Reflection Paper

Here I stand on the brink of adulthood, a daunting place to exist. I peer over the edge and gaze into a chasm, bright but blurry. I am afraid. I am anxious. But I am hopeful. I am hopeful because I know that my past has defined me, but it is my future that will continue to mold me. As my years as a teenager draw to a close, I find myself reflecting on pivotal moments that taught me what it really means to be a good human being.

There are multiple reasons I am where I am today and why I’m going where I’m going. I have struggled in school ever since I can remember but without the people that I have had in my life I wouldn’t where I am today. But as I will talk about the teacher have played a huge role in the reason I am able to be where I am today.

“Negro frustration,” Myrdal contended, “was subliminated into emotionalism, and Negro hopes were fixed on the afterworld.” When Young considered black religious leaders like David Walker, Nat Turner, Henry Highland Garnet, Henry McNeal Turning, and others, he concluded that Myrdal was wrong. This is not to say that every black religious gathering during the days of slavery or since was “a seedbed of revolution,” nor that every black preacher was a Nat Turner. Yet there is considerable evidence that, historically, black religion was more involved in sociopolitical campaigns for black liberation than previously thought.

Throughout the duration of the class, I have come to understand Black Church studies as an examination of the complex meaning of contextual theology in the lived of African-American experience—theology rooted within the experience and social realities of the believer. Religious identity being a force that does not consume the identity of the person, but is shaped and formed by the cultural reality of the believer. It is within this dynamic that I have come to understand both traditions that shape my personhood (the tradition of Catholic moral theology and African-American liberation ethics) call me to public resistance of the neoliberal aggressions that harbor the African-American community. As stated within Black Church Studies: An Introduction regarding liberation, “We should not understand liberation in the passive voice... Rather, we should construe liberation in an active sense, in which the Black community is forever liberating in order that it may do more and be more than it has done or been before.”

Black Catholic Spirituality as a Theology of the Excluded: A Historical and Theological Analysis of African American Catholic Spirituality and Culture In observing the evolution of American Catholicism, one witnesses the evolution of America itself. As race plays an essential part in the life of America, so does it play in the life of the American church. Every ethnic community within the United States plays a role in shaping American Catholicism, but none can replicate the contribution of the African American community. African American Catholic spirituality is one of the leading voices of marginalized people in the American Catholic community—the conscience of American Catholicism.

During my time with Diego, we did a lot of different activities, and I really enjoyed working with him, I am going to share my assignments that I did with Diego, in my essay, I hope that by reading this paper, you can understand or visualize what I did with my student. Diego is 6 years old, and he is in 1st grade, he is a huge Minecraft fan, and his favorite character is Steve, and he loves to play soccer.

A struggle that I had was being influenced/following others. It all started one happy winter morning it was Valentine’s Day, I had been getting ready to go to school. I had just finished writing all my Valentine's last night for my classmates. I was in a rush, so they all said the same exact thing. I believe it was something along the lines of have a great day, here’s a lollipop. It was a picture of me holding holding out my hand and a real lollipop that my mom had punched through the paper to give it that 3D vibe.

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

I have always known that slavery exists in the modern world, but to me it always seemed like something that happened far away in other countries. Growing up in rural Ohio, I was always under the impression that human trafficking didn’t occur in the various small towns in which I lived. It was not until I took a class in global public health which addressed issues of modern day slavery and human trafficking that I realized the extent of slavery in the United States, and especially in Ohio. I was shocked that I had gone for so long without knowing that so many people were suffering around me, in a country that is founded on freedoms that slavery directly violates. In panels and speaking events that I have attended I’ve heard advocates talk about the trafficking victims that they have encountered in Ashland, and in other areas of Ohio. From these community members I have learned that there is a need for advocates to fight human trafficking in all areas, business, healthcare, law enforcement, education, but especially in the legal sector. Legal professionals can advocate for victims by giving them a voice and by prosecuting traffickers. The scope of modern slavery in the world, in my home state of Ohio, and in my community is unacceptable to me and I decided that I would fill that need and dedicate my life to battling human trafficking and helping victims.

Over the course of these first 18 weeks we have covered quite a few titles. We have read texts so old that it is even a question if the author existed at all. In our studies, we covered everything from the very first works of western literature to what is considered modern western literature. All of the texts are great, and all have value for my education. However, two texts--but for the sake of this essay--three texts stood out to me the most. Of all the works we have studied Aristotle’s Poetics, Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, and Chaucer’s Wife of Bath were my most favorite.

During this course, I have developed a new and useful skillset. One skill I can away from this course is that developed better argument skills. We have been assigned several assignments revolving around what is an “argument” and learning when and how to argue. My arguing skills have since increased and become more polished. I can use my new-found skills at work, in conversations, and at work. These tools will help me advance my conversations and language. I believe that this skill will benefit me primarily in work settings.

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

It was two summers ago and I was sixteen years old. I was at that perfect age where I could stay up till two every night and not have to worry about work or school in the morning, but I had just gotten my license and my own car so I had all the freedom in the world in my eyes. Most of the time that I spent staying up late was playing PlayStation with my friends who, like me, had no responsibilities to worry about in the morning.

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.

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.