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Personal Introduction
Hello! My name is Dani Benedict and I am a Junior here at the University of Washington studying Social Welfare.
One of the most impacting opportunities I have been able to experience was spending the last five summers working at Camp Patterson, which is an inclusive day camp for kids with disabilities. This camp has taught me what passion truly looks and feels like. Because of this experience, I have decided to spend my undergraduate career to use social work in order to support individuals with disabilities to pursue self-determination as well as being rightfully included in their communities. Next year, I will have the amazing opportunity to be a FIG leader where I will faciliatate a class with incoming UW freshmen and supporting their transition to the university and will start a research project through the School of Social Work Honors Program focusing on inclusive public education.
Within my major, I am a mentor through the South Seattle College TRIO program to support SSC students in applying to for the UW School of Social Work. I am a Junior Co-Chair for the Community Service Committee for the Organization of Student Social Workers (OSSW). I am also the Vice President fro the 2017-2018 MortarBoard Tolo Chapter, which is a National Honor Society that focuses on service to the community.
Core Values
I highly value human lives and believe that each and every person should have the right and the resources to pursue their own success. Justice, to me, is fighting against the systematic forces that oppress groups in order to create a more equitable world that benefits everyone.
Education acts as a gateway to further resources, knowledge, and even power. I believe that education is one of the most powerful things that one can be offered and as a leader I want to work on ensuring that everyone has the same equal opportunity to pursue further education and their own interests.
Our world is filled with too much hate; people are consistently belittled, harassed, and harmed by others for no reason. With this I believe it is incredibly important to lead with love and compassion, and through that, supporting others to find their voice and pursue their passions
I believe that strong and meaningful relationships are built on trust. Integrity as a leader means that I am acting on truthfulness, honesty, and allowing my strong moral principles and ethical considerations to guide my work rather than being influenced by other sources.
Life can be challenging and will provide setback after setback. Through my undergraduate career I have realized the importance of resiliency and being tough when I face challenges rather than letting obstacles defeat me and define me.
Leadership Identities
It is incredibly important to me that people don’t feel left behind or that they can’t participate in an activity. As a leader, I find it critical that everyone feels valued, loved, and a part of their community through inclusion and advocating for Disabilty Rights.
I truly love and care for people. I want everyone to be able to feel valued and that they can do anything they set their minds to in order to achieve their own success through compassion and empowerment. I believe it’s important to emphasize that there is no such thing as perfect, challenges are normal, and what is important is that we learn from our setbacks how to be better next time.
Through my time in college, I have realized that nothing will ever change or get better unless I actively work to do something about it. By being responsive to the feedback that I receive and using that to problem solve potential solutions helped to contribute to my successes during my undergraduate career. Recognizing that there is a problem and working to solve it or gain support from others who can help you helped me see how so much more can be accomplished by being proactive rather than waiting for things to change on its own.
Throughout my time here at UW, I have realized that passion has been the greatest driving force for making change. I have used this to help me in planning my future and using my passions to encourage me to work harder to achieve my future successes. By reflecting on what it is that I am passionate about, and why I am so passionate about it, helped to motivate me and continuously reminded me of my purpose for working towards social justice.
PURPOSE
I believe that everyone deserves to be happy, feel valued, and have a voice. The idea of a society that is set up only to benefit a select few does not sit well with me, and goes against my values for justice and inclusion. I dream of a world where people do not have to live in fear because of who they are and where they feel able to pursue their lifelong goals. As a social worker and a leader, I want to be a part of creating this future. Through my professional career, I want to support people with disabilties in pursuing self-determination and advocating for disability rights throughout my life time. I believe that we live in a society where the lives of people with disabilites are decided for them; often times they lack the ability to pursue their passions because it is viewed as an obsession, rather than a hobby. People with disabilities should be active parts of their community and I wish to help build this future.
Looking Forward
As a leader, I want to advocate for those who are unable and support everyone in reaching their goals. I want to work with others to build a more equitable world that allows everyone to feel safe and pursue their passions. In my future as a social work professional, I want to support individuals with disabilities in fighting for equal rights and in becoming an equal and valued part of our society. I am hoping to do so by finishing my Bachelor's in Social Work and continuing my education to receive a Masters in Social Work where I would hope to focus on disability rights.