Emma Spellman Personal Statement I have always enjoyed being a ...

Emma Spellman
Personal Statement
I have always enjoyed being a student. I liked every subject, but I loved none. I
excelled in high school and was accepted to New York University as a freshman. NYU
was appealing to me because it was a very large, metropolitan university. I knew I
wanted to go to college but like most seventeen year olds, I had no idea what I wanted
my eventual career to be, and therefore, could not decide what I wanted to commit to
studying for the next four years. I thought that going to a large university would allow
me the opportunity to explore several different cultures and subject matters—permitting
me to find a field that I could feel passionate about. I took courses in nearly every
department, from chemistry and calculus to international relations and French poetry.
Eventually, I settled into the political science major because the deliberative atmosphere
of most political science classes was more stimulating to me than classes in other
departments. Without any real enthusiasm or motivation other than being done with my
bachelor’s degree, I drifted through two years of school at NYU.
My life drastically changed one night while I was sitting in my dorm room
working on a research paper. I got a call from my younger brother who was 3000 miles
away in California. As soon as I picked up the phone I could tell he was frightened and
hysterical. Through his frantic tears he told me that he was afraid for his life and
articulated to me the plots he had heard—he believed people were trying to kill him.
Calls like these started to become more and more frequent as his soon to be diagnosed
schizophrenia began to present itself. With two parents who were always at work and

never at home when my brother needed them, I became his primary source of support.
As time went on, nothing seemed to improve and I felt it was necessary to move closer to
home in case there was an emergency, so I transferred to UC Davis the following fall
semester. With so much chaos going on in my family and my mind filled with concern
for a loved one’s mental and physical well being, I found it difficult to place any real
importance on learning about things like the political structure and bureaucratical policies
of developing countries. My grades began to suffer and I realized I needed to change my
career ambitions. I did some research about other majors offered at UC Davis, but none
of them excited me.
When my brother first became sick I did everything possible to learn about mental
illness, and schizophrenia in particular. I wanted to know the basics of the disease,
treatments, long-term prospects for those who have it, and perhaps most importantly, to
find support for my brother, the rest of my family, and myself. To my surprise, there
were very few resources available other than clinical definitions and lists of medications.
I found it irritating that there were more than enough resources available for patients
struggling with heart disease, diabetes, and obesity just in my county of Santa Cruz, but
only one small organization to give free support and answers about issues surrounding
mental illness. Out of my frustration at not finding suitable and sufficient support grew
passion and motivation. As hard as it was for me to find help, support, information and
resources, I can only imagine how difficult a situation like this would be for someone
without the education and financial means that I had at my disposal. Since mental illness
does not discriminate across socioeconomic groups, neither should the availability of care
and treatment for it. The stigma of mental illness was immediately apparent to me and I

knew that eventually I would like to be a part of an organization to help correct that.
Recently, I recognized that I need a career where I can do something beneficial
for society and make a positive impact on people in a face-to-face manner. My future
ambitions are to run a non-profit agency that gives free counseling and medical mental
health care for those who cannot afford it, and to provide support and education for
friends and family members who have loved ones suffering from mental illnesses. I
would also like to promote public education that could ultimately help bring an end to the
stigma and fear of mental illness brought on by a lack of accessible and credible
information.
I was first drawn to CSUMB because of its future nursing program, but then I
stumbled upon the Collaborative Health an Human Services major and felt like it was a
perfect fit. The fact that this major combines both the practice of administering health
care policy and also the human services aspect of how to help people on an individual
basis really appeals to me. As I began to read more about the program I was impressed
with the emphasis placed on field placement experience. In the competitive job market
that we face currently, having relevant work experience is a tremendous benefit. I feel
that this is an aspect of teaching that most universities overlook, but it seems to me that
without actually having been out in the world putting learned theories to use, the
education is incomplete.
Although having a family member with any severe mental illness is a huge burden
and a constant source of stress, I am grateful that this experience has given me the
dedication that I needed to find a way that I can make a positive impact on society. After

I complete my CHHS degree, I hope to attend graduate school in pursuit of a Masters of
Public Health degree. Even though at the moment I may be unsure of the best way to
reach my goals, I am confident that the education and experience that I receive at
CSUMB will guide me on the path I need to take to fulfill my personal expectations.