The applicant is applying for the University of New Mexico Counseling Program. She believes in promoting education, wellness, and helping people achieve their full potential. Her experience includes teaching for 6 years and obtaining a Master's degree in Education. She wants to earn a counseling degree to help more people, especially youth, overcome challenges and live happy, healthy lives through goal setting and guidance. Her background and qualities, such as compassion and strong communication skills, have helped her succeed in education and would be assets as a counselor.

1. January 16, 2012
Dear Committee Member,
It is with great interest that I submit my application for the 2012 fall semester
University of New Mexico Counseling Program. I believe that the promotion of
education in health and wellness is the key to maintaining a well-balanced life. As a
counselor, I hope to motivate people of all ages in ascertaining their inner strengths
and abilities while promoting the discovery of what truly inspires them. I will aim to
provide a safe environment that encourages clients to trust their desire to come to
counseling by establishing a rapport which will include fostering a positive, safe and
respectful relationship that serves to help them realize their full potential. I want to
have a positive impact in the lives of others. I have the desire to help people work
through life’s challenges.
I believe that by helping individuals identify goals and then developing a realistic
plan to achieve them, I can help clients accomplish their goals in a reasonable time
frame. My experience in goal setting is that it is necessary to break down the overall
goal into smaller ones that are achievable and develop an action plan with time
frames so the individual can be successful. It is important to evaluate the successes
and/or struggles of the action plan regularly, this will continue to encourage them to
move on to the next step of their goals.
I am an active listener and I have a great deal of integrity. I have a solid
understanding of the concept of goals and how important it is to develop and
evaluate them. In order for goal setting to be successful, frequent review of the goals
in place needs to be done in a timely and frequent manner. Ultimately, my desire is
to help individuals of all backgrounds and deficiencies understand themselves so
they can live a happy, healthy and productive life.
Some of the characteristics that support my candidacy are that I am a well
organized, self-directed, and enthusiastic person with a passion for helping those in
need. I have outstanding communication skills and I enjoy collaborating with others.
I am an effective team player and strong leader with compassion for others.
As a young person, I grew up in a strong Hispanic culture with two alcoholic parents
who did the best they could to raise my younger brother and myself. As we got
older, my role as the family hero deepened. I did everything to the best of my ability
and then some. I worked very hard in school to be the positive shining light in our
family. My brother struggled in school and eventually turned to gangs and drugs for
his affections. As a child, I took on a parenting role very early in our home and I took
the responsibility of helping my brother succeed in school and life very seriously. It
saddened me deeply that my brother’s addiction and risky lifestyle took his life at
the young age of 19. My role then changed to be my parent’s caretaker. Just a few
months prior to his passing, both of my parents were beginning their journey to
sobriety. Thankfully, they have remained sober for the last 15 years.

2. I married at the young age of 18, and gave birth to my eldest son at 19. Five years
later our middle son was born and a short, surprising 15 months later, our baby girl
came. Throughout this eight-year period of my marriage, my ex-husband was
abusive and also suffered from alcohol abuse. At approximately seven months into
my third pregnancy, my husband decided to leave us and we never heard from him
again.
As a single mother of three young children, I continued to work on completing my
university studies. Eventually I finished my Bachelor’s Degree, and met a wonderful
man who has come into our lives and adopted my three children.
Growing up I always knew that I wanted to work with people and help those in
need, so I became a teacher. I earned a masters degree and have been teaching for
six years. I enjoy my work in the classroom, which encompasses building positive
relationships with my students and their families. However, my desire to advocate
for those in need has lead me to pursue a degree in counseling so that I may serve as
a positive leader in the community and help those who have a desire to set goals and
work through their issues.
My classroom experience has allowed me to advocate for my students and work
with other individuals to promote the academic, personal and social development of
the children in my care. My success in the classroom was due in part because I
effectively managed a classroom community of learners by creating an environment
where all students were successful. I managed classroom behavior by stressing the
positives and presenting clearly defined expectations coupled with specific and
consistent rewards and consequences.
Outside of the classroom, I took the initiative to be my schools Parent Involvement
Program Coordinator (PIP) for first time drug or alcohol offenders. The training
prepared me to facilitate a six-week program for students and their parents focusing
on communication, facts about drugs and drug use, problem solving, parent/teen
issues and media literacy. We have an overwhelming drug epidemic facing our
youth, and I would like to roll up my sleeves, beyond what I’ve been able to do in the
classroom, and try to help these young adults find their way to sobriety. I am
committed to working with our youth, I strongly believe that they are our future and
I would like to learn the tools necessary to empower these individuals who come
seeking help. I want to serve as a safe and confidential outlet for people in the
community to share their struggles and successes and also to provide guidance to
those who want to work on becoming healthy and productive.
As a professional educator in the community I am motivated to earn a Masters
Degree in Counseling and I possess the qualities of a working professional, which
has allowed me to be successful in my current endeavors. I have successfully
completed a Masters Degree at UNM in Education and I am a middle school teacher
for the Albuquerque Public School District.

3. By earning a counseling license I will be able work on my goal, which is to help
people reach their full potential by building a foundation for a healthy lifestyle and
to develop the skills necessary to become stronger. I want to make a difference in
our community by serving as a resource among people of all ages and diverse
backgrounds. Even though I would be leaving the classroom, I want to continue to
be a positive role model for the community and provide an opportunity to families
who are struggling in their day-to-day relationships with one another.
I respectfully ask that you consider my application for the University of New Mexico
College of Education Counseling Program. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Respectfully,