Natalie Bui '10, Hope Ministries

I have been installed with the human need and the human thirst to connect with the human soul. This deep belief in human interconnectedness has led me to my ultimate calling, my ultimate passion – social work. It is the fundamental awakening of my inner consciousness and the development of my sense of social responsibility. It is a lifestyle that values the pursuit of equal economic, political and social rights and opportunities for all human life. Its vision of social justice equates to a set of values that I want and that I choose to live by. This found passion has helped shape and define my role and my place in this fragile world. As a social worker I am forced to question past and present conventional and orthodox values, traditions, systems, and institutions that may hinder human development and disrupt notions of peace. It is my hope that by examining and exercising actions of compassion and empathy, I may also strengthen and empower the voices of the powerless and restore individuals and society’s sense of human dignity and human worth.