My name is Mary Catherine, I am 22-years-old and the eldest of four children. I believe that most people who know me, would agree that I am not your average "eldest child." I am not a natural leader, I am not driven to be the best, nor am I a perfectionist. I am a loving, laid-back woman, who tends to be a people pleaser. In result, school has never been my strongest point. Growing up, I was a natural athlete, whether the sport was soccer, tennis or golf. However, the passion was never there and instead of focusing on becoming a better player, I cared more about making my coaches and team mates laugh. This characteristic seemed to be a common theme in school as well. I was accepted to ASU my senior year of High School and with college only one month away, I decided not to go. Even though I knew it was the best decision for me at the time, I had truly let my parents down. I was in a rut and had no idea who I was as a person, or what I wanted to do in life. After I attempted to become a business woman, a retail associate and an interior designer, I finally decided my career goal. I wanted to go to work every day excited and I wanted to help people. I attended PIMA medical institute and just after 8 months of schooling, I was a registered Medical Assistant. For the first time in my life, I felt proud and excited about what I was doing. I soon was offered a job during my internship and continued to work hard for many months. Although I enjoyed my job, my skills were limited and I didn't feel like I was able to do the things that I wanted to do. I quickly decided that the nursing field would be perfect for me and as a result I started my pre requirements at Everett Community College this year.
English 101D has not been an easy class, to say the least. However, this class has been a great challenge for me and the information that I have retrieved over this last quarter has been remarkable. I am so glad that I took a Diversity English class over a regular English class, as the tasks and assignments have made me reach outside my comfort zone and think about life situations in a more profound way. The three units contained in English 101D were identity, community, and tradition.
Identity: This unit was by far my favorite of all this quarter. The Identity section pushed my boundaries as I reflected on the way we define not only ourselves but others as well. It drove me to ask the question, “Who am I?” “Why am I this way?” and “Why do we judge others?” It forced me to look past all of the physical attributes that we pay so much attention to and look deeper into who we are inside. I truly believe that because of this Identity section, I am more aware of the way I view others. I am also mindful of the way others may view me, due to my actions in life.
Community: This unit was very interesting, as I felt like I was most active in the group and individual assignments. A community is so important in life, as it is not only where people live, but how people live. It is the place where people feel the most comfortable, or where they feel the most uncomfortable. There are hundreds of thousands of communities in this world and I have learned that we can spend our whole life searching for that perfect community where we feel as one with each other.
Tradition: This unit was probably the most difficult for me this quarter. Tradition is not something that is important in my family and unfortunately I do not use tradition to express who I am as a person. However, this unit opened up my eyes and truly taught me the importance of tradition. This unit generated an appreciation that I never had for those who lived and followed by tradition.
All in all, this class has been quite extraordinary. I feel so blessed that I was able to be a part of such a challenging, organized and attentive class. Not only did I learn a lot about my writing skills, but I grew more aware of the outside world. I never thought that an English class would have such an impact on my life, but I must say that I know view the world a little bit differently. I am more aware and conscious of what is going on around me, as well as more responsive to life situations.
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