As I reflect on my five years at Rutgers-Newark, I am astonished by the unbelievable experiences and opportunities that I was blessed to encounter. When I first entered the university as an 18 year-old freshman in September 2000, I never would have imagined that I would have gained as much as I did. At the time, I was not focused on my studies. Preoccupied with other things, I decided not to attend school during the fall semester 2001.
Nevertheless, I re-entered the spring 2002 semester with a new frame of mind and decided to fully commit myself to my life at Rutgers. My grades improved, and I chose to double major in social work and psychology. Through the Rutgers’ CASE program and the social work department, I experienced three valuable internships in my field; and during my last year and a half at Rutgers, I served as a teaching assistant for the psychology department. I also went on to be inducted into Psi Chi, the National Honor Society in Psychology.
The highlight of my time at Rutgers occurred senior year, while I was president of the Social Work Student Organization. SWSO became a major force on campus, and through various fundraising projects, we were able to donate over $3,500 to several charitable causes throughout the year. Because of our work, a Rutgers professor made it possible for me to appear at a press conference with acting Governor Richard Codey in February 2005, to speak in support of a loan forgiveness bill that would benefit individuals working in the mental health profession. This bill was finally passed in July 2005.
Therefore, as a result of my time at Rutgers-Newark, I was able to develop and hone my communication, networking, management, and social skills. Furthermore,
Rutgers gave me the chance to give back to my community and help get a state bill passed. Upon graduation, I had numerous job offers from the people I encountered along the way. I am 100% positive that I would not have been able to have these same opportunities at any other university, and the many friends and professors who inspired me along the way will never be forgotten.
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