same which means social workers must constantly
means social workers must constantly
means social workers must constantly solve problems and use their skills and
solve problems and use their skills and
solve problems and use their skills and experiences to help people in innovative
experiences to help people in innovative
experiences to help people in innovative ways I would like to become a social
ways I would like to become a social
ways I would like to become a social worker because I never want to see
worker because I never want to see
worker because I never want to see someone in the situation that I was in
someone in the situation that I was in
someone in the situation that I was in and even if they are I want to make sure
and even if they are I want to make sure
and even if they are I want to make sure that they never feel ashamed to talk
that they never feel ashamed to talk
that they never feel ashamed to talk about it and that they have the proper
about it and that they have the proper
about it and that they have the proper tools to save their own life with the
tools to save their own life with the
tools to save their own life with the help of mine it’s not just me helping
help of mine it’s not just me helping
help of mine it’s not just me helping other people it’s these people helping
other people it’s these people helping
other people it’s these people helping themselves and helping the people around
themselves and helping the people around
themselves and helping the people around them it’s a circle of support social
them it’s a circle of support social
them it’s a circle of support social group is make sure that people never
group is make sure that people never
group is make sure that people never feel alone that they have the support
feel alone that they have the support
feel alone that they have the support they need and the structure and their
they need and the structure and their
they need and the structure and their make the structure within this person’s
make the structure within this person’s
make the structure within this person’s life to change their life because no one
life to change their life because no one
life to change their life because no one should ever feel ashamed or no one
should ever feel ashamed or no one
should ever feel ashamed or no one should ever feel as if they have to stay
should ever feel as if they have to stay
should ever feel as if they have to stay silent about their own internal struggle
silent about their own internal struggle
silent about their own internal struggle because everyone is going through their
because everyone is going through their
because everyone is going through their own unique struggle and on this planet
own unique struggle and on this planet
own unique struggle and on this planet Earth we have to make sure that we’re
Earth we have to make sure that we’re
Earth we have to make sure that we’re helping everyone in any possible way
helping everyone in any possible way
helping everyone in any possible way because people tend to forget that this
because people tend to forget that this
because people tend to forget that this world you can’t survive on your own you
world you can’t survive on your own you
world you can’t survive on your own you always always need a helping hand
always always need a helping hand
always always need a helping hand whether it’s from your mother or from
whether it’s from your mother or from
whether it’s from your mother or from the person you sit next to in your own
the person you sit next to in your own
the person you sit next to in your own art class you always need someone to
art class you always need someone to
art class you always need someone to help you and social workers are the
help you and social workers are the
help you and social workers are the first step
”
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