Reflection Paper

On September 6, 2017, I were documented for an incident that involved a University Housing policy violation. I was charged with violating the University Housing Alcohol 1.2 policy. With my violation, came consequences. I met with The Residence Conduct Coordinator to discuss my actions and came to the conclusion that I would have to schedule a meeting with The Campus Alcohol and Drug Education Center (CADEC) and with that, a reflection paper.

I have always enjoyed telling stories, it was just quite difficult for me to express my ideas well. I took this class in the hopes I could form a well written, organized paper. Expository writing has taught me my different strengths and weaknesses and how to use them accordingly. My writing skills have improved and changed drastically since the beginning of the semester. I learned to eliminate wordiness, to add detailed analysis, and improve grammar skills. This has made a significant difference in my writing abilities, preparing me for my future in college.

"A failure isn’t a failure if it prepares you for a successful tomorrow." This quote by Lolo Jones has kept me calm for the past two years because if I gave up after every failure I’ve overcame in track I would not be sitting in this class or even attending Slippery Rock for that matter. As cliché as it sounds, everything does happen for a reason. I learned this the hard way during my junior and senior years of high school. Even though most of my experiences from being on the track team are positive, I ended my junior and senior year with the same feeling; regret and feeling like there was more I could’ve done to prevent myself from having to end my season earlier than I initially intended.

Being in a life or death situation, or at least believing you, can radically affect how you feel about the world, and everything around us. To unknowingly shake loose your repressed feelings and thought, through the rush of adrenaline and reflection on your own actions, is a truly freeing experience. While such a freeing experience comes with a terrifyingly dangerous cost, I was able to find a refreshing outlook on life.

Everyone has at least one point in their educational life that has shaped them into the student or person they are today. For me, coming together after being separated as the “Germantown” and “Farmersville” kids for the first six years of school changed the way I built myself as a student. Becoming friends with new people, having new teachers for every subject, changing up the routine, and actually having to switch classes has taught me a lot of different things.

Life represents a culmination of unforeseen events that eventually lead to success, and in the minds of the majority college symbolically defines the first major obstacle one must overcome to continue that journey. Every year, high school students across the nation eagerly anticipate the coming of their senior year and the rapidly approaching adventure to follow, but for many it simply reminds them of the heartache that is soon to come. My own personal experience began with the blinding influence hope cast over my judgement as inner levels of excitement exponentially increased and my emotions became steadily influenced by the people surrounding me. However, little was I aware that my future had already been decided and no external force would have the necessary impact to reconfigure my current course. In a sense, my ship had already sailed and was leading me in ironclad chains to foreign lands of which my presence was to be forced. College, to me, would soon become an indescribable burden where reality would suddenly become brutally clear and all hopes for a productive future existed upon the fate of an unstable pendulum.

At this moment there is currently 7,430,931,842 people in the world. Nearly 3 billion of those people are currently living in poverty. Today, 350,000 babies will be born. The world, continues to grow, to prosper, as I sit in my bedroom staring out the window waiting for creativity to strike and give me the words that so effortlessly describe me. There is currently only one person in the world with the name Gabrielle Vozzi, and right now she is attempting to describe something that is indescribable: herself.

Throughout our discussion there were several intriguing and engaging questions that were asked and sparked a good conversation among our group. One moment where I believe I was most successful in the discussion, was throughout minutes six through sixteen. Throughout this time, we discussed how the Party’s control in 1984 can be seen in the world around us today such as in North Korea. This question was first prompted by Leo but what I feel made this our groups most engaging point was how everyone added to the question by rephrasing it, or adding additional information and perspectives, or incorporating it into aspects they are most passionate about in their lives. From this point, I related it to history and how history can be rewritten to correct ways a nation or person has morally failed. I used the example of slavery to show this point. Starting from about minute eight I discuss with my group how according to an article my English class read last year, Texas history textbooks teach slavery based on how it economically impacted the South rather than by teaching the dehumanizing and awful treatment of other people. This question and the points brought up by this question were what I found to be most engaging. Our group spent nearly ten minutes on this point, because this point took a personal side and everyone had something to discuss from it. I believe the passion developed from this point is what made this not only my most successful moment but one of our groups best

In 1994, my parents immigrated to Canada from Vietnam to seek better living conditions and a promising future for their soon-to-be children. However, to live in a free nation filled with opportunities, the two left everything behind. While living in rent, my father worked full-time at a factory while my mother had found a job as a cashier. Although they had a sustainable income, my father understood that raising a child would cost them more than they were currently making. In 1997, my father decided to study computer science at Langara in search for a better-paying job while working part-time as a security guard. Meanwhile, my mother took up housekeeping, working at two different hotels to earn more money for their coming child. Understandably, my parents had made their lives much harder immigrating to Canada, but their sacrifices - I can say - has paid off.

This semester, in HPE3200, I worked with students at the KSU Play program, Kennesaw Elementary (KE), and Big Shanty Elementary (BSE). Within the Play program, my student, Troy, was a student with special needs. Troy lives with autism; therefore, he requires a more complex set of teaching skills, behavior management, and instructional strategies. However, while working with Troy and other students in the Play program in contrast to those at KE and BSE, I found the challenges offered me growth as an educator.

With the conclusion of my junior year in high school, I was left academically exhausted, though I knew within three months I would face the perils of high school once again. I came to the conclusion during my ongoing summer semester that I would not fare well in my senior year, simply due to the fact that I was burnt out on academics, as well as having my schedule filled with college level classes. I fared decently in my first semester, though I knew that I had First-Year Composition and Intro to Public Communications in the spring, both known at the school to be incredibly difficult, due to the teachers only handing out four A’s in the past eight semesters. Spending four to six hours on a four-page paper resulted in an average grade (C), and spending nearly four days on my final research paper netted a 77%. Ending the class frustrated, I realized that through the class I became a better writer, striving to do better than the previous paper, affecting my overall diction that I used in formal essays, an overall organization in my essays as well as being able to analyze and properly cite sources within my paper.

When I decided to enroll in this class, I had certain expectations I really wanted to achieve. I thought that my moral values and business ethics were set on an unchanged pedal, but I came to realize that I’ve learned so much in these past weeks that I was not even aware of existing. A lot of interesting discussions that had expanded my way of thinking, some them were emotional, and some of them created some doubts. With my experience with the community service volunteering program, I had a chance to get to know the community on a closer look, and because of the fact that this program was mandatory, I felt like it was a smart way of enhancing morality and social

Everyone has their own way they learn best. Some will say they are visual learners, while others say they identify as an auditory leaner. Like learning styles, the same goes for the academic reading, research, and writing process. My personal practices are the result of years practicing, trying to tailor what works best for me. I have discovered the strategies that work well for me through previous experiences which have allowed me to develop my individual method for assigned text readings, research, and writing papers.

As a college student, I go through many obstacles. Whether it’s a relationship, family, or school, I manage to surpass any issues that are brought upon me. Although I have managed to live freely with merely any problems, one issue that recently has encountered my life is my job. I work for Sprint as a retail consultant where I deal with customers everyday regarding phone issues or account issues. It’s a pretty good paying job and my manager works around my schedule. Sounds great right? So what can possibly be the issue? Well the job feels forced, meaning that I have to sell products with rules and regulations set by the company. I’m unable to sell it the way I want. I have to accommodate by their sale needs and requirements. It makes me feel that my skills are worthless and unhonest to my clients. It also seems like most of my co-workers have the freedom to sell how they want. Dealing with this issue would increase the positivity in my life drastically. I wouldn’t have to come home everyday exhausted and guilty from being dishonest and untrue to myself. It would influence who I am as a person by giving me the freedom I deserve. It would ensure a brighter future and a better working environment, but more importantly, it will ensure who I am. The four agreements presented by Don Miguel Ruiz has broadened my perspective on life and my on-going issues as well. Adapting to the four agreements will give me a chance to live my life with more freedom, peace, and happiness.

Since 2011, I devoted my life to God, this happened when I get convert and be baptized to the church of Jesus Christ. I was still a babe spiritually. I learned many things in the Gospel and I felt the Love of my heavenly Father. I couldn't speak English back then when I joined the church, but through reading the scriptures daily, the Lord help me learn and understand the scriptures. Today, I can testify to you that I have read the bible many times from the start to the end. And most importantly, I teach the Gospel in English.