Dear Dr.

Blackburn,

Wow, what a journey it has been the past couple weeks. To think we’re already at this

point in the school year really perpetuates me that my very first semester of college is almost

over. Boy will I tell you,​ t​ he difference in my writing in just one semester is tremendous​. I have

learned more about myself as a writer in these 16 weeks we have spent together.

My process as a writer has evolved as a writer in many ways. I have started to effectively

plan and write papers with more structure and better flow. I have used more advanced

vocabulary to effectively describe any certain situation. I have started to effectively find credible

sources with more specific research to help better find a more effective argument for any piece of

literature.

The essays composed for the class have helped me out not only for the class but also

outside of the class as well. Choosing a broad topic such as food for the theme of the course was

a brilliant idea. I got to write essays that I put a lot of thought and opinion into and enjoyed the

writing process at the same time. I have learned that writing about any topic/issue a person is

very interested in really shows the full potential of that person as a writer. It has helped me

appreciate all forms of literature to see the authors put their pride into what they write.

My writing process has developed more professionally and I started to write out a very

rough rough draft and then edit and renovate the writing accordingly. When I went to the writing

center for my documentary script, I felt much more clear on how to write academically and use

that to my advantage when expressing my ideas. The writing center helped change my writing by

putting more ideas out on paper to then dictate which direction I could head in writing a paper.
The multiple drafts positively affected my work. It displayed what my thought processes were

with each stage of writing. I saw my errors with each draft and carefully adjusted them. I will

continue to embrace writing as a process because no writing will ever reach its full potential

after just one draft. It takes time to make a draft of literature the best it can be with multiple

drafts.

Our work in RC 1000 has expanded my knowledge of writing and learning the

development of writing literature. It has been very effective for me to formulate ideas and

structure with the essays we have written. The writings share a common structure and it makes it

a lot easier to put together your ideas for a topic you want to write about. My strengths I’ve

realized in writing this year was choice of words, organization of writing, grammar and

punctuation, and relating to the purpose of the text. My weaknesses were paragraph structure,

repetition of words in a paragraph, and sentence flow leading into another paragraph.

The aspect of my portfolio that is the strongest is my rhetorical analysis. It is the

strongest because it really goes into depth about my topic and it explains my writing process and

it has a very good structure to the writing. I am most proud of the research-based argument and

the documentary I made for it. It took a couple months of filming to get the videos I wanted and

hours of editing to make the video look complete.

This portfolio goes to show the audience more about my arguments toward my topic of

food and the issues of obesity, it shows the processes I have gone through to achieve my work

and information. My work supports the idea that obesity is a growing problem in the United

States and how it relates to their daily lives and what factors contribute to someone gaining
weight. The solutions I have through dealing with obesity deal with different methods I have

researched and what I have done through personal experience to get in better shape. Readers will

understand the whole process and solution with living a healthier lifestyle and eating cleaner.

This portfolio contributes to the content by making it more organized to understand

different factors of obesity and how common it is among different people in the US. It shows the

culture of eating and what you can do to not be like the rest of Americans to invest yourself in

eating better foods, making smoothies, working out and being happier with your body image,

since body image and self-confidence are a big cultural issue in the US right now.

The amount of information that I have been able to learn this semester is incredible. I

found my writing potential through some small writing activities and warm-ups with writing

topics I was very passionate about. Dr. Blackburn, the impact of this class on me has forever

changed the way I look at language, grammar, and literature. Thank you for this opportunity of

being a student in your class and understanding the importance of ethos, pathos and logos, and

the rhetoric triangle as I further my writing and reading later on in my life.

Best Regards,

Kincade Stalun