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Amir Naranjo
Professor Webb
English 100
01 September, 2018
The Power Within
By taking every step thoughtfully and strategically has gotten me to where I am today.

Every decision that I’ve made has profoundly placed me ahead of the game. I had to stop letting

outside distractions and people get the best of me, causing me to lose sight of what it is I’m

working so hard to accomplish. My name is Amir Naranjo, and this is my journey to college.

This is about overcoming the negative voices trying so hard to diminish my light and stop me

from reaching my goals. My mother always encouraged me to recognize the power that I had and

the ability to shape my life. As secure as I thought I was about my abilities and responsibilities, I

wasn’t ready to face my inner demons. At home I was taught to be conscientious and

hardworking, but part of me just wanted to have fun. I had access to freedom right in front of me

in my neighborhood and at my high school. Although I knew better I was influenced and at times

sought out adventures that for a short but significant time, threw me off track. There were people

that I considered to be my friends, but in reality even though we might have been walking down

the same path, we did not share the same goals or values. I needed to take charge of the next

chapter in my life, and those discouraging voices no longer mattered. They no longer hindered

my progression. My journey of becoming a responsible adult requires me to believe in the power

that I possess within, doing what is best for my life, family, and community by striving to

achieve higher education.

One of the first challenges in my story begins with high school when I started cutting

class. Ultimately, I wouldn’t be here writing this paper if it wasn’t for me acknowledging my
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mistakes, not only as a student but as a whole individual. I had to recognize that I was creating

my own problems. During this point in my life, I was attending El Camino High School. When

first entering this space, I felt in control. I felt determined and ready to get through the school

year strong, but that all changed very quickly. I began to hang with the wrong crowd. These

people that I thought were my friends had no real goals or motives to go to school, so the more I

hung out with them, the more I started to feel that same energy. I began resenting school and

eventually no longer wanted to be there. That soon lead to ditching. What started as just ditching

one period for one day a week soon led to missing full days, multiple times a week. I went as far

as blocking the schools number on my moms phone so that she wouldn’t get daily calls of me not

attending class. I was so caught up in the thrill of it that I lost sight of everything that was

important.

After going down this road for two and a half years, I knew I needed to change my ways.

I didn’t know who I was. My mom didn’t know who I was. My siblings didn’t know who I was.

I was supposed to be a good big brother and lead by example, but I was doing the complete

opposite. Since I was never home, the connection of having a family was no longer there. I spent

almost a whole summer away from home out doing my own thing, which wasn’t benefitting me

in any way. I finally came to my senses and knew that I needed to separate myself from these

people and this environment. I warily expressed to my mom that I wasn’t happy at my school

and would soon reach a breaking point if I didn’t leave. She was supportive and wanted me to do

what was best for my success and well-being. She suggested attending the MiraCosta

Community Learning Center, mentioning how it was a much smaller school and most students

would be older. From that moment I knew this was the space I was meant to be. Then, on March

10, 2017, without telling anyone of my “friends”, I unenrolled from El Camino High School.
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When I knew that I would no longer be attending that school, it felt like a huge boulder being

lifted from my chest. I could finally breathe; this was the start to a new beginning of building on

my life.

What I thought would be an easy fix, wasn’t so easy. Even after leaving, I still had to

deal with people's judgments and comments about my decision . They wouldn’t understand why

I made this transition. All they were worried about was fun and games. They wanted me to stay

where I was, live in the now, without thinking about the consequences of my actions. Instead, I

decided to think about the future, and how crucial it was to start making the right decisions now,

rather than later. By changing my mindset and environment, I was able to come out of this dark

place and start living my life the way I wanted without letting the opinions of others influence

me. It didn’t matter if they believed in me or not because I believed in myself. When you believe

in yourself then everything feels possible, you become unstoppable. It is, without a doubt, one of

the greatest feelings ever.

Finally, after leaving El Camino I enrolled into the MiraCosta Community Learning

Center which is an adult high school where you can receive your high school diploma. From

there I flourished. I now had hope for the future. I understood how important it was to work hard

so that I could have a good life. I was becoming more intune with myself and I could feel how

this space was drastically different from where I was before. Most of the people in my class were

older so I didn’t have to deal with the immaturity of high schoolers. I had confidence in myself

for what felt like the first time ever. I was setting goals, and as I reached them it pushed me to set

even more. One of my biggest goals was to get to the main campus of MiraCosta to start taking

college courses. After spending 3 terms at the Community Learning Center and getting A’s in

every class, I knew I was ready to move up.

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There were steps to be taken to get into the college since I was still technically a junior in

high school. My mother’s awareness of this educational opportunity stemmed from her own

experiences of being a concurrently enrolled student when she was in high school. I simply

needed to take the steps to make it happen. First, I had to meet with the Dean of Counseling and

get her signature of approval saying that I was ready to start taking college courses. After that I

had to take the math and English placement test. I passed them and I was officially able to start

my college education in spring of 2018, a year and a half ahead of my graduating class. To add

onto all of the good that was happening, one of the most important things that happened was

rebuilding the relationship with my mom. The relationship that we have now is undescribable.

She is my best friend and biggest inspiration. And now my siblings are all over me since I’m

home more. I look at them and see how being a good big brother is important and beneficial to

their lives. I am part of an amazing team, my little family.

In conclusion, if I hadn’t corrected myself as an individual, then I wouldn’t be here today.

If I would’ve listened to what the toxic people around me had to say and let them determine my

worth, then I wouldn’t be here today. It took a lot not to feed into what my peers were saying and

doing, but I did it. And now, I’m better than ever. I believe by putting in work, and staying

dedicated and committed to what it is you’re trying to do, everything will workout. It's about

understanding that you are fully capable of doing anything you put your mind, heart, and soul

into. Never limit yourself, or let what others say define who you are, because YOU know who

you are. I think it is vital to remember that everything happens for a reason and we have to take

responsibility for our actions and be conscientious about how we are going to live in this

complex life. We may not always understand the meaning of such critical moments but I trust

that our future can be led to something even greater.

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September 11, 2018

Amir Naranjo
1 Barnard Drive
Oceanside, CA 92056

Dear Mr. Naranjo:

Many people face difficulties in life, but you have managed to persevere to get where you are
today. Getting into college was no easy feat, but you did it. The negative naysayers were no help
to the progression that you were trying to make. They wanted you to stay where you were; in the
toxic environment that made you lose sight of what was right. The negative influencers seemed
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to have control over your life, impacting every decision that you made, from ditching school to
sneaking out. But now you are in complete control. A bright and happy future is possible by
making conscientious decisions. To successfully navigate your way through college, you need to
improve time management skills, work on studying, and perfect the use of rhetorical strategies.
All of these tools will be beneficial to your success in college.

You don’t know how precious time is until it’s gone. So ask yourself, are you using your time
wisely? To avoid stress, life friction, and easy mistakes, you can do better to manage your time.
Having good time management is a valuable asset when getting through college and life. By
properly managing daily tasks, you are able to clearly and efficiently do what needs to get done.
This means working on specific goals ahead of time, which can benefit your productivity. Try
your best to avoid doing things last minute, as it can minimize the quality of your work by
causing you to forget important details, creating more work and stress. Being concise and
thoughtful with well planned steps can help make way for more free time that can be used in
other meaningful ways. A critical first step in becoming more aware of your time is to pinpoint
where your time is being used the most. Once you do this, you will be shocked at how much time
is wasted on frivolous things. Now, create a list of things to do on a calendar or specified
notebook. This will require some focused time to thoroughly brainstorm short-term and long-
term goals. This list can include; scheduled calls, appointments, school work, and personal
chores. For example in your English class, your syllabus has all assignment due dates. With this,
you can visually see when assignments will be do and how much time you have to work on
them, then implement them into your schedule. Being aware of every task or activity is a vital
skill that takes time to master. This process is important as you make visual connections between
goals, actions, and results. Small achievements can be celebrated by crossing off what has been
done, and will surely motivate you to do even more. This list should be updated regularly so that
you are always clear about what needs to be done and where you are headed. Time management
is a powerful tool that can make the difference between success and failure, so don’t take it for
granted.

Another important component to successfully get through college is studying, which is often
neglected. Studying not only prepares you for a test or assignment, but it also helps with fully
understanding what is being taught. By constantly reviewing in small short intervals, rather than
all at once, you are able to retain the information, then anoint it to everyday life. Studying can be
applied to the “Habits of Mind” chart under “Striving for Accuracy” because studying eventually
leads to preciseness which creates more ways to improve your knowledge of the subject. Another
study tip is to find a designated schoolwork place to let your brain know that it’s study time.
Constantly looking over topics that have been discussed in class keeps everything fresh and
fundamentally formulates your mind to better understand the material. Also, figuring out what
kind of studying works best for you is essential. This could consist of rewriting notes, making
flashcards of key concepts, or re-reading the material. Since you aren’t being tested in your
English class, reviewing notes, class discussions, and powerpoints can keep you prepared on a
regular basis. Another useful way of studying could be with classmates. This is helpful because
you are able to learn from your companions, while also reteaching anything that someone might
not know. Keeping everything fresh in mind is a huge factor that should be incorporated into
everyday college life. Being mindful and thinking critically about how to also apply new
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knowledge and skills is really exciting. I see how little steps contribute to a powerful whole in
becoming successful in life and as a student.

Lastly, mastering the use of rhetorical strategies is crucial. Rhetorical strategies is a way to
sharpen your understanding of complicated texts. To do this, you need to look beyond the text. In
“Rhetorical Reading Strategies and the Construction of Meaning”, Haas and Flower, two college
professors, define rhetorical strategies as “...trying to account for author’s purpose, context, and
effect on the audience.”(130) Haas and Flower created an experiment which evaluated
experienced readers to non-experienced readers and one of the biggest differing factors was the
use of Rhetorical Strategies. The experienced readers used rhetoric to better understand the texts
purpose, while the non-experienced readers were looking solely for facts rather than purpose.
The experiment was meant for college students to see the legitimate science of how Rhetorical
Strategies can be used. To impose this method, you have to utilize cues in the text and use your
own previous knowledge to infer the rhetorical situation within the text. For example, in your
English class you have had to use rhetorical strategies like ethos, pathos, and logos to figure out
the deeper meaning in texts such as Christopher Reeve’s speech, and Donald Murray “All
writing is Autobiography.” Haas and Flowers rhetorical situation opened my eyes to the realness
that rhetorical reading is an important element in the larger process of critical reading. As you
move up in your college education, readings will only get harder so it’s imperative that you can
apply this strategy to your own college coursework to be successful. Taking a moment to reflect
on content with various contexts refines insight and understanding.

Mr. Naranjo, I hope that you are able to implement these strategies within your college
education. I can promise that you will not regret it. They will further your success and make
college a little more bearable. I have faith that you can use these as an advantage to prosper
through your personal, educational, and professional life journey. Always remember that little
steps count and that the process of taking those steps is when learning and growth truly happens.

With Respect,

Amir Naranjo

Revision Table Narrative Essay

Reviewer Comment from Reviewer Revisions I made that address the

Name comment or things I did not address
and the reason why
Prof. Add a clearer thesis A clear, concise thesis statement was
Webb statement at the end of added (last sentence)
your first paragraph

Prof. More about March 10th! Added more background story about
Webb Did your mom know? Who how I told my mom and her reaction
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helped you make that
decision

Prof. People that you were Went further into depth about the
Webb describing in your opening people in my story. How they influenced
more clearly defined! Who me.
are they? What was their
voice? I believe it is the
people who did not want
you to simultaneously
enroll in high school and
college.

Prof. Add some clearer topic Added a clearer topic sentence to my

Webb sentences to your 2nd paragraph. Still working on this
paragraphs. part.

Prof. How far ahead of time? Can I addressed all of these topics in my
Webb you use an example from time management paragraph and
our class to map out when provided examples of how to manage
you would work on time and things to include on a list of
something based upon things to do
when it is due? Look at the
syllabus to do that. Where
are you writing down when
you should be working on
things?
Prof. Also, demonstrate that you I provided examples of texts that we
Webb have learned to read have read in class and how we used
rhetorically. We have done rhetoric. I also mentioned who Haas
several assignments in and Flower were and who they were
class where you had to writing too.
assess a writer’s rhetorical
situation. Who are Haas
and Flower? Who are they
writing to?

Things I still need to work more on after today’s writing workshop: I feel pretty happy
about how my essay has turned out. I took a lot of time to ensure that everything was
present in the essay. I wouldn't have been able to do it without your thorough feedback!
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Works Cited

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. “Habits of Mind.” 28 Aug.

2014, https://habitsofmind.org/single-page-summary1/

Haas, Christina, and Linda Flower. “Rhetorical Reading Strategies and the Construction

of Meaning.” Writing About Writing: A College Reader, edited by Elizabeth Wardel, and

Doug Downs, Bedford/St. Martins, 2010, pp. 120-138.

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