Dear Reader, I am quite thankful to my professor for the knowledge she has brought me, but I am even more

grateful that you are taking the time to discover the grand improvements Ive made. My advancement in the art of literature began the moment I first entered Professor Filbecks English 114A classroom. The three assignments that displayed my improvement are my first blog post (Collegiate Adventure), my first major essay (A Step to Success), and my last major essay (Eradicate the Social Injustice). These three assignments improved my literacy capabilities each in its unique manner. My first blog post gave me the comfort to write without the pressure of format and structure, while my first major essay allowed me to express the emotions I felt towards an amazing teacher, and finally my last major essay forced me to think critically about a controversial topic and allowed me to express my feelings toward the subject. These three pieces of literature made me a better writer. I must admit I was incredibly nervous, because I didnt know if my writing was going to be at a high enough level for college. The first homework task my professor had us do was write a blog post on why we wanted to come to college. This helped me diminish the nerves throughout my body because she allowed us to write about a topic that would make me realize that I can write at a college level. Since this homework assignment was a blog post I felt more relaxed and more open to write my thoughts, there was no pressure therefore I did exceptionally well on it. I got full credit on my first college writing assignment and I suddenly felt a certain belonging in that class. Due to the confidence this assignment brought me, I chose to include my first blog post in my portfolio. Our first big assignment was to write a literacy narrative, this essay brought back the nerves presented to me in the beginning of the semester. But as I brainstormed, I realized I could take this opportunity to thank a specific high-school teacher who gave me the essential skills to write at an advanced level. I dedicated this essay in appreciation to my 10th grade-English teacher because she improved my mediocre writing into college-prep novels. As I began on my rough draft, I found it easy to put my thoughts on paper because of the great appreciation I have for Mrs. Brown. The nerves went away while I was writing because the task was not as difficult as I had first conceived. I simply detailed the emotions I felt through every situation in that classroom and I was able to write a college-level essay. Because of this essay I could express my emotions and write creatively to prove my writing level is more than adequate. The final essay we wrote is the biggest improvement I made in the entire semester. This assignment had me think critically upon a controversial topic and argue my opinion about the issue. I chose social inequality because I strongly believe that it is unjust that the wealthy has more opportunities than the poor does. I used this strong belief and transferred it onto my essay to create one of the most difficult pieces of writings I have developed. The assignment was difficult because it was a hybrid of a persuasive, research, and literacy narrative. I wasnt used to researching and proving an argument while correlating the predicaments to a book. Although it was difficult, I was able to find the connection of my argument with the book, Persepolis, and prove once again that my writing is college ready.

I must admit I was extremely nervous as I attended my first college English course! But, as the class progressed I gained confidence to do my best and discovered new ways to innovate my writing. English 114 assisted me in realizing that I do have the ability to write at a college level and that I truly belong here. There couldnt have been a class anymore beneficial for me. I sincerely thank-you for taking the time to learn the process I took this semester to become a proficient writer. Sincerely,

Isaac Simon
Isaac Simon