Reflection Paper

“Writing an essay is not difficult! I am actually great at it.” This is a common statement that I would formally say, and even believe. In the past, I had never felt the need to thoroughly revise my essays before. In all my past essays, I would work intensely on my first draft and then just turn the essay in. I never spent too much time re-evaluating my writing decisions before turning it in. This process had worked well for myself in the past, and as a result, each essay I turned it would be an easy “A”. When I signed up for EN100 I figured that it would be just like the other easy English class that I have taken. I assumed that I would work on an essay, turn it in, and then earn an A on it, but this was not the case. When I signed up for EN100 I figured that I could continue my previous essay writing methods, but that was quickly disproven. When I received my first graded essay, I was unsure why I earned anything but an “A” on it. It soon became clear to me that I was going to be required to change the way I formerly wrote my essays and spend more time with correcting them.

Following the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997, the IMF bailout provided desperately needed funds to revive South Korea’s economy but came with a caveat of strict mandates. The aftermath left sectors of its economy eviscerated, patches of its society dissolved and sent my family on a plane to the United States. What could have been a typical American dream narrative, however, not only molded my character but also evolved into a lifelong aspiration in global affairs.

Every little experience in life molds and defines the human you would become as it pushes you towards your destiny. Leaving my native country was hopeful and a thing of joy for me; as I was a newly wedded wife extremely excited to join her husband in California. Unfortunately, my relationship came to an end with me barely walking out with my life. This heartbreaking experience was a kick in the teeth. As I once read your setback is the platform for your come back. That was the genesis of my coming to Houston as I sort out what’s next for me.

I spoke at length with Mr. Rife on 7/5/17. He reports that his pain level remains at a 7. He reports taking his narcotic pain medication twice a day. He said he is going to physical therapy. They are working on Isometric exercises and also heat and ice. He has a home program to follow. He reports he was able to attend his son’s wedding out west. I explained to Mr. Rife that my co-worker Chris Callahan would be meeting him at his next appointment on 7/10/17. The following is the update from Ms. Callahan:

Haley, I 100% agree with you when you say that if we try on our writing assignments we should have no problem passing this class. This is a requirement that I noticed throughout this first half of the semester. I also have problems writing. I can write/type all day long about nonsense but when it comes to grammar or formatting I get lost. I believe that I have learned a lot sense the first writing assignment, but I know that I can learn more. Sometimes when I am writing I get frustrated because I don’t know how to start the paper. Therefore, I am glad that most of the papers we have written have the requirement to use a summary that we previously wrote. I think that having a pre-written summary has helped relieve the stress of starting a paper. I also perceive myself as more of an academic. Yes, I love to write, but I don’t necessarily like to write about specific things. This class is a requirement for the degree that I am going for, like you, and I probably wouldn’t have taken it if it wasn’t required. I would have probably taken a class that focused on poetry or free writing. Anyways, good luck in the second half of the semester.

Throughout my four years of high school I have attended many classes, sport events, and had many other experiences that changed my view on life. As i later look back on these experiences. I see how much they really changed my view on people, the way I treat them and about life in general. Over the years, all of these experiences and situations have built me up and turned me into the person that I am today.

Writing is a tool that will be used throughout my lifetime. It is a tool that is worth taking the time to perfect because it will only be beneficial in the long run. On my writing assignments, I earn A’s, but I still have areas that I need to work on. The areas that I struggle the most would be with simple grammar errors such as the use of commas, writing with an active voice, and writing short,simple sentences. First of all, I often do not know where to place commas in my sentence. I struggle with this because I tend to add commas in the wrong place, so I have become confused with the proper use of commas. This is a small grammar error that I can easily correct by learning where and when commas are needed. I have also found and been told that I write in a passive voice when I should be using an active voice. This is a technique that I have to work on by practicing it and noticing the difference while I am writing and reading. Finally, I often write run on sentences or sentences that include unnecessary information. This makes my writing unclear and difficult for the reader to understand. I could improve by writing shorter and simpler sentences that include only the essential information to get my point across. I have noticed these mistakes in my writing and it has also been brought up by others, so I am currently working on improving it.

My mother does genology for my family so I know that I am mostly a mix of African, Native American and not enough European to really think about. I look like a normal African-American girl and most people I come in contact with assume the same thing. To define myself without race I would say I am invested in the betterment of other peoples lives and performing in front of an audience. As a black woman I am affected mostly in my major, theatre, because being black is a factor in whether or not I am cast in certain roles. Personally it has been a rollercoaster going to predominately white-schools and still finding a way to love and appreiciate my blackness. I’m reminded of my race daily when I have to mix my foundations to find a shade that isn’t offered or when my theatre professors suggest I do a monologue from “A Raisin in the Sun’ and as of recently when I look at the news I am affected by the fact that the injustice in the world based on race could happen to me or a loved one in a heartbeat.

Going into this term, I wasn’t sure what to expect. My initial plan did not include taking this course this summer. Somehow, Troy ended up changing the schedule and it worked out for me. At least, I thought it was going to work out for me. This term has been very interesting. The classes that I took are PSY 6645 Evaluation and Assessment and CP 6642 Group Dynamics. This paper is going to be about my experience in PSY 6645. I’m going to discuss concepts that were new to me, experiences that caused me to think differently, if I feel as if this course is meaningful, and what can be applied to my professional practice.

Growing up in the state of New York I was not raised in the church, so I didn’t care about God or care to know who he was. I remember being in middle school going on a class field trip to NYC I went to this big catholic church where I had my first encounter with God. It’s hard to describe an emotion I felt that day I just know what I know. I didn’t pay too much attention as I got on the bus to go home and never looked back what I had felt inside my heart and soul that day. I joined the navy right after high school and it wasn’t until I was leaving for Afghanistan that I accepted Jesus as my lord and savior. Fast forward a couple of more years I was going through divorce and went down a wrong path. I decided it was time to go to church and fully give my life to Jesus and serve him.

According to John Dewey’s definition of a liberal education, the education that I have received at Jefferson R7 High School has prepared me for life beyond high school. The three Rs of education, reading, writing, and arithmetic, was a large focus of my schooling when in elementary school, which formed the base in which I would later grow upon. The education that was given to me formed a well-rounded student that has the tools to solve problems and find information that is sought after.

Over the summer I started to take as many shifts as I could at work. I've been working as a bagger on the base commissary since last October. Although we work only for tips, we can easily make good tax-free money. After I got my license I started driving myself to work and back home.

As a Nepali refugee who had never heard of football until he came to America, the transition to play for my school team was not easy. I did not have an easy experience so I had to earn to play for the team. In this paper I will use ethos, pathos, and logos appeals to prove that I entered the discourse community of my High School Football Team by developing knowledge, demonstrating my loyalty to teammates, and creating bonds with the teammates who helped me to become a true football player despite knowing I am from another culture who do not speak the same language and do not anything about football. It is important for everybody to learn the experiences of others because there might be somebody out there who wants to be part of any team, but maybe they are afraid to step up to join that team thinking he or she is different among all. It doesn’t matter who you are, but it’s important that you become part of a team you are interested. You will learn to make friends, boost leadership as well as communication skills like I did by becoming part of high school football team.

I’m a very academically driven student and have several, quite lofty, goals for my time here at Texas A&M. I want to maintain a 4.0 GPA, or at least a minimum of a 3.5 in order to maintain my Cornerstone Honors status. My dream, and biggest goal, is to intern for a congressperson in Washington DC, and I also want to study abroad, hopefully in England.

We are all strong. Some people never realize this, but everybody has an inner warrior. While it’s true that not everyone has great physical power, but mentally and emotionally everybody has some kind of strength. For me, I am not physically as robust or as athletic as some, but mentally I am strong. There are times when I bring myself down, but I know that my strong mind will soon return to its normal balance and pick me back up. There are times when I am down and I feel I may never be the same, but no matter what my mental strength lends a hand, and returns me to my ordinary routine. The perfect example of my strong mind is my relationship with swimming. My beloved sport, swimming, is meant for someone with a strong mental mind. Therefore, feel like I was born to swim.