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Life > Academics

Applying to Graduate School is Challenging — But Also Empowering

Megan Forro
The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at FIU chapter.

I am currently applying to Master’s in Social Work program, and it can be challenging. Figuring out how to start my personal statements and making sure that they are perfect for submission can be difficult. Working out the financial aspects of submitting applications as well as attending graduate school can be hard as well. Doing these things while managing homework assignments, exams, and two jobs is not easy at all. At the same time, it is extremely empowering.

I hope to earn an MSW so that I can become an LCSW and then provide therapy to people dealing with domestic and sexual violence. This is something that is very personal to me and I am also incredibly passionate about these topics. In high school, I ended up in an abusive relationship that left me completely disconnected from myself, but at the same time also motivated me to make the necessary changes in my life so that I could ensure that I would never feel that way again.

I have been able to write about these experiences in my applications, which has allowed for me to really think about and feel pride in how far I have come. I love being able to share my story and talk about the things I have done in order to bring peace back to my life. I also feel a deep sense of motivation while filling out these applications, as I cannot wait to make positive changes in the lives of others and am grateful to be able to receive the necessary education to do so. I know that I will one day be able to inspire others to make the choices that will set them free and will help them come back to themselves again. Applying for and attending graduate school is the first step in doing that.

While I wait for my decisions to come in, I will keep this sense of empowerment in mind and will make sure to always remember that there are people out there who are waiting for the kind of help that I will give them. There are people that I have not met whose lives I have the opportunity to change, but for now I can only dream of the impact I will have. And while I dream of those things, I will also dream about my future life as a graduate student too.

Megan Forro is a writer at the Her Campus at FIU chapter. She is extremely passionate about domestic violence awareness and all things self-love, which is reflected in her work on the site. Beyond Her Campus, Megan works as an orientation leader at her university and is involved in neuroscience research at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Her great passion for domestic violence and mental health awareness has motivated her to shadow a clinical psychologist as well. Writing is something that she enjoys deeply, which is reminiscent in her published poem "Death is a Burning Curse" in "Poetry by Chance: An Anthology Powered by Metaphor Dice" and her memoir in "The Class of Covid-19". She is currently a junior at Florida International University and is majoring in Psychology. In her free time, Megan enjoys traveling to new places and scrapbooking her Italian study abroad adventures. When she is not on a plane, you can find her dancing to anything Tate Mcrae in her room or exploring Miami with her friends.