Over the course of my life, many of my ideologies and opinions have undergone transitions, or matured due to personal life experiences. But, the main topic that has remained the same is my family – especially my mom, dad, and brother. They have supported me throughout my entire life and acted as role models for what I aspire to be. From the institution of house rules to the encouragement on the volleyball court, I have been blessed to have a happy and healthy family support system. However, this is not necessarily the case for many children across the United States, and even throughout the world and I would like to gain insight into the minds of poverty-stricken individuals.
A controversial topic that has been noticeable in my life is poverty. For the past four summers I have travelled to Booneville, Kentucky to construct homes and additions for the less fortunate. These individuals wear holy shirts and have stained, yellow teeth – if they even have any. Their homes are not much better, where the floorboards are caving in due to termite infestation or the walls are slanted from inclement weather conditions. I continue to go back every year to feel a sense of accomplishment in knowing that I have made an impact on a family’s life. I once was asked why I do not just relocate the individuals to a more populated, economically-attractive area. But what that person neglected to realize is poverty is not confined to a specific area or community – it is all around us, whether it be visible or hidden. I also encounter it on a daily basis. I see it every day walking on Forbes Avenue – the man sitting on the ground in a ripped sleeping bag or the beggar asking if I could spare a dollar or two. Normally I answer and say I have no spare change, or I even bow my head and look the other way. I always wonder what would happen if I did give up that dollar – where it would go. Encouraging people to serve others and become more socio-economically aware are two ways that can address the poverty concerns.
In addition, my transition to college has forced me to become aware and susceptible to working with the mental health issues that are prevalent on college campuses today. As a resident assistant, I serve as a mentor and try to help resolve issues that I might not necessarily know how to. College campuses have seen an increase in mental health cases, and this has been attributed to reasons such as test anxiety, poor nutrition, psychological damage, and hereditary traits. Resident assistants undergo extensive training to work with mental issues and also participate in a week dedicated to mental illness. If an issue arises that we cannot address alone, we direct residents to the counseling center, and if the counseling center needs assistance, the residents can be directed to a hospitalized institution. But the issue is, there is no right or wrong answer because each case is different. As this issue is a growing concern, knowing and understanding how to work with each individual would make my job easier and allow me to become more confident in my abilities – simply knowing that I too am doing something right.
While my strong family support system has served as a blessing for me, others have not been so fortunate. Gaining more knowledge on poverty alleviation will help me to address the concerns both within my neighborhood and through the organizations I am involved in. In addition, poverty can be a correlation to mental health, where having a bad upbringing can negatively affect someone’s outlook on life. Understanding this correlation and addressing the root cause – poverty – can make me more knowledgeable and potentially becoming one step closer to solving mental health awareness issues.
Good job narrating your interests in poverty and in mental health. I think you are correct in wondering about connections between the two. But, of course, mental health is something everyone deals with to various degrees–but when money is involved to treat and to prevent, socio-economic factors make sense to look into.
I think you could focus on either, but just be careful about not trying to do too much. Something more tangible or even localized to Western PA could be a useful thing to consider. For the former, consider maybe education programs, coordinating undergrad volunteers, looking at current programs in Pittsburgh, thinking about policy issues and advocacy to reform, etc.
Looking forward to seeing where you go with this!
I can say that I have been blessed with a great family and parents that could support me in every way. My siblings and I had a roof above our head, food to eat and access to education. Poverty is a global problem where finding a solution seems impossible. I agree that poverty is not confined to a specific area or community. Even in a country that is rich and progressively-developed, poverty is still a problem here in the States. When I first arrived in Los Angeles, I could not believe how many homeless people were camping on Skid Row. The high cost of living leads some people to poverty. However, in some community, people live in poverty for generations. Does poverty beget poverty? I have read a memoir by Jeanette Walls called “The Glass Castle”, where the children of poverty-stricken families believe that they were not meant to be successful, that their lives were supposed to be exactly how their parents’ were. These poverty-stricken individuals or families should get more attention from the community. Also, I understand what you are trying to convey when you wondered where the money would be spent after giving them to beggars. Questions like “Does giving money to beggars do them any good?” and “Would this action encourage more poverty-stricken individuals become beggars?” would come to mind.