Albania is located in Southeastern Europe on the Balkan Peninsula. The beautiful city of Tirana is its capital, as well as the city I was born in. Albania has a population of approximately 2.8 million people, with the vast majority being ethnically Albanian. I was born and raised in Albania, and by the time I was eight years old, my family and I migrated to the United States. As an eight-year old at the time, I knew too much about the lives of the adults around me, more than I should have. I knew about my family’s financial issues, I knew my father’s unhealthy coping habits, and I knew the high levels of stress my mother experienced. In Tirana, my family owned a grocery store that was loved by all. My mother worked at a kindergarten as a teacher, while my father and grandmother worked at our store. Unfortunately, despite both of my parents having a successful job, the incomes were not enough to support our family, especially when my younger brother was born. I was five years old, and the pressure on my parents grew as they had to provide for two children. Our country was experiencing issues that contributed to financial instability amongst all Albanians. As a result, my father’s approach to our financial issues was drinking. He was unable to attend to the store, which left me, a seven-year old girl, helping and cashing customers out. Being a second grader, I was faced with a plethora of responsibilities that my friends did not have, like helping to take care of my baby brother and learning to cook dinner. Amidst all this, I found the joy of helping and compassion, knowing I was supporting my family in ways that I could. In 2014, my family won the Diversity Visa Lottery and migrated to America, hoping everything would improve. However, settling in the United States was yet another hardship we faced. I solely took on the role of caretaker for my brother, continuing to complete chores and cook for my exhausted parents. I developed a sense of determination, feeling persistent to do the best I could for my family who sacrificed everything for my brother and I. Although I didn’t know it then, these experiences ignited my desire to make a difference. Growing up in such a different country than my birthplace, I discovered that the world encounters a myriad more adversities than the ones I faced. America has a population of approximately 345 million people, composed of those of European descent, African Americans, Hispanics or Latinx, Asian Americans, and Native Americans. I discovered diversity, a phenomenon that was not familiar to me before as I met individuals who reflected a tapestry of identities and cultures. During my childhood, I witnessed individuals struggling to make ends meet, children deprived of education, and communities torn apart by inequality. I immersed myself in volunteer work, such as at shelters and tutoring children. With each interaction, I gained a deeper understanding of the issues in my new country. My interactions with diverse communities left an indelible mark on me as they taught me the importance of inclusivity, respect, and social justice, deepening my desire to become a social worker. I yearn to pursue a professional degree in social work. My journey has been shaped by the challenges I've faced within my own family. Navigating through difficult circumstances has instilled in me a profound sense of empathy and resilience. I am driven by the belief that every person deserves access to resources, opportunities, and support systems that enable them to lead fulfilling lives.

It takes a quite amount of time for individuals to discover their purpose or passion in life. Some struggle tremendously and others don't attempt to seek it. Meanwhile, I have known my passion ever since I was at a young age. My purpose in life is to help. Even if I could solely help one person, I would have fulfilled my purpose. However, I would never want to stop there. My only passion in life is to be a guide and source of assistance for individuals. This passion was ignited with my volunteer experiences as I have tried to give back to my community in all the ways that I possibly could. A volunteer experience that I was part of was the “Bridge to Success” outreach program. With this organization, I reached out to copious communities for the 2020 Census. As we organized events, we targeted communities with low completion percentages in order to benefit them. They had low completion percentages because of several reasons ranging from disabilities to financial and economic state. Nonetheless, our program strived to place Waterbury at the top of Connecticut cities based on participation. Due to this program, I was able to earn a new experience and collaborate with many empowered people. Most importantly, I also recognized the pleasure within myself as I helped these communities. After this, I began searching for more opportunities that would allow me to pursue my desire. I found the Waterbury Youth Services organization which did exactly that. I, along with my coworkers, worked together to develop design plans for neglected areas in Waterbury in which mostly people of lived. Our main goal was to beautify these areas and homes; I began doing this by gathering the garbage surrounding the roads, houses, and backyards. Then, I painted and renovated the outside of each home in the neighborhood. Another one of my tasks involved me making the residents' front yard attractive- I planted flowers and mulched the entire area. I also added small rocks and other items to finalize yard. Although these acts may seem minor, they were very significant to the individuals' life. The residents deeply appreciated my work, leading to me feeling happiness and the sense of pleasurement yet again. These experiences played a salient role in the determination of my future. They convinced me of my passion, hence the reason why I have decided to become a social worker. As I will be furthering my education in a Master's degree of social work with an additional licensure, I will always give back to all communities and make a change in someone's life. My choice of education will open copious doors for me to reach and help to as many individuals as I can, which is my ultimate target.