MY CALLING

My calling to help others has lead me into an education concentrating on Human Services, Psychology, and Criminal Justice. When I started attending school, I hadn’t narrowed down what field I really wanted to focus on. The following two tables will show what classes I have taken as required for core classes as well as major specific classes. I have highlighted, in yellow, the top five most influential classes that have inspired me in one way or another.

CORE CLASSES Lecture Project Discussion Field Work Experimentation Research
Senior Seminar x
The Ancient World x
Intro to Literature of the New Testament x
Spanish I x
Statistics for Social Sciences x
Lifetime Fitness and Wellness x
Music Appreciation x
National Government x
Survey of Math w/ Applications x
Analysis of Text x
New Student Seminar x
Environmental Science x
Development of Civilization x
Intro to Speech Communication x
Business Math x
Composition I x

MAJOR Lecture Project Discussion Field Work Experimentation Research
Personality Theory and Assessment x
Women and Crime x
Intro to Philosophy x
Techniques of Individual and Group Counseling x
Psychology and Religion x
Human Sexuality x
Internship x
Counseling Theories x
Human Development x
Addictive Behaviors x
Abnormal Psychology x
Intro to Human Services x
Psychology
Intro to Sociology x
Gangs of America x
Ancient Arts x
Intro to Sociology x

The very first semester I attended DMACC, I took Psychology. It sounded like a more difficult class, and I wasn’t sure I’d like it at all, but once I began the class, I found a new love. I realized that Psychology helped to make sense of all the different reasons people act the way they do, think the way they do, and feel the way they do- all from an internal perspective. That very first Psychology class literally opened the door and pushed me through, on my way to a more precise idea of how I would help others. It just made sense to me. It clicked. Ideas and concepts that I’d never heard before just made sense. As a result, I took every Psychology class I could get into, which lead me towards a major in the field. Abnormal Psychology was the next Psychology class I enrolled in. It helped me to realize that some people aren’t “criminal,” “insane,” “stupid,” or so many other negative labels that society puts on people. Some people are truly, truly, ill. They may look healthy, but inside may be a daily nightmare for these people. An array of constant confusion, compulsivity effecting everyday life, suicidal thoughts or tendencies, hallucinations, or even addiction. I learned that addiction itself may arise as a result of mental illness, or it may be the other way around altogether. Addiction can also lead to mental illness. This class gave me the insight that I needed to decide to go into the field of chemical dependency. From that point, I then enrolled in Addictive Behaviors. I wanted to know more. I knew a lot of first hand knowledge from growing up around addiction, but I soon learned that everything I thought wasn’t correct. This is the class that brought me, personally, to my knees. I was always aware of addiction, and I have always been dead set against “getting addicted.” What I learned in this class is that anything, and I do mean anything, can become an addiction. I realized that mine had become money, and I didn’t know how to change it. Money is everywhere, everyone needs it, everyone wants it, and it’s accepted by society. I had learning and soul searching to do before I could help anyone. I even had second thoughts about my major, until the professor told her story. She’d come from different, but similar circumstances, and step by step described how she’d become a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW), and what those credentials allow you to do. It was then I decided that was my ultimate goal. To achieve those credentials, which are two years beyond a Master’s Degree, and open a facility to help troubled teens. My next semester, I signed up for my internship at United Community Services (UCS), a local Methadone clinic and drug treatment facility. It was unpaid, and a lot of hours, but during those hours I met so many good people and learned so much. Before my internship, I didn’t know much about Methadone, or the benefits it provided. It was just another drug that had a bad reputation in society. I watched people come in off the streets desperate for a better way, a way free of dirty needles and expensive habits, and I witnessed some of those people as they began to become happy, healthy, productive members of society again. One young girl stands out to me above all the rest, she came in pregnant and addicted to opioids. She’d heard a rumor that she shouldn’t stop because it could hurt the baby (which it could). She learned that Methadone is a safe option for pregnant mothers because the drug doesn’t pass to the baby. The change I saw in her over the next six months was like night and day. She, single handedly, without ever knowing, re-affirmed my calling for me. She, by the way, delivered a beautiful, healthy, baby girl……and got to take her home with her. The last class that I highlighted was Introduction to Literature of the New Testament. This class was just a requirement, otherwise I would probably never have taken it. After I started the class, however, I was glad that I did. I found it curious that a pastor actually taught the class, but not at all from a pastor’s perspective. Although I grew up Christian, I learned a lot in this class. I learned what was going on in the world at that time, how the New Testament came to be, and why some scrolls weren’t included. I must say, it actually made me question my faith at times, because I learned that a lot of what I had been taught growing up, was inaccurate. My faith was re-affirmed however oddly, by a conversation that we had in class one night, a conversation that pushed me toward my calling once again. I don’t remember how it went, but it almost felt to me like a message directed toward me, from somewhere other than the professor. What I have learned over the years, is that I learn best in small classes. I also learn better when it’s something of personal interest to me, such as Psychology. With that said though, all the lectures that I’ve taken, where I could take notes, read material, and take tests, I’ve done well in. For example, when I can see it, hear it, and write it, simultaneously, I feel I grasp the information better. Since I’ve gone entirely electronic, I think it’s actually become harder to take accurate notes and absorb it well. In conclusion, what this paper has shown me, is once again to follow the road I’m on. I have a calling.