La Gloria Orphanage Trip

December 16th, was the first time I ever visited an orphanage in my entire life and the experience was a powerful one. The Latino/a Social Work Caucus and the International Social Work Caucus took a trip to the La Gloria Orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico. The purpose of the trip is to take the orphanage donations and to spend the day with the children. The trip for me was an amazing one as it was filled with so many mixed emotions. As I sat and rocked one of the infants to sleep I couldn't help but wonder how his life would be in ten years, or in twenty years and how his development would be affected by living in an orphanage with no parents. Rocking the baby to sleep was one of the hardest experiences I have ever had as a social work student. As I sat there with the baby in my arms, I recognized that he embodied or represented so many vulnerable children. The emotions were so overwhelming that I began to cry. In hindsight, I realize that I wasn't just crying for him, but I was crying for all of the children that I have encountered who are vulnerable and who need an adult that will protect them and love them.
While holding him I began to wonder what my life would have been like if I didn't have my mother, and suddenly I was filled with gratitude for having had her guidance, love, and presence consistantly throughout my entire existence. I then began to do some self-reflection and began to think back about the countless times that I have told people, "Oh, I grew up with just my mother". Never again will I use that phrase, because I now know that all I needed was one person who was always there to care for me, and I was lucky enough to have my mother for that. Recognizing how important my mother's presence was in shaping who I am helped me recognize how much I can affect a child's life through adoption. I have always considered adoption in the future when I am in a committed relationship with a life partner, but my experiences with the children in the orphanage truly solidified my desire to some day become an adoptive parent. As we left the orphanage we had to process our emotions as a group, and although we left with a sense of satisfaction for having come out to spend a day with the children we all left with a certain level of sadness as we left them behind. The one consolation that I walked away with is the commitment with which the orphanage serves the children and the commitment of the caucuses to continue working with the orphanage for years to come.

Graduation- Just around the corner!

This is my third and final year in the program and everyone knows that I'm ready to walk across that stage, grab my diploma, take pictures, and run into the work force. Enrolling in the three-year part time program was beneficial to me as a parent, wife, and employee. I don't think that I would have made it through the program otherwise. Even though I was eager to graduate this past year with all of my friends who started the program with me, I am fortunate to have had a lighter work load my first two years which allowed me to establish valuable relationships with my professors, be involved in school, community, and work-related activities, and feeling less stressful.

Truth be told, the time has gone by fast, especially since I have acknowledged that graduation is just months away. I am told that the last semester of grad school goes by faster than any other semester. My field instructor encouraged me to pace myself, be organized, and take each day to learn all that I can. I will therefore take her advice and proceed through this final semester of grad school with caution, perseverance, and pride.

Registration...Ha!

Don't freight! You may have heard horror stories about students unsuccessfully registering for courses. However, if you plan ahead, ask questions (BEFORE HAND, not the day of), and have a clear understanding of what it is you want to take, and then you should be fine.

I agree, registration is rather nerve racking in the event the online web registration system fails (that's technology for you), or you attempt to register but a message comes back stating that you have to get clearance (Plan ahead!), and or you see that there is space remaining in a class that you wanted to take but once you've selected to commit changes to your registration, you get a message that the class is CLOSED (that's the luck of the draw).

Tips for registration:
~Become acquainted with the registration personnel
~Plan ahead
~Ask Questions
~Be proactive
~Avoid asking question the day of registration
~Be at a computer 5 minutes prior to your registration time, waiting for the clock to strike your exact registration time so that you can go clicking away. Oh, it helps to have the course numbers/class schedule readily available.

Deep breathing exercises may work to reduce some of the anxiety you experience around registration.

Wanna know what it's like to hear voices?

Some weeks ago in my Department of Mental Health seminar, I had the most profound opportunity to see what it is like for people who hear voices. Now, you may be wondering how this is possible. So, a middle aged woman who has schizophrenia and suffers auditory hallucinations developed a program in an effort to better serve people who hear voices. The program is designed for therapist to experience what it is like for their clients to hear voices with the hope of clinicians enhancing their ability to be competent, empathetic, and ultimately respect their client's right to self-determination.

Each participant was given a portable CD player, headphones, a compact disc with recorded voices (similar to the actual voices people hear), and a task. My task was to walk to the university post-office and purchase a stamp while hearing the voices. To say the least, it was DISTURBING, MIND-BLOWING, and DEPRESSING. The voices would say things like, "their out to get you", "eat feces, eat feces", "you are ugly, stupid", and at times I could not make out what the voices were say. At one point, I was determined to remove the headphones because I started to feel nauseated and had disapproving images come to mind.

Overall, I gained much from the activity so far as learning to process with clients what it is like for them to hear voices and respect their Reponses rather than disregard them. I also gained insight to how important it is for people who hear voices to interact with others since this tends to lesson the distress they feel. Moreover, I am further motivated to work in the field of social work so that I not only share the knowledge I've acquired with other professions, but to encourage people to change! As a change agent, I am thrilled to be apart of the field of social work so that I can assist in moving mountains so that we (all people) can live up to their greatest potential.

Go SOCIAL WORKERS...DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO, WHAT YOU NEED TO DO, and WHATEVER IT IS YOU OUGHT TO DO.

The most amazing feedback!

Who says hard work doesn't pay off? Well, mine sure has. Just a few days ago I received an email from my Social Work in Schools professor. Take a look:

..."In any case, you are to be commended for doing such a fine job. The importance of detail and ecological and economic perspective on the child came across in all your entries, presentations, and related paper as well. You consistently presented well-reasoned positions along with tons of information in a way that I'm sure many of your classmates will use in years to come. I honestly hope you will rise in the ranks in a school district (or politically) and work to affect the kinds of changes you talked about in your reaction journals and in class. I think you’d be able to have a tremendous impact because you have a strong vision and verbal/ written skills to articulate change at the policy levels. In any case, no matter where you chose to contribute, we are lucky to have you in our field. Finally, I want to express my gratitude for you classroom contributions. You did not shy away from expressing ideas and wrestling with controversial materials with your peers in class. I think they learned much from your many ideas and your arguments. As you can see I have nothing but doting praise for which you are and the work you have done in my class. I wish you great luck in all you future endeavors and projects, Take care", Ron Astor > Class grade A+

My Last Break

This officially marks the last winter break I will have as an MSW student. I don't know what it is with me but I am suddenly hyper aware of all things that are ending that are associated with graduate school...and it makes me very sad, but on the bright side I will have the next few weeks to regain my strength because next semester promises to be CRAZY. Primarily because I will be taking too many units due to my dual degree. My strategy at this point is to plan early and do as much as possible during the break and to plan and organize everything well....I'll keep you all posted on how well that works. : )

As for the break, I hope to get a whole lot of sleep. I also want to read for leisure and I want to focus on reading only my Spanish books...gotta keep it fluent (I got an awesome book on substance abuse that is completely in Spanish, so I plan to work on my use of clinical terms in Spanish) I also plan to indulge in one of my FAVORITE pastimes which is oil painting. I have agreed to create a piece to be sold in this year's Latino/a Social Work Caucus silent auction. I donated one last year and I would love to contribute again. I am also making a very large piece for a friend of mine, so I will definitely be allowing my creative juices to flow. Oh yes, I will be going to A LOT of holiday PARTIES...that's one of my favorite pass times as well, and I'll be watching the movie ELF one too many times.

Goals for break

I'm done, and I put in so many extra hours at my internship that I was let out early...yay me!

Plans for break...
Read: Beloved, Einstein's Space and Van Gogh's Sky...and if I'm lucky..the namesake, or rebecca.

Take my nephews, nieces and cousins to visit: the museum of natural history, california science center, rene magritte at LACMA, the getty...again, and a short trip to san fran.

I wanna catch up on some cog b...throw in some more family psych with thomas fogarty and finish up my khantzian book on suffering and substance abuse.

On Wed, I'm forcing myself to go to therapy...and hopefully I don't die in the process. If they catch on quick, I might have to address how my perfectionism and overachieving mindset gets in the way of me being ok with myself...If that is the case...I will go out kicking and screaming...and in the end, maybe my only goal for break will be to sleep...and make space for the dreaded notion of self care.

I am OFFICIALLY done!

Great News....Finals are over. Believe it or not the fact that finals are over is a bitter sweet experience. I feel fortunate that I was able to complete everything this semester, and by everything I include my other one thousand and one responsibilities I have beside school and internship. However, exactly five months from today I will be graduating, and I am sad that I am one step closer to leaving my graduate studies, but I am excited about what lies ahead. I am already starting to process my feelings of loss over this whole leaving graduate school issue, but I am also preparing myself for the real world, and really trying to put my finger on what route I will be taking.

I really have had an awesome semester marked by little sleep, lots of personal and academic growth, the development of friendships with my classmates and future colleagues, and of course the development of my identity as a social worker. So, I feel like a bit of advice would be useful here, and that is to get involved in as much as you can handle. I have by far had the busiest semester of my life because my plate is full, but with some time management and organization I was able to be an active participant in an array of activities. Ultimately, my days as a social work student were not merely marked by attending class and going to internship (note: there's nothing wrong with that), but I was able to be involved in so many activities that I am passionate about. I know it can be a bit intimidating to have so many responsibilities, but its such a rich experience that shouldn't be passed up. Some people call me crazy for taking on so much...Including my family, but I realize that my time in graduate school is limited, and I have to maximize the opportunities while I am there. So my advice to all those that are considering graduate school is to MAXIMIZE ALL YOUR OPPORTUNITIES.

The Challenges of Field

I need to vent about the challenges of field. The reality is that being at a large public agency in a COPA placement is very different than being in the clinical setting. I am still adjusting to being results oriented rather than process oriented...by the way it took me a lot of time to arrive at that conclusion. It was very challenging for me to switch from having to worry about clinical interventions to dealing with deadlines and bottomlines. Now I am expected to produce and what I produce is clear and tangible, nothing like clinical services. So, as you enter the COPA world be advised that the shift is one that may be challenging initially, but its necessary. Additionally, I make use of all the clinical skills that I learned first year in order to effectively interact with others even if they aren't clients. The bottom line is that we are all human and those clinical skills sure do come in handy. The COPA world is a different moster, but I feel that my field placement has effectively prepared me to navigate the COPA world : ).

The Worse is OVER!!!!

Okay,

So last week I had two presentations. One was 30 minutes and the other was 40 minutes. By far the worse is over. Although, I am comfortable with public speaking there were certain elements that made last week's presentations ultra anxiety provoking. For my Program Design/Grantwriting we presented as if we were seeking funding for a program that our group designed. The challenge is that you must be able to justify your rationale for EVERYTHING, I mean seriously from our chosen intervention, to whether or not the budget was fiscally sound (we did extra well in that area 'cause I had a budget and finance class this semester...thank goodness for that budget class....wow never thought I would say that). Anywho, then we had to present a research methodology that will actually be used to assess cultural competence interventions in a major county agency, and the professor brought in the variuos agency representatives to see our presentations....needless to say I was a bit NERVOUS! Good news is that we made it through...and now I just have one 30 pager, 1 grant to finish writing, and a comprehensive exam...and I am a FREE WOMAN!!!!! Oh yes...went to the USC/UCLA game Saturday and had a blast at a tailgate hosted by USC MSW alumni, but of course the loss put a damper on my good mood....and lets just say I'm not ready to talk about it yet 'cause I'm still processing the loss.

fixing my family

Why do people who choose their jobs over their families choose to have families in the first place? I might not be so mad about this except that it affects my sister and nephews' psychological welfare. Times like this truly remind me that when issues are close to home, it becomes incredibly hard to remain objective. Being a social worker, I naturally want to fix things...especially my family...and I can't fix my family. It frustrates me that I work daily to help people discover themselves and to live holistic healthy lives, and the lives I care about the most are the ones I feel powerless over. I don't like to see the ones I love hurt...who does?

It's even worse that I have become my family's keeper...everyone comes to me and I carry the burden, because in reality, I don't have problems like they have problems. I don't have husbands or wives. I don't have children who are applying for college or mortgages to pay, I don't have parents to support or businesses to run. So when they come to me needing help, I can't say no. I feel guilty saying no. I can't give much, but I can give my mind and my time, and considering how much they've given me, I don't feel like I should say no. This causes problems...like, decreasing the amount of time I have to spend on my school work which inevitably results in increased stress and probably several years off my life span, but I deal with it. In the scheme of the thing called LIFE, what's more important: my family or my grades? I pick my family, time and time again...and I imagine that I'll continue to do so.

Biggest lesson

Some people have argued that working as a social worker is more difficult than attending graduate school in social work. Obviously I haven't experienced what it's like to JUST work as a full time social worker, but I have to say I think part of that reasoning exists because we just forget what it was like to be in school. Even if school wasn't intellectually challenging (which it can be if you engage in it), the workload itself is enough to make you a little delirious. I think the lesson I learned most from this program is how to survive in a social worker's environment, particularly carrying a large workload with little resources in varying styles of management. I definitely learned how to engage in self care, self reflection, time management and the art of talking myself through perseverance the possibility of imminent failure. Sometimes we have to set priorities and just accept that we can't do everything.

Choices...........Stay or Go?

Tuesday, November 21, 2006


This weekend my cousin (a.k.a my sister Lupe) is tying the knot in Texas. I grew up with my cousin and our family's have lived together our entire lives. I really want to go, but I have too much work to do. My entire family leaves to Texas on Wednesday night and I am currently having a difficult time deciding if I should go or not. But seriously, who would miss their sisters wedding? I am undecided right now because I have a very comprehensive final due that Thursday that I get back from my "Turkey Day" vacation. The final is a group interview where the Assistant Dean, field advisor, and my professor will be present. This is a very intense final because it is a friendly competition against my classmates. The interview entails that we must develop a program that will lower the crime rates in the city of Santa Ana. My group must create a program and present our idea to the interview panel. The group that presents the best program will be awarded fake funds for its program. We are being graded on our creativity and presentation. As a group we must create brochures, powerpoint, business cards, and visual diagrams that will showcase the success of our program. It is a lot of work and it is going to take a lot of time/effort to prepare for this assignment. If I choose not to go, I hope she understands my decision, and I will have to show her my "A" when I get my grade back from my professor.

posted by Esteban at 10:09 PM 0 comments

A True SC Football Fan!!

Tuesday, November 07, 2006


This week I had the opportunity to attend the USC vs Stanford game at the University of Stanford. It was a memorable weekend because it was my first time attending an away game. My friends and I left Southern California at around 2:30 a.m. in the morning and we arrived at Palo Alto at around 9:00 a.m. The drive was draining because I had not slept the entire night. My friends and I sang every song on his "I pod" all the way to our destination. We arrived at our hotel room and put on our SC attire to express our school pride. We dressed up in our costumes and headed straight to the tailgate. At the tailgate we mingled with other SC fans, played football with each other, and had some delicious "carne asada". We watched the entire game and waited until the Trojan Band left the stadium. It is an amazing feeling to sit and listen to our band play the USC FIGHT SONG. I do not regret attending any of the football games this season because I consider myself a true Trojan fan. It is a fun to attend the tailgates and especially the games with my fellow classmates. I have not missed a single game during my two years at USC and I do not expect to miss one this season. Future students should consider attending one football game during their stay at the university because it is a experience worth cherishing. FIGHT ON AND BEAT THE DUCKS!!!

posted by Esteban at 10:55 PM 0 comments

The Real OC

Friday, November 03, 2006


I am currenlty living with my parents in the city of Garden Grove. I have had the luxury of living with my parents, since I was an undergraduate student at Cal State Fullerton. During my first year of courses I took all of my courses at the Orange County satelite campus. This campus is located in the city of Irvine and it is an amazing campus to attend. In my experiences at this campus, I am fortunate to have created such a tight bond with the students that attend this campus. I know my classmates by first name and I have met some amazing people at this campus. I have established positive relationships with students, faculty, and alumni. I am currently in my second year of graduate school and I am taking courses in both campuses. Attending both campuses has been a valuable experience for me because I have had the opportunity to interact with students/faculty in both campuses. I enjoy socializing and meeting new people that is the main reason that I decided to attend the Los Angeles campus in my second year. For those students attempting to attend satelite campuses, I encourage you to attend both campuses to have an opportunity of living the true Trojan Experience. It is an amazing experience to attend the University Park Campus because you recognize that you attend the University of Southern California. Being able to see Tommy Trojan, Coliseum, and all of the resources that lie within the campus make this an experience worth seeing. FIGHT ON AND BEAT THE CARDINALS!!
posted by Esteban at 10:24 PM 0 comments

Thoughts on the future

This semester is drawing to a close and I have to say I am REALLY sad. I had a great experience this semester, and loved all my classes. I think I'll miss Substance Abuse the most. It was an amazing class and I learned so much. Tomorrow is my last day and I'm going to have to grieve the loss of the time spent there. It was worth the 8am rush hour traffic thing. Finishing up with finals makes graduation that much more of a reality. Part of me is ready and excited about moving on to the next chapter in my life, and another part of me is incredibly frightened by the notion of being independent and not having school as a crutch for my ignorance.

Thank God that people are capable of grace (to some degree)...I just hope that there's continual room for screwing up because I'm almost positive that I will screw something up. I figure though...life is too short to not take risks. What's the worse that can happen? I fall flat on my face, look like an idiot then use it as a learning opportunity to build humility and character and remember that I am HUMAN. The only thing to do right now is to remind myself of this truth, with the hope is that I will eventually believe it...and better yet LIVE IT.

...And the STRESS begins to MOUNT

Well....the reality of my life right now is that slowly but surely the STRESS has begun to compile right on ME! I'm sitting here thinking of strategies on how to maximize the very short time that I have left before EVERYTHING is due. I mean seriously though, no kidding I have been dreaming about finals...maybe it was a bit of a nightmare. I really did have a dream last night about my Program Design and Grantwriting Presentation. I always try to keep my cool, and try to stay calm and collected...but I am no longer in denial about my anxiety associated with completing all of my finals, my process recordings, and meeting all of my RA duties before the semester is officially over. Oh yeah, and I am extremely sad that I had tickets to the Notre Dame game and I didn't go because I felt that I should stay home to work on my papers. Wow, if that isn't academic discipline I don't know what is!

Good intentions?

I seriously tried to start ahead of time. In my attempt to time manage, I created a calendar of "things I need to get done, and when." Unfortunately, I haven't quite kept up with my goals and I'm now officially four and a half papers behind and I still have two very large papers to write and two classes to study for. Some would say that I had "overambitious goals" (Thank you Prof "F"). Luckily for me, my mind hasn't quite turned into blob yet and I'm hanging in there. The stress is starting to build up, but lets see how many more 12 hour plus days of studying my mind can take. Truthfully, my problem is that I'm incredibly distracted by all of the amazing things there are to read and study that are entirely related to Social Work, and in not so many ways related to my papers (...so the Procrastinator's Guilt Syndrome is not applicable in my case.)

I'm actually just grateful that today is Friday and I still have SAT and SUN to study ALL DAY. It definitely felt like today was Sunday (since we were off all day yesterday (Happy Turkey Day!), and all day there was this impending doom over my spirit that I would have to go into internship tomorrow and deal with the complete revamping of our Urgent Care program. (I have to admit- I'm really excited about working on that project...something about starting from scratch and having the ability to discuss any changes I want that makes me feel alive and hopeful about the direction of my agency...which is a county agency for that matter.)

So now it's 11:45 pm, and I've officially been sitting at my computer "writing" and "studying" for 14 hours...I've written three extensive outlines (almost finished one paper), helped one friend do some research, educated my five year old nephew on neurons and pain receptors (poor kid smooshed his finger), fed the kids, straightened up the house, dealt with my martyr of a mother, found three more substance abuse books I'd like to add to reading list, and wrote one blog. Despite not being productive with school work, I can look back on today and say that I am not ashamed with the way I spent my time. Technically...I think my day doesn't really end until maybe 4 in the morning...so I will get back to work and hopefully hammer out PART of another paper. I'll probably end up going to bed around 2 because I'm not that masochistic...but hey...a girls gotta be idealistic.

Much to be THANKFUL for

I am thankful for having had a splendid THANKSGIVING DAY with my family and friends. It was a pleasure to merge with my love ones for some good ol' holiday fun!

As for school, however, I am thankful for the following:

• The semester is ending (one more week of classes)
• I have just two papers to write for my final exams
• I finally purchased a thumb drive ( 1G for just $7 ha!) to store all school assignments
• I have just two more process recordings to write
• I have my schedule planned for next semester
• My family is being supportive while I spend hours and hours writing for finals
• And I will be graduating in just 5 more months...and can sign "MSW" behind my name!
  

The list goes on...


One THANKFUL Social Worker to be!

It's Almost Over....

So I was sitting here putting together an "Its Almost Over Task List" and I thought I would share it with you all (prospective students please don't let this 'cause you any anxiety ).

Finals Task List:

- Complete and conduct a presentation for granwriting
- Write final grant for grantwriting class
- Finish all of my process recordings for the semester
- Write research paper
- Study for comprehensive Management final (COPA Practice class)
- Finish translating a 37 page transcript from Spanish to English (RA duty)

...And when that's all said and done I'll be home free : ).

This is more than a project...

Well I'm sitting here developing methodology that will evaluate the cultural competence of an entire county agency. It's a "class project", but in reality we are out there as consultants. My group and I are developing methodology that can be implemented to evaluate the cultural competence of a County agency that serves approximately 200,000 clients each year, and they provide services in about 12 languages...and that is not exhaustive of all the languages spoken in Los Angeles County. So, as I sit here and look for ways to assess cultural competence in Human Resources it struck me....Oh no THIS IS NOT JUST A PROJECT. So...if you're looking into COPA and are looking to truly assess greater organizational effectiveness, or efficiency come to COPA...and definitely look into Dr. Hatanaka for Research (Program Evaluation). Initially, I thought this was our final, but I just realized its much greater than that. : )

YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHAT A DAY IN MY LIFE IS LIKE?

Lets See....I'll give a run down of my Tuesday this week just so you can get an idea of what a day in the life of an MSW student is like:

5:00 a.m.: Woke-up...or attempted to wake up

7:00 a.m.: Commuted to downtown L.A. to meet with my Program Development and Grantwriting class

8:00 a.m.: Arrived at the center for non-profit research (by the way they have great resources for anyone interested in starting their own non-profit).

10:45 a.m. : Left downtown L.A. as fast as my little legs could carry me to get to my 11:00 am appointment on campus.

11:00-12:30 a.m.: Met with Focus Group

12:30-1:00 p.m.: Socialized with my school mates in the Courtyard

1:00 p.m.-4:00 pm: Went to the Lab to fulfill my RA duties....some of which include translating entire interviews from Spanish to English : ).

4:00-4:30 pm.: Hung out in the courtyard with my friends

4;30-5:00 pm: Had a research team meeting with the professor and the other RA I work with

5:15 pm-6:30 pm: Met with my research class work group to develop methodology to evaluate the organization that our project focuses on.

6:30-7:00 pm: Commuted back home....

7:30 pm- 9:30 pm: Had sushi with my boyfriend : ) (HIGHLIGHT OF MY DAY!!!)

10:00 pm-11: 30 pm: Answered e-mails and read for class


It's all in a days work....

Crazy day at Internship

I love my work...and I love Downtown, but man today was seriously a hard day. It's never fun when you have to give out a four page survey with small font and difficult language to individuals who have been waiting, are hungry, and just all around unhappy. We study about program evaluation, and I'm all for it...but actually doing it is another thing.

Problems arise when you have to evaluate programs that have high demand for services and very low resources. At that point leaders are required to make decisions about priorities. Is it more important to utilize and place immense pressure on staff to complete evaluation, or are the immediate needs of the client more important? What are the consequences of choosing one over the other? We risk abandoning and alienating our clients for 15 days or we risk losing funding and not being here at all. Where's the middle ground? Does this compromising leave both demands unmet?...Too many questions.

This is why leaders are scarce and corrupt (in general...and not that the leadership at my agency is corrupt.) The prospect of taking responsibility for difficult decisions is FEARFUL. We inevitably disappoint and sometimes hurt someone (whether it be staff or clients). But in the end...I guess you ask: Was it all worth it? and can I see myself at any other position? Hopefully the answers are: Yes and No, respectively. Considering the events of today...especially in hindsight. I have to say....Yes and No. I still love where I am...and I still love what I do.

Need Sleep

Urgh...I honestly want to finish this presentation...really, I HAVE to finish this presentation...because I'm presenting it this Thursday. Too bad I went to look for it and realized that in the midst of trying to figure out my new operating system, I deleted all my files and along with that, my work in progress. So instead of feeling the urgency to finish, I feel tired...and now I'm procrastinating. I tried to restart it...I really did. But my brain feels dead. Literally, my brain matter has turned to marshmallows and my neurons no longer have the ability to fire effectively. No infomation is entering nor leaving my long term memory. I am a useless mass of cells. This is that point in your education when you almost just wish the pain would end just so you could SLEEP. Graduate school is really meant for Type A masochists. Ok, I will attempt several more hours of this torture, then I will give in. My only hope is that I accomplish something...anything.

Quick Tips for Surviving Grad School

• Recognize your resources: family, friends, professors, libraries, computer labs, and your brain!
• Advocate for your beliefs
• Get Plenty of Sleep (when you can)
• Budget! Budget! Budget! (Pack a lunch, buy books from classmates, etc.)
• Speak to your professors as often as you can
• Create a contact list with the names and phone numbers of at least two people in each of your classes
• Ask as many questions as you need to develop an understanding of what is being taught
• Become best friends with the staff in student services/registration office
• Don't procrastinate
• Be involved with student organizations
• Of course, study!
• VISIT THE WRITING CENTER, everyone and anyone can work to improve their writing skills
• Balance your work and life by setting time aside for family and friends. Do not isolate yourself!
• But really, just LEARN AS MUCH AS YOU CAN AND HAVE FUN DOING SO! You will only experience this program once. Take advantage of all that you can.
  

What a day...what a day

Today was especially long and I am feeling rather drained! Although we had a thought provoking discussion on cognitions and beliefs as related to treatment and causes of mental disorders in my morning class, my afternoon class seemed to last forever. My professor reported on some valuable findings from his research on school violence. I found it way difficult to manage sitting in a three hour lecture interpreting such findings, however. I am such a huge advocate for group work and dialogue during class time. After a while, I was fighting hard to further engage in the lecture by asking questions, maintaining eye contact with the professor, and thinking about how I could consider this research in practice as a school social worker. While I'm thinking about it, I will share one important finding from his research- It is likely that school climate, school structure, and the community in which the school exists greatly impact the severity of school violence as opposed to family composition and SES. Isn't that interesting! Based on these findings and due to more obvious reasons, more intervention is needed within the school system itself. Boy, is my work cut out for me! What a great way to implement some macro level work.

Even though I had a long day, attending two meetings, two classes, and currently preparing to work on my final assignments, I've acquired a heap of knowledge that I can use in practice as a school social worker! Yea!

getting excited

I am so excited about having a winter break. I'm going to read for fun, explore, and hopefully utilize my time wisely. I have to say though, I will miss class immensely. They have been fabulous this semester and I have to say I am much much happier. The teachers I have this semester are amazing, well read, great teachers. I am pushed in ways I didn't know were possible, and learning what feels like new languages. (Granted, some times it's difficult...but invaluable.) gotta get back to work....the excitement con'ts later

Starbucks here I come...Gotta get this work done!

I am sitting in STARBUCKS sipping on my second Grande, non-fat, white-chocolate mocha, with TWO shots of espresso wondering if my body has an increased tolerance for caffeine. After being here for 4 hours, I am desperately trying to stay awake so that I can finish one of many assignments I have due within the next few weeks. However, coffee doesn't seem to be working. I am feeling really sleepy. Hopefully, this second cup of coffee will keep me awake for the next few hours. Or, maybe I should try drinking tea (it's cheaper and healthier).

Often times, I find myself doing what I have to do in order to accomplish all that I can each day. Anything to avoid procrastinating! Although I've procrastinated a few times, it was not worth the anxiety and pressure I experienced finishing a paper hours before it was due. Save your self from the stress...start your work early and who cares if you have to drink caffeine to stay awake days before an assignment is due. After all, you can treat yourself and be in bed by midnight the night before the assignment is due ;-).

It's All About Networking

There is nothing like attending a USC School of Social Work homecoming event where you have the opportunity to meet up with some alumni who are working professionals in the field of social work. While the ambience was set for fun, laughter, and some good ol' Trojan spirit, it was also an ideal place to chat with USC alumni about possible jobs following graduation. More than that, there was opportunity to speak with the dean and other administrators about school related issues and topics regarding future planning.

Get prepared to attend the tailgates....have your contact information handy and networking hats ready to wear! You know what they say..." It's all about who you know ..."

My Bittersweet Weekend

Our Homecoming weekend was absoulutely awesome....Full of Trojan spirit....and sleepless nights as I try to prepare for finals. Balancing finals, internship, process recordings, my RA position, and caucus responsibilities has left me completely tired this weekend. Take some advice plan ahead and finish all your process recordings early to avoid the pain I'm going through. : )

COPE (Creating Opportunities for Positive Experiences)

At one of my internship school sites, my colleague and I have developed a prevention program for elementary school aged children named COPE (Creating Opportunities for Positive Experiences). Each Monday, we visit K-5 grade classrooms and present on different topics that will help to build resiliency among these children. Some of the topics in include "Knowing the Self", "Emotional Intelligence", and of course "Peer Relationships." After long hours of work on the 10-week curriculum, we are proud to say that during our first session last week, the children were extremely receptive and elated about participating in the COPE program as evidence of them engaging and asking in-depth questions. Upon exiting one of the third grade classrooms, a student yelled, "Ms. Cope, I have one more question." She quickly corrected herself, and stated my actual name. I assume the point was well communicated about the meaning of "COPE", so much that one student unconsciously thought to call me "Ms. Cope."

Who knows...the COPE curriculum may become this mass production for prevention work with elementary students across the world...Copyrights to be established. What a graduate education at the USC School of Social Work can do for you! Explore your options, be creative, and serve!

Feeling Tired...Wearing many different hats

Tired ain't the word...I AM EXAUSTED! Just as soon as I completed hours of work on my midterms, I am getting more tired from thinking about all I have to do to get through finals. Not only that, I have to spend all weekend helping my 7 year-old finish his first science project for school. And let me not forget to take my husband's clothes to the cleaners, clean the house, do the laundry, and shop for groceries. Does anyone want to make a donation to help me pay for a trip to the spa? :-) Or, any other stress reduction techniques in mind? Oh yea, I suppose I can take a walk on the beach and do some deep breathing exercises. I think I'll go to the gym and jog off my feelings of anxiety and fatigue. Oh, I know of a really cheap way of reducing some of my stress...SLEEP. Yea, that should do it. I'll sleep in tomorrow morning and be sure to be in bed by 10pm tomorrow night.

Being a graduate student, mom, and wife takes a lot of endurance, strength, and determination! But, there are ways to cope with wearing all of these hats- you just have to take the student hat off temporarily and place it back on when it's time to study, write papers, attend classes, and associate among you school peers, professors, and at internship. In turn, it is important not to forget that your other hats in life cannot be removed, not even temporarily.

The principle of self-care is significant for all people, especially as a social work graduate student. Use it!

Diary of a Social Work Student- mother, wife, etc.

About grades... I WANT ALL "As"

Why are people still trying to convince me that grades aren’t all that important in graduate school unless you plan to get a Ph.D.? Regardless of my plan to get a Ph.D. ONE DAY, I still think it is essential to get the best grades possible in all of my classes. The reason(s) why I believe grades are important is because they represent (1) HOW WELL YOU HAVE MASTERED THE MATERIAL, and demonstrate (2) YOUR EFFORT, as well as (3) BOOST YOUR CONFINDENCE AND RAISE YOUR SENSE OF SELF-EFFICACY.

One may argue that giving letter grades are rather objective. However, there are no other methods of evaluating our work. I do not believe that there is a correlation between grades and the number of job offers you get post graduate school, nor do I agree that grades tell the "whole story." We as students stand for so much more than a GPA, but does it not feel good to graduate with honors and have a star next to your name in the graduation program, or wear that special gold cord around you neck. The message is...WORK TO YOUR GREATEST POTENTIONAL...and do not settle for anything less.

Being a graduate student is really about mastering the course material and a getting the best grades is one way to show proof that you have done so. In order to get all As, you must ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS, ADVOCATE for yourself, and READ!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, that means that there ain't much partying going on either. Just a tip or two about how to get As in graduate school. How do you feel about grades?

-Social Work Diary "Nerd" ;-)

"You think you know...But you have no idea:" Diary of a USC Social Work Student

Becoming a social work student at the USC School of Social Work is one of the most valuable experiences I've had in life thus far. Not only have I learned much about the world of social work, I have also acquired more knowledge about myself and the world in which we live!

Growing up in a society where inequality and injustices roamed about my presence, I have witnessed first hand what a poor education system looks like; the characteristics of community violence and it's aftermath; and issues having to do with family, abuse, welfare, teenage pregnancy, and so forth. In fact, I was one of few who weathered the storm and prevailed. As a teenage mom, I quickly learned to seek out my resources, both internal and external, as a means of survival. As a result, I was able to overcome the many challenges, believe in myself, and develop a more clear understanding of my life goals. Thus, I went on to graduate from USC with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology, with honors.

After gaining support from peer group, colleagues, family, and from MYSELF, I realized that I needed to further my education to accomplish my goals. My personal life and professional experience in the field of education, social work, and higher education lead me to learn of my passion for social work. Here I am...pursing my life dream. And you've noticed one thing in common through out this brief history of my recent years of life- I AM WHERE I AM TODAY BECAUSE SOMEONE SUPPORTED ME WITH THE INTENTION FOR ME TO HELP MYSELF. In turn, I must reach out to many more that wait for a helping hand so that they can believe and acknowledge their ability to assist themselves.

Being a part-time social work student here at USC has provided me with the tools necessary for implementing quality, clinical social work practice. I am currently in my third and final year pursuing excellence in the area of school social work. I have therefore chosen to be in the mental health concentration while obtaining a Pupil Personnel Services Credential (PPSC), which is required to do social work in schools.

To learn more about my passion for social work and what it is like to be a social work student here at USC, I invite you to post a question, comment, or concern!

-Social Work Diary

computer meltdowns and such

it's amazing how much we become dependent on material possessions. Sometimes I would like to reject it all and move to Montana (or maybe I can just start living in my (hopeful) simple living intentional community, now!) My laptop had a meltdown...just as I was starting it to finish a paper...DUE THAT DAY! How much did I hate myself at that moment? After long hours of trying to fix it, I gave up and bought a new hard drive. Lucky for me it started one more time so I could back up my data. Word to the wise: Back up data.

Classes are finally starting to slow down long enough for me to s*@!, shower, and sleep. Man do I feel better. Seriously, there was a three or four day period when I definitely didn't shower and was running off an IV drip of coffee. Good thing I work in Downtown/Skid Row...where they don't care what I smell or look like.

Election day: I'm afraid to watch tv in fear that it would confirm that we still have a Republican Governor (referred by Fertig as our "Governator") and all the Props did not go the way I hoped. Young women would lose rights, the tax payer lobbyists have won, I would still have to watch lying political propaganda on tv (and thus, continually be reminded of how much we believe the lies we see on tv...damn those lying tax lobbyists.) Ok...really though, I should not gripe since I really don't know if this is the case. Hope...hope...remember to hope.

Economics huh?

Okay....So I already have to register for my Spring semester courses. Never did I imagine that I would be having to choose between Economics and Cross Sectoral Government. I mean really, who takes those courses....well I guess I do. Ah, the world of public administration is quite interesting isn't it. In addition to dealing with the selection of courses I am starting to suffer from feelings of grief and loss. Lets just say that as much as midterms and finals are super challenging I ultimately don't want to leave graduate school yet.

Erica's Report on the Latino/a Social Work Caucus Halloween Party:

Our Caucus hosted what I can only describe as an awesome Halloween Party on October 26, 2006. We had an awesome turn out and it gave us social work students the opportunity to relax a little bit after a couple of weeks of demanding midterms. The costumes were creative and colorful, the music was good, and the people were awesome. I must say we study hard, but we can definitely put together a good party. Our annual Halloween Party fundraiser was a hit!

Okay All,

I will be totally honest my life as a graduate student lately has been a little hectic. Due to my dual degree I have weekend intensive courses. Don't get me wrong its great going to a class only three times a semester, but having three days straight of Finance and Budgeting is challenging. However, I am now able to understand and create budgets for public sector agencies : ). My finance class is officially over and I am happy to announce that I survived the course.

Repost from Esteban's page

Sunday, October 22, 2006

My Introduction

I am Esteban Juarez, 24, and I am a full time student in the Master of Social Work program at the University of Southern California. I have a Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Services from the California State University of Fullerton (2005). I was born and raised in Orange, California. I am a first generation American of Mexican descent. I am the product of two immigrant parents from Mexico. Currently, I am completing my second year concentration courses and I have declared my concentration specialty as Family and Children. With a master’s degree in social work, I want to establish a professional career treating at risk youth and their families. I am particularly passionate about this population as it relates to my own personal experiences. As a professional social worker, I want to empower at risk teens to make good decisions. In particular, I want to work with minority parents so they can better understand the American culture and appreciate the importance of structure and discipline to guide their children to achieve their goals. It was understood and expected by my parents that we obey and do right; however, structure was not enforced! My parents worked long hours and they were not available or accessible. This factor creates a lack of supervision and structure; therefore, I desire to educate Latino teenagers how to develop and practice self control and self discipline. Because I consider myself culturally sensitive and linguistically able to relate and interact with the Latino community, my goal is to show and teach my community through example. I am one of many ethnic- specific students emerging with a professional degree with the intent to go back to my community to empower my people. I have found my calling: helping others in need! Therefore, I pursue an advanced degree in the helping profession. As a professional social worker, I anticipate a fulfilling career helping others help themselves. While in the social work program, I have set a personal goal for myself. I am going to make the most of every opportunity that is presented to me. As an illustration, I am fortunate to have been elected by my peers to serve as the student representative from Orange County on the school’s student organization/government for academic year 2006-2007. I serve as the student leader for over 120 students on the Orange County campus. Within my professional organization (National Association of Social Workers), as a student member, I have been selected by the National Committee on Leadership to be one part of the Child Welfare Committee for NASW.

posted by Esteban at 7:30 PM 0 comments

Recovery

again...avoiding work...just kidding, just taking a break. Amazingly, my brain did not die from midterms. Although I have to say I felt like it came quite close before my macro practice exam. The brain cells just refused to fire, and I definitely had some encoding issues. It's amazing how quickly we recover (cheers to the plasticity of the brain!) and now I am concurrently working on a law paper and my research paper...WOW. Who's going to give me a cookie...actually I just need coffee. Hello, my name is Theresa and I'm an ADDICT. I had the first free weekend in what seems like forever and I'm not even sure now what I did...and I definitely am having a difficult time getting back into the game. Honestly all I want to do right now is read for pleasure (Prof. Fertig recommends The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama...Barack Obama for President...I'm sold!) - and maybe hike. I hear the Santa Monica mountains are amazing, and if I can squeeze in a couple hours of hiking, I will be a very happy girl. ok... :-( Back to work.

Repost from her page: About Erica

Hey All, Allow me to introduce myself...... name is Erica Lizano, I'm 23, and I am a second year full-time dual degree MSW / MPA student at USC's School of Social Work & USC's School of Policy, Planning, and Development. What does that all mean? I'm concurrently working on two master's degrees in Social Work and Public Administration. I am also the Mentorship Program Coordinator for the USC's School of Social Work Latino/a Social Work Caucus. I completed my undergraduate studies in Sociology (which is a passion of mine!), and a minor in human services at Cal State Fullerton (Go TITANS!!!!, sorry I must stay true to my roots). I decided to pursue graduate degrees in Social Work and Public Administration because I have a passion for cause advocacy and social justice. Ultimately, I would like to become involved in the development and administration of public social service programs and/or agencies. That's a lot about myself as a student....as a person....I love humor (Will Farrel & Vince Vaughn are my favorites), I am very outspoken (some would say I border on being loud), and I love art (creating it & appreciating art created by others).

Hey everyone, USC is expanding technologically...I'm sitting in Social Work and Law and probably should be paying attention because it's interesting (learning about Family law) but here I am on this blog...Classes rock this semester! Ok, so I hope this worked and I will certainly use it as a way to inform everyone about all the awesome things that us Social Work students are doing. Peace out!
-Theresa