Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to

you.

My childhood seemed most difficult to me with the passing of my father who was my

greatest inspiration, but I was still fortunate enough to have a supporting family and home. I

understood that there were people in my own community that did not even have this which led to

my work in humanities. In my second trip to Europe, my friend and I traveled to the Toynbee

Hall which was a housing settlement in London for the homeless. This inspired me to open a

similar house in Chicago where I could work with these people to help improve their lives which

would then help society as a whole. Then the Hull House was built in 1889 which brought on

many responsibilities for me which then motivated me to take on more roles throughout society

as a women’s activist as well. Philanthropy and feminism are the two causes that I have fought

for and would like to continue fighting for. I have worked for nearly 35 years in this field and

have been quite successful; however, I wish to further my knowledge in any advancements made

in social reforming. Those of us who are fortunate enough to have a home and have many

opportunities should give back to the community as much as possible, and as a woman, I believe

I can make a difference in many people’s lives because of my compassion; I believe that with my

leadership, I can create change in many different aspects of society such as women’s suffrage,

temperance, and world peace. Therefore, what started of being a local concern has grown into an

international one, and therefore, I need the resources from this college to help take on the

challenges of society.

Works Cited

Addams, Jane. Democracy and Social Ethics. Cambridge: Belknap Press of Harvard University

Press, 1964.

"Jane Addams." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2011. Web. 2 Feb. 2011.

"Jane Addams." Dictionary of American Biography. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1944. Gale

U.S. History In Context. Web. 6 Feb. 2011.