Shahina Gantiwala

Univ. 390
1/22/15
Initial Reflection Paper
PART I
When I started my internship as a social service intern at Misericordia, I was under the
illusion that I would be consistently meeting with residents, instead of doing paperwork.
However, I learned how to gather important information needed for entire file reviews or social
histories on an individual within four months! I am glad to have been put in an uncomfortable
position, writing summaries, because it forced me to grow as a person in ways that I never
thought I needed development in. For example, as a social service intern, I learned to be patient
with the criticisms I received from the social service coordinators when the reviews I took all day
on were not up to par with their expectations. Therein, I took all my focus whenever I was at my
internship in making sure that I take into consideration their criticism and do my best to help the
resident receive quality social service care. Another example of growth is learning the different
medical diagnoses! That was essentially my favorite part about the entire social service intern
experience. Learning the different diagnoses and treatment methods when pouring through the
files of residents was exciting because there was so much information that I never knew before.
I am heavily reflecting upon my internship last year because I have spent about 133 hours
as a social service intern at Misericordia and cherish the time I have spent making sure that the
residents have updated social services. With the New Year in progress, being notified that I will
be shifted to Fitness & Aquatics is a new challenging endeavor. I cannot wait to sink my teeth
into such an opportunity. I want more resident interaction and want to be able to push people to

their ultimate potential because that is my belief. I believe that this position will allow me to
practice my belief and show that I am assertive as well as responsible. I want to be able to know
how to control tense situations and be able to help individuals who are differently abled in the
fitness/health setting. From being in a position of barely seeing a resident, to constantly seeing a
resident, the new position will be a change in my routine. However, personally, I feel that I have
a lot of growth to do in terms of interaction with people who are differently abled. I have
explained before that I have family members who are differently abled, however, I believe that
being comfortable around differently abled individuals that are not family takes a whole other
challenge, or at least that is how I feel.
I believe that Misericordia would benefit from placing me at the Fitness & Aquatics
department because it would give me a well-rounded experience in helping individuals that are
differently abled. From doing paper work and barely seeing any residents/staff to actively seeing
resident/staff would be an appreciated change that will allow bridges to be built between people.
Misericordia would benefit from this change because it will allow future interns to see the
juxtaposition from doing social service work in the office to the dynamic interactive process of
facilitating in the fitness department; it is as if one is going from theory to practice, if the
organization has this position in this format.
PART II
For me, the definition of a good society is a society where freedom is practiced within
reasonable limits. For example, allowing individuals of whatever race, religion, and ethnicity to
be married upon turning the legal age of 18. There should be stricter penalties on hate crimes and
faster access to swift justice than what is available today. Individuals should be able to receive an
education (essentially free), people should not exploit others, and womens health is not decided

upon by individuals who are not women. My idea of a good society is a utopia, and I have only
listed a few things which I believe are key for a good society, and I believe that although I
define my idea of a good society as such, I have not fully described what my version of a good
society is. Why have I not described my vision in depth, clarity, and detail? Mostly because I feel
that my idea of a good society is constantly changing from the details of laws to the limitations
of what I perceive should exist. For example, I remember the small discussion we had in class
last semester regarding abortion. I said I am pro-choice and was open in hearing pro-life views. It
was interesting to hear the other sides argument regarding what they thought should occur when
an individual was between life and death to have the child exist without its mother. The answers I
received were vague, from I would have to be present in that circumstance to I would
definitely save my wife, and if possible my child. There was no surprise there, but it brought to
my mind how we humans may think we have an idea of a good society, however, do we really?
What if our idea of good is not the only good present in the world? What if we are neglecting
important aspects of society that we have not factored in our definition of a good society?
These thoughts swim around in my mind, every time I think about what a good society means
to me.
Social justice means that individuals in a society are given equal opportunity in all
aspects of their life, from healthcare to education and everything in between. Social justice is a
key component of my utopia of a good society. I understand again, the vagueness of my
attempt to define social justice. However, social justice is an equal opportunity in life for all
individuals, regardless of their ability, gender, class, ethnicity, nationality, social status, religion,
or income level to be able to achieve whatever they set out to do. There should be no limitations

in their path. Values such as fairness, equality, and opportunity remind me of social justice. I
imagine a formula of sorts: fairness + opportunity = equality.
In a good society, a government for the people by the people must exist. This
government is a structure that we the people have created, and therefore, we have and are the
power that causes the structure to exist. If we do not take a stand in the affairs that the
government approves of, then the idea of a government for the people by the people has
essentially failed. With a system of a government for the people and by the people in mind, a
clear line of communication and support exists. Lobbyist and corporations would not reign
supreme as they do in our government, rather, individuals would be recognized within the
community they exist in to speak for their communities and aid them in any way that is
beneficial.
That is the biggest challenge, sifting through the immensity of the government today and
trying to figure out who to reach when communities are in dire need of aid, from street violence
to clean drinking water. My vision is that each individual in a community feels comfortable to
communicate with individuals that have power in government. If one goes about seeking a
change and they might not consider themselves powerful, that is power in it themselves because
you are changing an ideology that, what can a common citizen do?, a common citizen can do
wonders for their community and their society when empowered to do so.
My vision is to live and work in communities that are impoverished to provide access to
healthcare. Therein, I feel that it is essential to gain experience in collaborating with individuals
outside of healthcare, for example, social services, because what if I am able to help individuals
who are in dire need of social services when I am in a community that needs such a program. I
think about what connections I could outsource when I will be working in the communities

because social justice does not end when I graduate and it definitely does not end when I die. I
want to be someone that people can trust to provide quality medical care and someone that one
could confide in and that can enable them resources that are sustainable. That is my vision and
that is my never ending mission.