大学院出願書類
DATA; March/28/2007
NAME; Kota Takayama
Personal Statement
I am a student in the five years Doctoral Programs at University of Tsukuba , Japan and Graduate Special Student, the International Internship Programs (IIP) of Gallaudet University by scholarship. I have been studying educational programs to train social workers and professional workers who provide Deaf and hard of hearing people with social work or other rehabilitation programs since spring 2005. I am a deaf Japanese university graduate seeking to study social work for Deaf and hard of hearing people at Gallaudet University to better prepare for a career as a clinical social worker for people who are Deaf, hard of hearing, and their families. My goals for getting a Master of Social Work from Gallaudet University are threefold. These goals include:
1. To study programs of social work and rehabilitation with Deaf and hard of hearing people;
2. How to develop a social work and rehabilitation services for Deaf and hard of hearing people and their families;
3. How to train professionals and social workers who work with Deaf, hard of hearing people, and hearing people.
In 2002, I graduated from the Department of Social Work, Tokai University after I experienced to work as a social worker for elderly people in Wakatakedaijukai, a social welfare corporation. Specifically, I focused on support for elderly people who are Deaf or hard of hearing. Then I contacted with other social workers who are Deaf and hard of hearing people to interact with them. I realized that there is a need for more social workers for Deaf and hard of hearing people because most of social workers have never learned about Deaf, hard of hearing people, and communication skills such as sign language in curriculum of social work in university in Japan. For my thesis, I completed thesis “ Mental health and Psychological conflict with hearing impaired students who are junior high school and high school in school for the deaf.” While at Tokai University , I strongly supported students in school for the deaf and was the President of the Nonprofit Advisory Organization for students who are Deaf and hard of hearing. Tokai University provide reasonable accommodations to all with permanent or temporary disabilities I tried to make an effort to broaden my university's understanding about accommodations for Deaf and hard of hearing students such as sign language interpreter or open captioning. In April 2006, my effort to establish special projects to assist students with disabilities at Tokai University extrapolates the results.
From 2002 to 2006, I worked as a clinical social worker, counselor, and research assistant at institute for the Deaf and hard of hearing people, institute for the elderly people, and Tsukuba University of Technology. Therefore, I have demonstrated that high academic aspirations and work experiences. Also I have been writing some articles, contributions, books, and present papers. In Japan , students in the educational programs of social work are not required to learn topics related Deaf and hard of hearing people and visual communication skills. Recently, some of providers for Deaf and hard of hearing people have started to provide social work services and other supportive service programs. However, there are few professional social worker who are Deaf and hard of hearing or hearing contributing social work services or rehabilitation programs for Deaf and hard of haring people in Japan . My experiences really excited my desire to study educational programs for social workers in Department of Social Work at Gallaudet University .
In March 2007, I earned master's degree of Disabilities Science from University of Tsukuba which is the highest level of national university for the study of disabilities after I submitted the master thesis (the mid-term thesis on Ph.D.) The theme of master thesis is “the Study on Present Situation and Tasks of Social Workers with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Disabilities.” I did the research in Japan and in the USA on master thesis for two years. I did so without the assistance of sign language interpreters. However, I still managed a cumulative GPA of 3.8. In the future, I hope to complete a doctoral dissertation about educational programs for social workers who provide social work or rehabilitation service for Deaf, hard of hearing people, and their families in Japan .
In November 2005, I fortunately earned a scholarship from the Nippon foundation, a private charity organization for studying about educational program of social work, school social work and rehabilitation for Deaf, hard of hearing people, and their families. The purpose of the scholarship is to assist Deaf and hard of hearing future leaders in Japan . Since fall of 2006, I have been learning American Sign Language (ASL), English, Deaf Studies, Audiology, Human Diversity, Alcohol and Drug Addiction, and Systems of American Social welfare as a graduate special student at Gallaudet University . Now I strongly believe that my language skills in English have improved to the point where I will be able to handle the rigorous curriculum at Master of Social Work at Gallaudet University .
In the future, after completing my Ph. D program, I would like to teach students who want to became a social worker for Deaf and hard of hearing people and strongly support Deaf and hard of hearing social workers. Also I would like to be involved in training programs for social workers who are Deaf and hard of hearing people. Therefore, I want to be a top of leader in Japan as a social worker, educator, and researcher as a professional who has hearing impairment person. In addition, I established the Japanese Association of Social Workers for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (JASWDHH) in July 2006, before I started my studies at Gallaudet University . Currently I am trustee.
I believe that my basic knowledge of general social work, strongly leadership created through involvement with various organizations, language skills such as English, American Sign Language, Japanese, Japanese Sign Language, and my industriousness have prepared me for the challenge of the master of social work programs.
If admitted to the master of social work program, I will endeavor to do to the best of my ability and succeed. I am also committed to sharing my experience with the social workers who are Deaf and hard of hearing in Japan . Moreover, after graduating with a Master of Social Work, as a clinical social worker, an educator in university, and to complete the doctoral dissertation, I hope to increase my experience in social work or clinical social work support programs for Deaf and hard of hearing people in United States and then return to Japan to support for social workers who support for Deaf and hard of hearing people and improve the social standing of Deaf and hard of hearing people. By keeping my goals, I believe that I can move closer to assisting Deaf and hard of hearing people to fulfillment, and helping them to gain independence and prosperity.
