Stephanie Chavez
Masters of Science in Psychology
Statement of Purpose

During my adolescent years, I watched my little sister struggle with her sexual identity. I knew my sister was going to be unlike other children and I found myself constantly analyzing her behaviors and exploring why she did not see herself as we saw her. As my sister went through her school years, her struggles with her counterparts became more apparent. She became isolated, depressed and exhibited suicidal behaviors. As my sister matured into a young woman, I was intrigued as to why her view of herself versus society’s expectations of her as a woman would impact her life in such a manner that would lead her to want to have a sexual reassignment surgery. Through my sister’s identity crisis, I found a passion for psychology. I wanted to better understand the dynamic between people and how those interactions affect our lives, personalities and decisions. I asked myself every day, how was my sister going to cope today? Ultimately, I decided that I wanted to find a way to helped those who struggled to find peace and comfort in their lives. My research into the field of psychology started during my freshman year of college and, before long, psychological and social theories had become an integral part of my life.
What is particularly interesting to me about pursuing a career in the scientific field of psychology is the potential to use my education along with my life experiences in determining how to serve others in need. My first adventure into the psychology realm was at a Methadone clinic. As a substance abuse counselor, I was responsible for delivering services to individuals with substance abuse disorders. I administered clinical services including intake assessment and treatment planning. Being exposed to a diversity of client problems and having to make the correct diagnosis for each individual posed a challenge. I knew, however, that expanding my educational background would only cultivate my research and analytical skills.
I believe that my diverse background affords me a unique understanding and empathy for the problems of many young people. I have a deep understanding of different types of discrimination one may face as well as the challenges one must overcome to strive past obstacles. I am hoping to work with individuals of different ethnic backgrounds in order to understand the challenges of how culture affects our way of life along with our family values. I utilized these skills during the difficult times of my own childhood and I would like to extend help to individuals and their families presented with similar situations as mine.
My ambition has always been to pursue the field of psychology and I feel that I am now faithfully dedicating myself to an extended period of learning. My desire for learning is far greater than it was when I left school and I believe that my diligence and drive will ensure I am immediately successful as I take the steps to pursue my dreams.
My past employment has taught me many valuable survival skills, including interacting with people in diverse environments, handling unpredictable behavior and diffusing threatening situations. I feel my work experience as a General Manager of a multi-million dollar hotel also taught me valuable skills in dealing with the community, coworkers, and helped mold me into a proven leader. My empathy and intense personal interest towards improving my hotel enabled me to remain committed and positive as I developed a mindset of “serving others”. In gaining this quality, I know working in a people-centric discipline such as psychology will prove to be a rewarding experience.
Although the hospitality industry became second nature to me, I find teamwork to be a strongpoint of mine due to my sports background. I developed an understanding of the type of role I must take on in order for my team to be successful. Every person had a part to play, and if one person did not show up to play for the day, we all would suffer. Everyone needs to be involved and work properly for the rest of the team to advance. I enjoyed having my team depend on me and this enabled me to become the responsible and reliable individual I am today. With many successes in my sport also came failures. In the end, the most rewarding aspect of the game was watching our weakest players practice hard day to day, and sweat out all of their emotions on the court. The payoff would come not only on the court with a win but most importantly off the court with an increased ability to want to succeed in life. Sports played a significant role on all of our individual psyches. My endurance in difficult times and my willingness to persevere in the face of adversity makes me the determined person I am today.
My favorite social activity with family is dedicating our time to working together on community projects. Recently, I assisted my mother who bicycled 60 miles for the Ride to Recovery. Our efforts supported wounded warrior’s rehabilitation by purchasing cycling equipment to provide therapy to help the veterans recover and survive from their injuries. I hope our efforts will make a difference in such simple ways that will better our local communities so that we may make a difference in a person’s life. In my free time I enjoy a relaxing day at the movie theatres and taking my children to the park.
“All that is really necessary for survival of the fittest, it seems, is an interest in life, good, bad or peculiar.” Grace Paley quotes (American Writer, b.1922). I am confident and capable that I can handle the challenges that come with gaining a degree at your distinguished university. I believe that my life experiences have made me into a passionate person and I know I can make a difference in the field if given the chance. Moreover, I feel that my personal experiences has given me an avenue to success and have made me ready to put 100% of my commitment toward achieving my goal of becoming a Psychologist. I want to discover the answers, understand human behavior, and most importantly, envelop myself in every facet of information available to me.