Dear Jane,

Looking back at this semester, I can somewhat say I’ve changed a lot as a writer. At the start, I didn’t really think of myself as a writer. Writing just felt like just another writing assignment I had to get out of the way and to get a grade. But this class and everything that came with it, from the assignments to the peer reviews to your feedback has helped me see that writing can actually be personal, powerful, and a way to express myself.

There was one piece I’m really proud of and that’s my visual essay. I had never made a video for a class before so it was pretty new to me. I was excited but also kinda overwhelmed only because I didn’t know what to include like the audio was giving me problems since I had a hard time choosing from two audios and I was always second guessing myself on what made sense. But in the end, I got through it and I’m pretty proud of what I made. It made me think about more than just writing, it showed me how to tell a story with pictures and sounds that can feel really different and more powerful.

What made the visual essay even more special to me was how it showed everything I had been learning like how to organize my ideas, who I was writing for, why it mattered, and how to show feelings. I had to think about tone and what image would make someone feel something. I had to think carefully about everything and that was new for me. Usually, I would just write and be done. But this time, I had to really slow down and think about what I wanted to say and how each part helped show that. It reminded me that writing or making a visual piece doesn’t really have to have a certain look to it. It can honestly be FUN for once (crazy).

Another big moment for me was revising my opinion editorial. You gave me feedback that really stuck with me in a way. You told me to make the essay more personal and to move the part about my family up closer to the beginning. Actually the exact feedback you said was, “Consider making the essay more personal. This will appeal to your readers. What is the grave danger you feel? Can you be specific? The section on your family is good. Think about moving the section closer to the article’s beginning. Let readers know earlier in the article that your parents are from Ecuador. Their quotes back up your claims.” At first, I was thinking “What do you mean ‘make the essay more personal’ Like what..?” Because I genuinely thought I made my essay fairly personal. But rereading the essay and the critiques, it made so much sense. Instead of starting with the whole political stuff or whatever, I should’ve started with my own life. You know what it’s like to grow up in New York as the daughter of Ecuadorian immigrants. That one change made my whole opinion editorial essay flow even better and feel more connected and emotional. 

That revision process taught me that writing isn’t just about what you say, it’s also about how or when you say it. Moving that part about my family to the beginning made my argument flow better and I honestly wouldn’t have realized that if it wasn’t for your feedback. I started thinking about how to make my reader feel something and pay attention. I wanted to start strong and make them care right away. Now I try to do that in all my work.

As for my writing process, it has changed a fair amount too. Before this class, I would write a draft, skim through whatever feedback I was given, and submit something last minute with maybe a few edits. And every time I got it back once it was graded, I would get a decent grade, but that was back in highschool and somewhat the first semester of college. But now I actually read the comments, think about them, and really use them in my writing. I even ask my friends and peer review partners what they think before I finish. Actually I thought that peer review used was a waste of time if I’m being honest. But now I get it. The feedback helped me make real changes and giving feedback helped me notice what works in other people’s writing. I’ve learned a lot from both sides of it. Now I care more about how the writing feels and how it sounds to someone else.

I even pay more attention to how writing flows and how each part leads into the next. I started making a little plan before I write which I didn’t do before. It helps me know what I want to say and makes writing a whole lot easier. Sometimes I even say my ideas out loud to see if they make sense. Doing that helps me not get stuck and my writing sounds better now.

At the beginning of the semester, my writing was pretty simple. I didn’t like adding detail because I didn’t want to write more. That or I never really knew what else to write besides whatever comes to mind like right now a bit. But now my writing has more details and it sounds more like me. 

One clear example of how much I’ve changed is in my editorial draft. In the first draft, I had a paragraph starting “Our current president, Donald Trump, hasn’t done much to help either…” But in the final draft, I changed it to “Growing up in New York with immigrant parents from Ecuador, I’ve always lived in fear for both my safety and theirs…” I think that moment helped me see that people like real stories. They want to feel something when reading an article, essay, book, or etc.

Overall, this class taught me how to actually think about my writing like who it is for, how it sounds, and what it says about me. I learned how to revise with purpose, use sources better, and reflect on my growth. I’ve come a long way from just “doing the assignment” to really thinking about what I want to say, how I want to say it, and making sure my writing shows who I am. And I really appreciate that lesson from you so thank you and sorry for causing so much chatter in the back. I love yapping, but hope you have a good break.

Sincerely,
Kelly Suquinagua

Taking your english class in arts and humanities helped me become a better writer and write better essays. I learned how to start with a strong introduction and make sure each paragraph talks about one main idea. Like in my editorial essay, I used what I learned to make my writing more clear and organized. Your feedback helped me make my writing more engaging and more personal in a way. When I made my visual essay, it was hard at first, but I learned how to connect my ideas and tell a story. Now I feel more confident in writing and know how to use what I learned in future schoolwork.