USC FOOTBALL

Today I suffered my first single episode of major depression. I watched our rivals destroy out chances of playing for the national championship. Before the game even started I had a bad feeling that we were going to lose, but I still had hope that we would pull it out. Since our lost I have not been able to watch any type of sports shows. This loss hit me real hard and I think I feel a lot worst now, then our loss with the Texas Longhorns. Respect is given to these two, but I HATE THEM. After the game I went home and watched the game again to evaluate our teams faults. I am such a SC fan that after watching our homes games I will go home and see the game one last time to cherish our victory. On January 1st we will be playing the Michigan Wolverines at the Rose Bowl. This is going to be an amazing game and I hope that we are victorious because I can not live with this sadness =).

Taking care of yourself

Today I woke up at 8 a.m. and I decided to take a light jog. I ran for 3 miles and it felt so good to be back in the swing of things. It has been 2 months since my last work out. This has been real difficult for me because I used to going to the gym 3 or 4 times a week. I have not had the time and or passion to work out. Being a full time student and working 20 hours at placement, I get too tired. My body gets too worn down and all I want to do sleep. I will usually get back from a long day at school or internship, I will sit down on the couch, and watch television. Getting back in shape will be my goal during my winter break because I feel so much better when I am active. I have more energy and I am less tired after a long day of class/placement. I hope that this continues throughout the break because I will be eating a lot of junk food during my vacation.

ONE MORE TO GO........

WOW..... I have just completed my third final and I have more to go. I have to write a paper on one of my client's and identify research to support my conclusions. I will have information on treatment planning, goals, and interventions. The paper needs to be 10 to 12 pages long, which is easy but I am sooo burnt out right now. I am tired and I have not gotten a good night rest in two weeks. ITS FINALS WEEK!!! CRUNCH TIME!! I am so happy that it is almost over and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. WISH ME LUCK!!

My First Grant Proposal

I AM A BAD MAN..... I just completed my first grant proposal. I created a program that would provide resources and services to the family caregivers of Alzheimer's disease. This was probably one of the most difficult finals that I have ever written. It came out to be 22 pages that included a problem statement, gantt charts, and empirical research on my subject. It took me an entire week to complete the paper with no assistance. This was a hard class for me because I am a Families and Children Concentration student. In my specific concentration we do not speak about developing grants and proposal, we are more inclined to speak about therapy, and all its beauty. I was proud of my work and it felt GRREEAATT to complete the grant.

Driving up to UPC

I have finally decided that next semester I will not be having any 8 a.m. classes. It has been such a struggle for me to get up in the mornings and drive-up to Los Angeles. It takes me around an hour to an hour and a half to get to the University Park Campus. Do not get me wrong I have valued my experiences in Los Angeles, but it is such a struggle for me to make it on time. I have been late to class four times because of the traffic conditions in the morning. I have a few carpool buddies that I drive with, but even then it is a struggle to arrange things with them. My carpool buddies sometimes have different schedules and responsibilities, which hinder the time that we leave campus. There have been instances where I have had to wait a couple hours, until we leave campus. Therefore, I have made the conclusion that I will not have any early morning classes in University Park Campus next semester.

Choices........Stay or Go?

This weekend my cousin (a.k.a my sister Lupe) is tying the knot in Texas. I grew up with my cousin and our family's have lived together our entire lives. I really want to go, but I have too much work to do. My entire family leaves to Texas on Wednesday night and I am currently having a difficult time deciding if I should go or not. But seriously, who would miss their sisters wedding? I am undecided right now because I have a very comprehensive final due that Thursday that I get back from my "Turkey Day" vacation. The final is a group interview where the Assistant Dean, field advisor, and my professor will be present. This is a very intense final because it is a friendly competition against my classmates. The interview entails that we must develop a program that will lower the crime rates in the city of Santa Ana. My group must create a program and present our idea to the interview panel. The group that presents the best program will be awarded fake funds for its program. We are being graded on our creativity and presentation. As a group we must create brochures, powerpoint, business cards, and visual diagrams that will showcase the success of our program. It is a lot of work and it is going to take a lot of time/effort to prepare for this assignment. If I choose not to go, I hope she understands my decision, and I will have to show her my "A" when I get my grade back from my professor.

A TRUE SC FOOTBALL FAN!!

This week I had the opportunity to attend the USC vs Stanford game at the University of Stanford. It was a memorable weekend because it was my first time attending an away game. My friends and I left Southern California at around 2:30 a.m. in the morning and we arrived at Palo Alto at around 9:00 a.m. The drive was draining because I had not slept the entire night. My friends and I sang every song on his "I pod" all the way to our destination. We arrived at our hotel room and put on our SC attire to express our school pride. We dressed up in our costumes and headed straight to the tailgate. At the tailgate we mingled with other SC fans, played football with each other, and had some delicious "carne asada". We watched the entire game and waited until the Trojan Band left the stadium. It is an amazing feeling to sit and listen to our band play the USC FIGHT SONG. I do not regret attending any of the football games this season because I consider myself a true Trojan fan. It is a fun to attend the tailgates and especially the games with my fellow classmates. I have not missed a single game during my two years at USC and I do not expect to miss one this season. Future students should consider attending one football game during their stay at the university because it is a experience worth cherishing. FIGHT ON AND BEAT THE DUCKS!!!

The Real OC

I am currenlty living with my parents in the city of Garden Grove. I have had the luxury of living with my parents, since I was an undergraduate student at Cal State Fullerton. During my first year of courses I took all of my courses at the Orange County satelite campus. This campus is located in the city of Irvine and it is an amazing campus to attend. In my experiences at this campus, I am fortunate to have created such a tight bond with the students that attend this campus. I know my classmates by first name and I have met some amazing people at this campus. I have established positive relationships with students, faculty, and alumni. I am currently in my second year of graduate school and I am taking courses in both campuses. Attending both campuses has been a valuable experience for me because I have had the opportunity to interact with students/faculty in both campuses. I enjoy socializing and meeting new people that is the main reason that I decided to attend the Los Angeles campus in my second year. For those students attempting to attend satelite campuses, I encourage you to attend both campuses to have an opportunity of living the true Trojan Experience. It is an amazing experience to attend the University Park Campus because you recognize that you attend the University of Southern California. Being able to see Tommy Trojan, Coliseum, and all of the resources that lie within the campus make this an experience worth seeing. FIGHT ON AND BEAT THE CARDINALS!!

My Introduction

I am Esteban Juarez, 24, and I am a full time student in the Master of Social Work program at the University of Southern California. I have a Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Services from the California State University of Fullerton (2005). I was born and raised in Orange, California. I am a first generation American of Mexican descent. I am the product of two immigrant parents from Mexico. Currently, I am completing my second year concentration courses and I have declared my concentration specialty as Family and Children.
With a master’s degree in social work, I want to establish a professional career treating at risk youth and their families. I am particularly passionate about this population as it relates to my own personal experiences. As a professional social worker, I want to empower at risk teens to make good decisions. In particular, I want to work with minority parents so they can better understand the American culture and appreciate the importance of structure and discipline to guide their children to achieve their goals. It was understood and expected by my parents that we obey and do right; however, structure was not enforced! My parents worked long hours and they were not available or accessible. This factor creates a lack of supervision and structure; therefore, I desire to educate Latino teenagers how to develop and practice self control and self discipline.
Because I consider myself culturally sensitive and linguistically able to relate and interact with the Latino community, my goal is to show and teach my community through example. I am one of many ethnic- specific students emerging with a professional degree with the intent to go back to my community to empower my people. I have found my calling: helping others in need! Therefore, I pursue an advanced degree in the helping profession. As a professional social worker, I anticipate a fulfilling career helping others help themselves.
While in the social work program, I have set a personal goal for myself. I am going to make the most of every opportunity that is presented to me. As an illustration, I am fortunate to have been elected by my peers to serve as the student representative from Orange County on the school’s student organization/government for academic year 2006-2007. I serve as the student leader for over 120 students on the Orange County campus. Within my professional organization (National Association of Social Workers), as a student member, I have been selected by the National Committee on Leadership to be one part of the Child Welfare Committee for NASW.