Reflection Paper

Over the years, writing has been my safe place. It has been a security blanket of sorts; an outlet that I can use knowing I will not receive criticism in the same was I do when I speak. Although my writing experience has not consisted of much, I have been able to grow steadily and learn how to engage with an audience. I can identify my strengths, take advantage of them, and work on the areas I find to be the weakest. It has fueled my passion for world change, even though I am still unaware of how it will tie in with my future career path. Writing has given me a voice that I do not have the courage to speak from my mouth.

Throughout this semester, there were many obstacles that I had to face regarding the different assignments assigned. However, I was able to effectively complete all of these tasks to the best of my ability regardless of the amount and specific requirements each one possessed. I also managed to gain a better understanding of the certain processes required to create successful essays. I realized that it was extremely important to stay on task, manage my time wisely, and organize my information in a way that would make the writing process easier. This realization and understanding ultimately allowed me to easily take on more extensive assignments, such as the Rhetorical Advocacy Project.

Most people would agree that “practice makes perfect”. That goes for anything one does, including in an English class. Throughout the semester I have grown as a writer. There are still things that I could of course work on, and get better at. But, as of recently I have become a better writer than what I started out as. Concepts that I have learned I can continue to build off of to become a better writer. Which is something I hope to do. Going into English 1010 I knew there were things that I could be better at. Therefore, I came into class with an open mind. This class has taught me how to use certain skills to write a well written essay. By using the learning objectives exemplified in the class I was able to write multiple well written

The coaches blew their whistles, a loud, blaring noise compared to the quiet giggles of the seventh grade girls. The whistles had signified that the game was over. Unfortunately, Keystone Oaks had won against the Canon McMillan girls’ gold volleyball team, which meant that my game was next. Our first away game! I was excited, but my joy was ephemeral once I realized how good the seventh grade Keystone Oaks team was. Of course, I would not let that frighten me. I played as hard as I could, giving it my all, and I was not ready to let them win. As fate would have it, we lost. But this event is a great example of how I am awkward, defensive, and somewhat stubborn. I, unlike most others, love competition, as I become a lot stronger, phisically and emotionally, when faced with challengers. One could also say I am funny and mischievous, as I act like a ‘class clown’ when with my friends. But what really outlines me as a person are my family, hobbies, and aspirations.

My regional minister stopped the conversation and asked me, “What did you just say your metaphor for ministry was again?” I replied, with a confidence I had not felt since I left my high school math classroom, “An empowering agent of hope.” Although a year had passed since writing about my metaphors and functions for ministry, for the first time, I claimed my metaphor to my ordination council not quite a month ago. Through the lens of empowerment and hope, and within my current context of rural congregational ministry, this semester of considering issues for women in Christian ministry revealed insights, questions, and growing edges.

We did our facilitation about rice commodity in three different countries and I must say, it was good working with my team members. Rice production is one of the most important aspects to the food supply of different countries, I chose China and because China was the number one rice producing country, I thought this was really interesting. Working together in a group is not always fun, but with the right people working with you, it will be easy. My team members for this facilitation were great, which made me enjoy working with them. As soon as we knew who was in the group, we decided to exchange contact information like emails and made a Google doc to share the ideas. But the weakness would be due to the different schedules because we all came up with the idea on the internet and we only met once before the class time on facilitation day. Also, one thing that we could improve from the peer feedback was that we were not that cooperative, and we had too much information. I think that is because we only decided to work together to come up with the format of the facilitation and who should do what. There was not a group leader per-se.

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.

Last summer my cousin and I were enjoying a meal with our families in China. It’s been 7 years since I last saw my cousin. We are about the same age and my favorite memory of her was celebrating her 11th birthday. I remember my uncle and aunt sitting to my right and my grandparents sitting to my left singing happy birthday as she blew out her candles. It has been so long I almost couldn’t recognize her when I arrived at the airport 2 weeks prior. My mom receives a call and leaves the room to pick up her phone. She comes back 10 minutes later in tears. She breaks the news to the family and that our trip would be cut short. She was diagnosed with breast cancer. In the following week, we pack up our bags and head out to the airport. She had to start treatment as soon as possible. I knew I would become the man of the house to take care of my mother and brother, who has autism, while my dad worked in New York.

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.

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.

During my first year in college, I did not realize the major challenges I would face being a first-generation college student that was undeclared as a major. I knew I had to continue my education as many of my teachers and advisers in high school had mentioned. But I never knew the struggle of not having a family member to ask for advice or guidance to navigate my college education or choosing a major. I became interested in helping other students in their path post-high school by volunteering, mentoring and working with high school students in their process of applying or learning about their postsecondary education options. After working with different ethnic groups I came to realize that those that identified as

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

Every student deserves the best chance at getting the highest level of education they can, however, some students need a little extra support that others may not. A student, Axel, who is currently in my classroom has had a hard time keeping his focus and is often avoidant when it comes to his work. It has become clear that his avoidance becomes a distraction to the whole class. His behaviors currently include but are not limited to: rolling around on the floor during rug lessons, yelling across the room, walking around the room talking to friends, sharpening his pencil five or more times throughout the day, asking to go to the bathroom at inappropriate times, spending fifteen to twenty minutes in the

“How do you still manage to pronounce this character wrong? It’s been two years!” I laugh aloud at the absurdity, much to the embarrassment of my partner. “I don’t know! It’s from Chinese I, okay! Leave me alone!” Her attempt at defending herself fails as she quickly joins my laughter. I smile and pat her back. “It’s fine, Lily. You’ll fix it one day.”

From the early moments of my childhood, I remember seeing my parents go to Russian Orthodox Church a lot. They would explain to my younger brother and me what was right and what was wrong from the religious perspective. On my 4th birthday, my grandma gave me the Bible for kids as a present, and I remember my mom reading it to me before going to bed. Back then it was just another interesting story that happened somewhere very far away. And yet mom would always find a way to tell these stories in such a manner so they translated really well into the reality we were living in. The more I grew up the more I realized that there was something missing in the big picture of my understanding of the world. I saw a lot of suffering that was happening everywhere, death, natural disasters, and I thought there must be a reason for all of it. Otherwise, the God does not care about any of us. I started to look for the answers everywhere: in the philosophical and religious books, movies, wise counsel from the people who lived a long life. I could not find the truth in church because the whole purpose of its existence with all its rules and restrictions, its idea of God who is something or someone out there, separate from us, and the only being that knows all the answers, was totally alien to me; mainly so due to my unwillingness to accept the fact of transferring all the responsibility for everything one does to someone else. I believed it to be a weakness to acknowledge one’s bad thoughts and deeds as something natural, as an external influence of the evil spirits. For me, it sounded like people who agreed with this concept simply wanted to escape the punishment for what they had done, choose an easy way out.