Embracing My Hispanic Heritage: Pursuing Social Work at Ramapo College

Abstract

[University] Language plays a significant role in human connection. Through language, people share their ideas, thoughts, and feelings, making life more interesting, fun, and worthwhile. For this reason, I am proud to confirm that, though English is not my first language, holding my identity as a Hispanic has allowed me to understand my worth. I am a Hispanic. I was born in the Dominican Republic. During my childhood, I spent most of my time playing with my neighbor age mates, and most instances got me advocating for peace and harmony in case of any disagreements or conflicts in the course of our playing. I have always been an active member of our church charity program, which I joined ever since I was ten years old. The program ensures a habitable environment where all members engage in community clean-up, and with some donations from the church members, we feed the less privileged. It is a program that has offered clear meaning of life to me as engaging and helping the community proves a calling within me. I love engaging with people whose voices are unheard. I am a fearless advocate of such agents, making me feel fit for acquiring skills and knowledge that can define me as professional social workers. I believe Ramapo College is the best place for me to improve my second language (English) since I have powerful skills in my first language, which according to Schmid and Köpke (2017), are relevant in adjusting to another language due to language transfer. Besides improving my second language, I believe the social work program is an area that allows for human connections and engagements in an excellent manner. I feel a social worker is an individual who helps others improve the quality of their lives through access...