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Joanna Burgos
CED 250
Self-Exploration Paper
Identifying My Strengths
I was never the loud mouth or the goofball of the class. Most of the time I was quiet and
if chosen to answer a question then I would respond. Growing up, to me, was not always about
showing off to see who the coolest person in my class but to show off that I was the smartest. I
always had the best grades because my mother showed me that in order to be different, I had to
be smart. High school nowadays is all about fashion and who can get the most numbers. In all
four years, my friends would try and copy me or ask me for help on their homework, which I did
not mind. My mother told me that when I was little, she would take me to the park and instead of
enjoying the swings or the slide, I would be making sure other kids would not get hurt. Since I
have always been the only child, I have never really experienced having someone the same age
as me close to me. I never had to take care of another human being unless I was sometimes
babysitting my cousins. Helping others and giving advice really showed me who I really wanted
to be growing up.
In high school I thought I wanted to be a lawyer. I would change my mind from SWAT
to detective until I was pressured to major in something where it would have me set financially
for the rest of my life. I went into college believing that it was all going to be as easy as pie but
that was not the truth. It was not easy because I was not interested in any of the classes I was
taking, until now. I knew it was important for me to figure out what I wanted to be so I spoke
with an advisor. I told her that I loved children, I enjoyed giving advice, and that I was a great

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listener. She guided me towards Social Work. When I read more into it I was fascinated. It fit my
description exactly. I had to make a decision if this was really what I wanted to do the rest of my
life but then I made some goals for myself. Social Workers do not make as much money as
lawyers but that does not mean by working hard it will not get you there. I plan to start as a
Social Worker and then move my way up someway and somehow.
Giving advice to my friends started when I was in high school. I was a part of a program
called Be A Leader and that inspired me to do some research on my own. Of course, I did not
know it all which is why I made some mistakes going into college. I did learn from them which
is why I want to encourage high school students to guide them on the right path. Honestly, Be A
Leader has made amazing progress with students that they start giving out advice on elementary
students. A program like this is what inspires me to hopefully in the near future create. My long
life dream is to have a program like this where I not only help high school students with guiding
them into college but also out of rough neighborhoods. I want to create futures for troubled teens
and hopefully help them find their wings. My location for my program would be in Chicago. I
am hoping to finish getting my masters at Arizona State University then from there move to
Chicago and receive my license.
There are so many organizations and programs that Arizona State has to offer but the
problem is I have not researched any. The reason being that I will be turning into an online
student, if I can, and including working a full-time job. I feel as though it will be hard to try and
squeeze in a club but I am hoping to get all my prerequisites out of the way. Starting in middle
school, I was in clubs where I would do so many community service hours. I would also be a
part of programs where I was in charge but entering college I dropped everything. I felt as
though I was so successful in high school than in college because in college I do not partake in

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any activities. I thought that if I took a break from having to be in charge of other students and
having to stress over creating events for school then it would do no harm. The problem now is
that I have let it go so long that I do not know how to feel wanted anymore. I miss being in
charge and telling people what do to, which is one of my favorite things in the world.
In conclusion, in order to stand out, you need to be involved. That is one of my number
one goals on my list because I do want to be somebody in life. I want to be well-known around
the university and to be respected. Maybe it will not happen all of a sudden so it is going to take
some time and patience. I plan to finish my last two years with a bang. I thank my mother for
always pushing me to go the extra mile and it has definitely paid off. Also, I want to thank my
advisor from the program I was in in high school. It is called the Phoenix Police Explorers and it
truly uncovered who I truly was. I never thought I would be a Commander of more than 60
Explorers but I did and I have never been more proud of myself. I know that I will have someone
be there for me every step of the way. Whether an advisor, police officer, or my mother, it will
not matter because they all have shown me leadership, accountability, and respect.