Reflection Essay

The most advantageous learning I had through the process of research and in the time of this class, was when I was presented with the opportunity to teach literacy and foster diversity by becoming a mentor in a local program called Reading Buddies. As a mentor, I assisted elementary students who have fallen behind in mastering literacy, to help improve their skills in English writing and reading comprehension. Many of these students are those of immigrant families, who are currently facing hardships adjusting to schooling because English has been learned as their second language. I have always been passionate about education, so naturally, I took interest in providing help where the structural violence of our non-accommodating American

I used to be an introvert. I spoke only when necessary and solely when I was called upon. Friend to none. Shadow to all.

One of the greatest challenges I have faced during my high school career occurred during my sophomore year. It was during the planning of this year that I had decided to commit myself to completing a difficult course schedule while continuing to be active in school activities including clubs and various sports. As a part of my course load, I had chosen to register for AP World History, which historically speaking, is one of the most demanding courses offered at Avon High School because of the wealth of reading and memorization required to establish a strong understanding of the materials. My brother had successfully taken the class several years earlier and felt it was pivotal in helping him better understand the world, as well as cultural and religious differences. My parents on the other hand were resistant, and tried to persuade me to take other classes to seek this type of understanding, but I felt strongly that I could face the challenges that came with this class and grow through the experience.

Prior to the beginning of my sophomore year in high school, I had already decided upon heading to pharmacy school and learning about the profession in detail before eventually graduating with a professional doctorate degree in pharmacy. Taking advantage of the Summer Scholars Advanced College Academy program offered by the local community college, I could participate in secondary dual enrollment while still in high school. Throughout the entire three years from there on out, I would typically attend high school classes in the morning and afternoon and come evening time, I would head over to the college. During my sophomore year, my brother advised to stick with 3- and 4-unit non-science courses to slowly ease myself into this new schedule. Focusing primarily on the relatively lighter breadth requirement courses, I would be endowed with the opportunity to come home, eat a snack, and complete a few homework assignments before heading to class once again but this time, at a different institution.

For the past three and a half years I have participated in the school band. In that time I’ve taken part in concert band, marching band, and jazz band. Setting up my schedule in sixth grade kicked off the adventure.

As a Junior at Downtown Magnets High School I took two AP courses that were AP Spanish Language & AP U.S History along with my regular courses like Mathematics, Science, English, and etc. It was not until I entered my AP U.S. History class that I really learned about All nighters and the use energy drinks and Coffee. I don’t like to Fail but to succeed one must learn what failure feels like to better their understanding of how to Succeed. I “technically” passed the first semester of the Course with a Solid “D” but that did not satisfy me since I knew that I deserved better after all the Time and work I put in to studying two days before each quiz and test. I did not understand that time and effort did not lead to success.

In this class we have a credo, and in that credo there are some key words that were capitalized: Read, Think, Write, College Level, rigorously, Holistically, Learning, Safe, and Fun. Everyone has their own way of defining words, some maybe the same and some may be different but that’s ok. In this essay I am going to thoroughly and efficiently explain to you in my own words what each of these words mean to me in the context of this course.

When I go into any class, with a weak memory and an developing intuition, I do not orient my success on remembering a lot of pointless information, but learning the art of independent thought. I never imagined, however, I could acquire some of these useful skills through the course Writing 1. Mrs Tocco, you have helped me to develop many of my lacking English skills, such as grammar, punctuation, and how to clearly portray ideas. There is a clear difference in my grammar capabilities. In my first paper, English Nightmare, I had many errors in my paper, from writing to grammar, one of them being, “This is also coming from a Boy Scout who was trained to follow orders and always be honest (for me it's every other situation.)”(Witt 4). This was one of my first quotes and a classical errors in writing. As you well know, I put the period inside the parenthesis, which is incorrect. When I started this course, I was oblivious to things like this and other rules in effective writing like do not use apostrophes, how to block quote, and refrain from using first person in many situations. My editing was my biggest improvement over the semester, but this is broken down into multiple topics.

My goal for this semester is to do what I have been telling myself forever, putting in work and dedication into whatever I want to do. I know that this semester is not going to be easy, but I will make sure that it is not difficult by reaching out to people on campus. I have already reached out to career advisors via phone so that I can get help with opportunities that could help me in this upcoming semester to succeed. In the past three semesters, I had a problem with seeking help with my advisors, professors, and centers on campus, but I have improved and I now have a personal tutor that can help with my English courses this semester. This will be helpful and convenient for when I am not able to meet with my professors or other free tutoring services on campus. I will make sure that I stay on top of my academics by finding a sacred place on campus where I can devote my time of studying into. I want to excel in all my classes and that is not meaning to get an A in everything, but leaving each class knowing the material. If I do not know the material I will go to my professor or TA and ask for clarity before I leave so that I can keep up, because all it takes is one day to fall behind. I plan on raising my G.P.A to at least a 2.4 this semester. This will help give me the stepping stone I will need in excelling in my spring semester because this year I will make it a habit to continue the academic schedule that I have created for this semester. My academic schedule will help

While the majority of my students are homogenous in terms of race, economic and social class, sexuality, and their technology access, I do have some individual students whose lives do not follow the same uniformity. As a result, I am driven to work even harder to create an inclusive classroom community. While most of the students in my classrooms may fall under the category of “privileged” I also have a percentage of students who do not. In the minds of my students, their disadvantaged statuses are only made more apparent while surrounded by those who do not experience the same hardships.

When I was a child, I was a real menace. My mother told me my behavior could clear out a playground. Obviously changes have happened since my playground days and today I’m going to tell you a story prior to my metamorphosis. This is a story that I am not proud to say happened. My parents think it’s funny; however, at the time of the incident they did not. This happened about ten years ago, so I can now look back on it and laugh about what happened with them.

In life dilemmas, do you often feel you’re unable to endure through daily functions? For my family, this happens every day with very few serene moments. During the peaceful times, my mind and body are at ease and I wish that feeling would last forever. Unfortunately, the aroma of tranquility departs while I’m experiencing the motions of my demanding life. In these stressful moments, diligent quotes such as “This, too, shall pass” and “Everything happens for a reason” help accomplish my daily responsibilities. In the past few years, these encouraging words provided me the confidence to overcome obstacles with my family, anxiety, and depression. However, sometimes my depression consumes my entire body and I feel lifeless and numb. These feelings don’t allow me to relax after stressful times and it becomes difficult to fight the negative thoughts.

It was the first day of the new semester. Dr. Razzaque, the professor giving the introductory lecture of his fluid mechanics course, decided to start with an audacious statement. “If you think mechanical engineering is too broad in scope for your liking, remember, you have seen nothing yet.” Aware that he had the class’s attention, he went on, “Think about what you have learned so far. You have taken courses in physics, multivariable calculus, electric circuits, computer programming and so on. It will be some time before you will properly understand how all these elements come together, but when you do, you will probably be surprised by your own understanding of the world.” He then went on to explain, citing Formula One, computational fluid dynamics and biomimetics, how mechanical engineering brings very diverse skill sets together. Those words felt, at the time, like a key to making sense of the plethora of courses that was my college life. Dr. Razzaque had suddenly made me realize the relevance of what I was learning. It would prove to be a pivotal point in my academic life. That lecture, and the following course, renewed my passion for mechanical engineering. I joined Dr. Hasan’s lab a year later as an undergraduate researcher and now I aspire to pursue graduate studies in mechanical engineering. All of these can be traced back to that quiet spring morning more than two years ago.

I believe that existence is dependent on connections. Life only exists in ecosystems where energies are undoubtedly interrelated but I think as humans we often overlook the significant beauty of our ecosystem. I’ve learned that the three most important types of connections we make are relationships with other beings, the understanding of ourselves, and deep ties to our natural surroundings. Without these connections, life cannot be. In my experience, I’ve seen how art and creativity develop a language through which connections can be made.

My eyes are transfixed by the numbers, equations, and words on the page–a beautiful work of art– they emanate before me with a brilliant radiance. I am relentlessly compelled to turn the page. Whether I am studying the orbital motion of celestial objects, calculating the work required to move electric charges, analyzing the static equilibrium of a complex system, determining the motion of fluids using Archimedes’s and Bernoulli’s principles, or deriving a differential equation for the motion of a box present under air friction, I am always thinking, my mind always moving, imbued with an electric excitement that provokes me to new and unknown terrains of knowledge. I struggle to close the textbook and delve into another intellectual