Hammoud 1

Admissions Statement
Social work is undoubtedly my passion. It may not be the most financially rewarding
career, but it is rewarding in many other ways. There is a sense of gratification I get from helping
people meet their needs and making a difference in their lives. Much like my fellow social work
classmates, I have had my fair share of obstacles and people trying to convince me of a career
change. This has only pushed me harder to succeed and go all the way with my education. I have
my heart set on this field and Wayne State University as the school that would help me fulfill my
purpose. Social work is a field that I know in twenty years from now, I will still wake up happy
to go to work. I am currently in my second year of the Bachelors in Social Work program and I
have loved every minute of it. Everything I have learned in class has been valuable and
applicable information. I cannot imagine having chosen any other field.
What ultimately led me to pursue social work was my epileptic mentally challenged
brother, Maher. He has been in and out of hospitals his entire life, and since I am his younger
sister, his care is all that I have ever known. Maher has seen his fair share of social workers over
the years and I have always been paying close attention to the different ways they have cared for
him. I have come to learn what makes a good social worker and the many ways they make a
difference in someones life. One social worker in particular, Josh at the Guidance Center, was a
perfect example of what characteristics a social worker should possess. I am a strong believer in
empathy over sympathy and I always appreciated the way Josh would comfort us during the
tough times without any pity. Josh constantly put himself in my position and told me exactly
what I needed to hear in that moment. Through my observations over the years, I have gathered a
general idea of the type of social worker I wish to be. I constantly strive to live up to the
standards established by the incredible social workers I have encountered in my life.

Hammoud 2
Aside from my impeccable sense of humor, my biggest strength is my sense of empathy. I
view life through an empathetic lens and it often enhances my ability to relate to and connect
with people. I believe that along with kindness, empathy is the major lacking factor in world
relations today. There is very little tolerance and understanding of other races. Social workers
learn to put their biases aside and respect other ideas no matter what they are. That has always
been my practice in life. It is much easier for me to accept someone elses flaws and differences
than it is to become fixated on them. The NASW Code of Ethics states that social workers should
be sensitive to clients cultures. Being a Muslim woman in America, I have been exposed to a lot
of discrimination. Due to September 11, it is understandable why many Americans are not
comfortable around Muslims or anything foreign for that matter. However, it does not justify the
hate crimes and discrimination. Wearing a hijab makes me an easy target for prejudice and I find
myself constantly needing to defend my religious practices and myself. I understand how it feels
to be on the other end of judgement, and I would not wish that on anyone. I have learned from
my life experiences as a minority in America. This has led me to constantly put biases aside and
treat everyone with dignity and respect. For this reason, Wayne State Universitys cultural
melting pot has been a blessing.
I have been a Wayne State student for four years now and they have been the best four
years of my life. I cannot say enough good things about Wayne State. There are no words to
explain how grateful I am to this University for helping me find myself. My great grandfather
fought for the United States Army in 1918 and went on to open a grocery store in Detroit in
1920. His son, my grandfather, worked for Sanders Chocolatier in 1976. Many of my family
members worked for the Ford Motor Company and although we live in Dearborn, we are very
much a family devoted to Detroit. I also know the weight that a degree from Wayne State carries.

Hammoud 3
Wayne State has always seemed like the perfect balance of premium education and a city life
experience. I read a lot about urban cities and I have taken some courses that discussed Detroits
history in detail. I know as much about the city as a Metro-Detroiter can possibly know. Detroit
has risen from the ashes more times than the history books would mention and its citizens have
been just as resilient. I hope to do everything in my power to make a difference in the lives of the
citizens of Detroit that have experienced it all.
Prior to starting the BSW program, I had very little idea about what my focus was going
to be. I just knew that the population I had the least chemistry with, were children. I went on a
whim and listed Bridging Communities in Southwest Detroit as a first choice for my field
placement. This turned out to be the greatest impulsive decision I have ever made. Bridging
Communities is a non-profit geared toward senior citizens living in the southwest Detroit area
over the age of sixty-five. We provide many services that help improve the lives of our clients.
Through my field placement, I discovered a new appreciation for gerontology as well as the
Southwest Detroit community. Recently, a field liaison visited my placement and mentioned that
internships often lead to job offers. This made me think of my future in social work and decided
that it is time to stop second-guessing and finally decide on a concentration. I have decided to
focus all of my attention on eldercare to insure that the elderlys time spent on this earth is with
full dignity intact. There is a lot of underlying elder abuse occurring in the world and I would
very much like to be an advocate and speak up against this injustice. I hope to use any macrobased social work knowledge I gain to address this social problem.
I have always been a fulltime student that worked part-time. My reasons for leaving any
job were either that work hours did not coincide with my school hours or that I moved on to a
superior job. I understand the financial strain that graduate school entails. With the help of my

Hammoud 4
generous parents and student loans, I will be able to finance myself through graduate school. I
have been fortunate enough to avoid student loans thus far and intend to complete my
undergraduate degree free of debt. Since I do not plan on working during the ten months of the
Masters program, I will be able to direct all of my attention towards my studies. This will
certainly help me cope with the demands of graduate school. In addition, seeing as how Wayne
State is where I find peace of mind, I know that I will mentally always be in a good place during
my time in the program.