Brandon Aguilar

Tasche Bryant
WRT 104
11.19.16
Final Portfolio
The learning outcomes were set so that the student can understand the rhetorical situation,
better their composition processes and practices master conventions and craft. My journey of
becoming proficient at number of these outcomes has led me to become a more active writer who
writes in context, is conscious of how I write and is aware of the rhetoric. The learning outcomes
which ive mastered because of this class are 1a, 1b, 1c, 2b, 2c, and 3b.
Learning outcome 1a states that, Students recognize that different rhetorical situations
(audiences, purposes, contexts) call for different types of writing. When my partner and I
outlined our OPED we explicitly stated the rhetoric. When we stated the audience we indicated
how we intend to write and why.
Problem: Cellphones harming people when they sleep near their phone.
Purpose: Warn students about cellphone placement in rooms whilst
they sleep
limit: 800-1200 words
Sources color coded
AUDIENCE: Blackstone Students (Keep intellectually stimulating
but remember age ranges, dont make this sciency!)

To show how we wrote in out OPED I present the following excerpt. The
piece is an opinionated editorial, that means that it shouldnt be research heavy. In
order to take into account our academic audience though, we still made sure we
supported our claims with reason.

Unfortunately, human studies and actual studies showing that cell

phones can actually cause biological harm are miniscule.
However, a prominent fear of cellphone radiation and its negative
effects exists, especially in the long term and in regards to cancer.
However, theres been no research that proves cell phone use
causes cancer; in fact, the links to any kind of health risk arent
yet clear. In general, cell phones are said to give off such small
doses of electromagnetic radiationwhich is also emitted from
X-rays and microwaves and can lead to tumor growth in high
amountsthat theyre perfectly safe to handle. Still, the World
Health Organization warned in 2011 that usage may be possibly
carcinogenic to humans, especially in children, whose scalps and
skulls are thinner than adults, and more vulnerable to radiation
(Chatterjee). Now, who would want to reduce their personal
biological safety to a mere perhaps. Also, recall that 72%
Blackstone students and faculty are exposed to considerable
amounts of cellphone radiation, exposure considerably increased
by sleeping in close proximity to their cell phones. . Whats more
is that this radiation doesnt only have miniscule and theoretic

negative impacts. The impacts are real, and they originate from
devices that we have become inseparable from. Or rather, these
impacts originate with cellular reception.

Another piece of my writing which shows that I recognize the rhetorical situation and
write accordingly is my critique. It is because I know that a critique isnt as formal as a report or
research paper that I made a reference from pop culture in the following paragraph of my
critique. I was also aware that the reader probably would have seen the movie Wall-E and knows
the decadent/glutinous connotation La z Boy recliners carry. I recognized the situation and wrote
accordingly in order to be slightly wity.
If you have ever scene the movie Wall-E you may remember the
humans in the giant Noahs-arc-esque ship. Aside from being a
comedic critique of modern humans these people were figures that
clearly depict what we hope to portray the ultimate form of Magic.
We will be stuck on a hovering Lazy Boy recliner with nihilistic
attitudes towards aesthetic ideals, morality, ethics and all things
other than our hedonistic and animalistic tendencies. But we must
remember what happened in the movie. It wasnt until the captain
became aware of humankinds history and joined another human
that the peoplistic tendencies and constructs returned. It was this
idea that left viewer at ease.

Learning outcome 1b wants students [to] practice different types of writing appropriate
to different rhetorical situations (audience, purposes, contexts). When writing my report I knew
that it would be appropriate to supply quantitative evidence to prove my point. It is because of
this that the following excerpt from my report is dense with statistics.
Historically, a judges religion correlates with a trend in
their voting pattern. According to Sorauf in his analysis of 67
church-state cases from both state and federal cases in 1951 to
1971, in nonunanimous appellate cases, where Jewish judges
voted for separation 82.4% of the time, compared to 56.1% for
conservative Protestants (e.g., Baptist, Methodist), 48.7% for
liberal Protestants (e.g., Episcopalians, Presbyterians), and 15.6%
for Catholics; but the trend was present in unanimous appellate
cases and for trial court judges as well (Bornstein, Miller 114).
What this means is that Jewish judges tend to vote for secularism,
Catholic judges against and Protestant judges split. This strong
correlation between Catholic judges and non secularism reveals a
fundamental presence of religion in judging.

Learning outcome 1 c states expects, students [to] reflect upon and explain the
appropriateness of their choices for the rhetorical situation.

To mention my partner and Is OPED again, we decided the rhetorical situation to be for
the Blackstone Academy community therefore we thought it would be appropriate for us to write
partially academically. The reason why we chose the audience we did is because we know how
engrossed students are with their phones, therefore we thought it would be appealing for them to
read facts they didnt know about their phone. We led the readers on with a narrative and then we
went on with the specifics. We didnt use jargon excessively nor did we get into procedures.
Learning outcome 2b states that, students practice various methods of invention,
collaboration, research, ethical incorporation of sources, peer review, and revision.
My partner and I collaborated exceptionally well on our outline for out OPED. For sake
of saving space I abridged our in depth outline: it looks as follows.
ALY Intro
-

Establish ourselves as teens that sleep with their cell phones near
-

their heads during the night (nighstand).

Introduce the idea that sleeping with phones near your body is
biologically harmfulful
Give data showing that students at BACS sleep with their phone
near their body at night
- Thesis
ALY -biological harms paragraph 1 outline
-> Radiation
ALY biological harms paragraph 2 outline
-> radiation continued
Brandon-biological harms paragraph 3 outline
-sleep cycle alteration
Brandon -biological harms paragraph 4 outline

->sleep deprivation
Brandon Conclusion:
- Solutions

As you can see, we wrote down who is going to write what. In our unabridged version we
also implemented quotations and statistics which we were going to incorporate. Working
together allowed us to make a helpful outline and ultimately a well written paper.
Another way that I met learning outcome 2b is by citing what Justice Thomas said in
Supreme Court case Obergefell V. Hodges directly in my report paper. By doing so I ethically
incorporated sources in my paper because instead of giving the reader my interpretation of what
Justice Thomas said, I let the reader see first hand the words of Justice Thomas. I respected
Justice Thomas by not misinterpreting what he meant to say.

On page 94 of the Supreme Court case Justice Thomas said. Our

Constitution like the Declaration of Independence before it
was predicated on a simple truth: Ones liberty, not to mention
ones dignity, was something to be shielded from not provided
by the State. Todays decision casts that truth aside. In its haste
to reach a desired result, the majority misapplies a clause focused
on due process to afford substantive rights, disregards the most
plausible understanding of the liberty protected by that clause,
and distorts the principles on which this Nation was founded. Its
decision will have inestimable consequences for our Constitution
and our society.(Obergefell V. Hodges 94),

Learning outcome 2c wants, students [to] describe and analyze their different methods
of invention, collaboration, research, ethical incorporation of sources, peer review, and revision.
I believe I made a crucial revision in my critique paper when I added the following excerpt.
Our peoplism, a term which we wish to use that is
analogous to humanism except that it focuses on human
interaction and thinks of human interaction as a defining factor for
what it means to be a people rather than a person, becomes at risk
when we self alienate ourselves. Services that are meant to make
life easier are quickly becoming the means to destroy our
peoplism.
Before I added this brief paragraph which introduces my idea of Peoplism , the reader
would have been confused when I spoke about peoplism. This revision made for better writing
on my part because I made what I mean explicit and clear.
Another way that I met learning outcome 2c is through my citations in my OPED. I
wasnt necessary to go through the whole formalism but my partner and I thought it should be
put in because without we wouldnt be completely giving credit to those who worked hard to
produce the knowledge then did. Therefore I think I met the outcome by citing work I didnt
have to.
Works Cited
Chatterjee, Camille. "3 Reasons Not to Sleep With Your Phone in
the Bed." Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health. 29 July
2014. Web. 15 Dec. 2015.

Group, Edward. "10 Shocking Facts about the Health Dangers of

Wi-Fi."Dr Groups Natural Health Organic Living Blog. Global
Healing Center, 2 Apr. 2014. Web. 15 Dec. 2015.
<http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/10-shockingfacts-health-dangers-wif

Lean, Geoffrey. "Mobile Phone Radiation Wrecks Your Sleep."

The Independent. Independent Digital News and Media, 19 Jan.
2009. Web. 15 Dec. 2015.
Learning outcome 3b expects that, Students practice a range of styles, registers, and
conventions. I would say that in the following paragraph, which is from my profile on Felicia,
Pawtucket public coordinator of substance abuse prevention programs, shows that I can write in
a narrative style. In this specific moment in the profile I am briefly explaining to the reader some
to Felicias background. I introduced the means by which I acquired her story (phone call) and
then went on to explain her relationship with her grandmother. The last sentence, which says how
Felicea was influenced by her grandmother, serves as a transition to the next paragraph which
describes Felicia's reaction to a new school environment.
I spoke to Felicia on the phone the day she arrived back home
from her trip to the caribbean and she told me that she lived in
Liberia until she was 12. Once she moved in with her grandmother,
who adopted many kids in order to give them a second chance, she
was was exposed to her grandmother's selfless tendencies. She

explained how she had inherited her grandmother's love for

helping people. Her grandmother often said, Lifes not just about
getting what you want. Youre born with what youre born with but
what are you going to do with that. Her grandmother was also a
supportive person who gave kids the support and confidence they
needed to continue on. She was heavily influenced by what her.
In my critique though, I decided to have a more philosophical style of writing. Words and
phrases like human value, hedonistic interface, alienate and differance all indicate that I
am using philosophical language and structure.
The danger in such a change though is that by minimizing human
interaction we slowly diminish our human value into an almost
hedonistic interface and also alienate all humans involved. If such
a trend were to evolve to the point that we isolate our experience to
a pure technological interface we will then turn into premature
cyborgs. The reasons that we call we call ourselves humans is
because we are significantly different from everything else; our
biology, constructs and systems are different from that of plants,
minerals and animals. We are not ones to speak for what others
value, but we do wish that people deeply evaluate and think about
what they want because what will ultimately implicate from a
solely technological extreme version of Magic which has a 1:1
demand/service is drastic enough change for phenomenon Derrida
calls differance to occur and change humans to cyborgs.

Aly Gamee
Brandon Aguilar
Tasche Bryant
WRT 104
12.11.15

A Bath of Radiation

The smartphone, arguably one of the 21st centurys greatest inventions. Simply looking
around, most individuals, adults and teens alike, carry around the latest devices, smartphones
included. As mobile technology advances and increases in popularity, so do fears of
technological harm, biologically and otherwise. A recent and somewhat unpopular phenomenon
is the fear of mobile phone radiation and its possible negative effects on the human body. It is
important for schools such as Blackstone Academy to educate students on the dangers of
technology as it all advances.

Smartphones & Radiation 72% of Blackstone students and faculty sleep with their phones
near their head at night. Lets think about that number for a moment. 72% of Blackstone
Academy students and faculty are exposed to cellphone radiation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
assuming that cellphones are always on the person of these individuals at all times. Aside from
the staggering relationship held with cellphones, a presiding danger from radiation exposure
exists. The topic of radiation harm from cell phones is controversial however, there is
overwhelming evidence suggesting that cell phones do indeed have biological effects on the
human body. Before diving into why or how radiation, electromagnetic radiation to be exact, is
dangerous lets skim over an eye-opening case. A young 21-year-old woman had developed
breast cancer. What makes [her] case unique was that her family did not have a predisposition to
breast cancer and she developed the tumor right on the spot she carried her cell phone in her
bra (Group). Although human studies are relatively rare, one must not ignore the fact that
cellphones pump out electromagnetic radiation whenever theyre on. On must also not forget that
the age group most susceptible to this radiation are teens and adolescents, growing teens and

adolescents. Electromagnetic radiation has been shown to affect growth patterns, and this
exposure isnt limited to cell phones. It also includes WiFi. Go figure. It is shocking to hear that,
exposure to non-thermal radio frequency radiation from Wi-Fi and cellular phones can disrupt
normal cellular development, especially fetal development. [In fact,] a 2004 animal study linked
exposure to delayed kidney development. These findings were supported by a 2009 Austrian
study. The disruption of protein synthesis [was] so severe that authors specifically noted, this
cell property is especially pronounced in growing tissues, that is, in children and youth (Group).
Yet, If these effects were so evident and valid, wouldnt cell phone manufactures have taken
affirmative action in improving their products to pose a lesser risk to the human body?

Unfortunately, human studies and actual studies showing that cell phones can actually
cause biological harm are miniscule. However, a prominent fear of cellphone radiation and its
negative effects exists, especially in the long term and in regards to cancer. However, theres
been no research that proves cell phone use causes cancer; in fact, the links to any kind of health
risk arent yet clear. In general, cell phones are said to give off such small doses of
electromagnetic radiationwhich is also emitted from X-rays and microwaves and can lead to
tumor growth in high amountsthat theyre perfectly safe to handle. Still, the World Health
Organization warned in 2011 that usage may be possibly carcinogenic to humans, especially in
children, whose scalps and skulls are thinner than adults, and more vulnerable to radiation
(Chatterjee). Now, who would want to reduce their personal biological safety to a mere perhaps.
Also, recall that 72% Blackstone students and faculty are exposed to considerable amounts of
cellphone radiation, exposure considerably increased by sleeping in close proximity to their cell
phones. . Whats more is that this radiation doesnt only have miniscule and theoretic negative

impacts. The impacts are real, and they originate from devices that we have become inseparable
from. Or rather, these impacts originate with cellular reception.

One may describe cell phones as brainwashing. Ironically, using MRI technology,
research performed just last year (2013) found that persons exposed to 4G radiation had several
areas of reduced brain activity (Group). Effects extend to fertility which is, terrifying, to say the
least. The results of an animal study suggest that some wireless frequencies may prevent egg
implantation. During the study, mice exposed 2 hours a day for 45 days had significantly
increased oxidative stress levels. The cellular damage and impact on DNA structure from
exposure suggests a strong possibility of abnormal pregnancy or failure of the egg to implant
(Group). Thus, it comes to no surprise that the Karolinska Institute in Sweden released a
warning in 2011, stating, Current US [and Canada]standards for radio frequency and
microwave radiation from wireless technology are entirely inadequate. Heart racing? Well, then
theres this. If you think your heart races when surrounded by wireless networks or 3G or LTE
cell phones, it may not be in your head. A study involving 69 subjects reported that many of them
experienced a real physical response to electromagnetic frequencies. Exactly what was the
physical response? Increased heart rate similar to the heart rate of an individual under stress
(Group). Electromagnetic radiation from cellphones also affects sleep, arguably the most
important self-healing bodily process.

Sleep is broken down in three sections, the introductory, deep sleep and REM; it is during
the deep sleep stage though where most of the resting and rebuilding occurs, In a study
conducted on 35 men and 36 women all between the ages of 18 and 45 where some were
exposed to radiation from cell phone use and others not, The people who had received the

radiation took longer to enter the first of the deeper stages of sleep, and spent less time in the
deepest one(Lean). This is meaningful because it means that the quality of sleep one would get
diminishes by having a cell phone emit radiation. Even if a desirable amount of hours sleep is
met, the benefits reeked won't be as expected.

A group of 9th grade Danish kids decided to conduct an experiment in which they placed
Garden Cress in a room with radiation equal to that emitted by cell phones and another set in a
room free of radiation after having difficulty concentrating and suspecting it could be attributed
to the cell phones near their head when they slept. The Garden Cress which was in the radiationfree room grew normally while the Garden Cress which was in the radiated room didnt grow
(Group). Even though humans arent Garden Cress, the findings are startling. The experiment
indicated that cell growth is being affected, even if we are different it doesnt make us immune to
a similar cell interaction. With enough exposure humans can be experience similar effects, Cell
growth is vital to body development in teens and if prevented from occurring can be dangerous
and risky to health. This cell growth disparity can be aided by taking simples measures which
dont require eliminating cellphone use. Using text messages rather than phone calls will lower
the radiation emitted. If calling is the only option then using an earpiece or using the
speakerphone option to call will lower the exposure to radiation to the head.

In a time where cell phones are essential to our daily lives it will be difficult to make
changes to how we interact with them. The 22% of Blackstone students which don't sleep with
their phones near their body model excellent behavior as they avoid cell phone radiation at night.
Other small steps which can be taken in order to help prevent or lower radiation exposure include
putting your phone to charge at least 2 meters away from your body at night before sleeping. If

you prefer your phone near you, putting your phone on airplane mode at night before you sleep
will stop the electromagnetic waves from transmitting. These are all changes that can be made to
phone interactions in order to prevent possible health risks.

Works Cited
Chatterjee, Camille. "3 Reasons Not to Sleep With Your Phone in the Bed." Health News /
Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health. 29 July 2014. Web. 15 Dec. 2015.

Group, Edward. "10 Shocking Facts about the Health Dangers of Wi-Fi."Dr Groups
Natural Health Organic Living Blog. Global Healing Center, 2 Apr. 2014. Web. 15 Dec. 2015.
<http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/10-shocking-facts-health-dangers-wif

Lean, Geoffrey. "Mobile Phone Radiation Wrecks Your Sleep." The Independent.
Independent Digital News and Media, 19 Jan. 2009. Web. 15 Dec. 2015.

Brandon Aguilar
Hugo Medeiros
Tasch Bryant
WRT 104
Magic: Implicated Diffrence
As technology advances, so does the manner that we humans live. The worlds most
favored systems of travel, entertainment, and nourishment can all be accessed by the miniature
computer that we carry in our pockets every day: our cell phones. As our world becomes more
modern, its expected that well be presented with more opportunities with minimal human

interaction. And based on 2015s most popular services, civilians seem to be ok with that.
Because of Americas obsession for productivity, we seem to want more technological
exclusivity for a faster service. Recently, a service was introduced with the simple purpose of
being a personal assistant of thousands; soon to be millions. The long lists of apps on ones
phone isnt a necessity any longer thanks to a number you can text to ask for whatever youd
like. You can say perhaps that this service works like magic.
Our peoplism, a term which we wish to use that is analogous to humanism except that it
focuses on human interaction and thinks of human interaction as a defining factor for what it
means to be a people rather than a person, becomes at risk when we self alienate ourselves.
Services that are meant to make life easier are quickly becoming the means to destroy our
peoplism.
Before the specialization of labor occurred, people in the paleolithic era had to make
what they wanted from scratch; if they wanted to eat meat they had to build tools, hunt and
create a fire to cook all by themselves. Once societies began forming and grew complex, people
had designated jobs which made the society more efficient; one doesnt have to own all the
means of production to get what they want anymore. Capitalism demands the specialization of
labor to evolve and become more dynamic and demanding. The demand has been so extreme that
humans have become insufficient and inadequate to meet our own standards in some cases. For
example instead of calling to order a pizza and pay using cash, one can order a pizza online via a
computer or app, make a flew clicks on a screen and pay with a credit card. Even we have
ordered from an app called Foodler to deliver a food to us which isnt normally delivered all
because our demands werent met with the the restaurants delivery policy. Another example that
shows the extremity of the demand is that one can have a drone ship Amazon orders and have it

delivered within 2 hours; one day shipping is too slow for the demand of some. This recent trend
in service is eliminating human involvement. Whether one considers this good or bad is simply
preference and perhaps the state of being an introvert or an extrovert.
Quite recently, an app called Uber dominated the online market for its simplicity in use
and its rapid assistance. The free app showed the user a map, pinpointing nearby locations where
its employees (drivers) were located. When the user chose the employee closest to them, the
employee would be notified and sent directions (via GPS) to the users location and where the
user wished to go. Upon entering the Uber, a greeting could be the only words exchanged and
eventually the only human interaction in the service. Because payments are made from the app
using a credit or debit card, physical payments no longer exist, minimizing interaction once
again. The app provides a faster service than taxis by getting rid of physical payment, directions,
and sadly even conversation. Despite what was sacrificed for quicker servicing, the app has been
proven successful because of the minimal risk in programing and communication that exists,
making it a service that gives 1 million rides per day according to Forbes.
Fast paced delivery services have existed for a significant; its not a modernistic form of
getting what you want. Cable men, handymen, drug dealers, etc. are all servicemen that would
come to you to perform the labor that they specialize in for years. Almost all of these services are
old but they represent something much more valuable than just the service itself. These services
almost always happen in the house of the consumer and require conversation either for direction,
thanks, or a farewell until the service is needed again; where as a consumer can have a different
uber drivers every time the service is needed. Magic, the modernized personal assistant, is
exactly the opposite of what we're used to. To be a consumer, one simply has to text the number
on Magics website to access a link. The link will then take you to a webpage where your

account can be made. When an account is created, Magic will text you with its waiting list.
When we last checked, we were number 51,319 on its extensive list of eager and curious
consumers. The service has promised that waiting will not take as long as one might think. But if
you truly can't wait, Magic charges $100/ hour for its endless possibilities of services. Magic
presents a fresh source of competition for competitors and eliminates the necessity of having
apps like foodler, uber, dominos, etc. Magic is the middle man, the nexus for all available labor
in your area that can do what you are willing to pay for.
The danger in such a change though is that by minimizing human interaction we slowly
diminish our human value into an almost hedonistic interface and also alienate all humans
involved. If such a trend were to evolve to the point that we isolate our experience to a pure
technological interface we will then turn into premature cyborgs. The reasons that we call we call
ourselves humans is because we are significantly different from everything else; our biology,
constructs and systems are different from that of plants, minerals and animals. We are not ones to
speak for what others value, but we do wish that people deeply evaluate and think about what
they want because what will ultimately implicate from a solely technological extreme version of
Magic which has a 1:1 demand/service is drastic enough change for phenomenon Derrida calls
differance to occur and change humans to cyborgs.
Dissenters may argue that services will never completely displace human interactions
because with their newly allotted time, they can then use it to spend time with other. In addition
dissenters may argue that humans will always be behind the technology therefore services and
technology only serve as a medium for human interaction. Such arguments though pale in
comparison to the severity of the evolution of services and technology. The sole purpose of
services and technology is to make the life of humans more productive. Once the idea that

services and technologies are supposed to make everything more efficient and effective the
services and technologies themselves need to be more productive and effective thus making a
necessary cycle of improvements. It is this cycle which will inevitable and necessarily make
services and technology take over many of the roles humans normally have. This is the change
which I say will cause differance to occur.

If you have ever scene the movie Wall-E you may remember the humans in the giant
Noahs-arc-esque ship. Aside from being a comedic critique of modern humans these people
were figures that clearly depict what we hope to portray the ultimate form of Magic. We will be
stuck on a hovering Lazy Boy recliner with nihilistic attitudes towards aesthetic ideals, morality,
ethics and all things other than our hedonistic and animalistic tendencies. But we must remember
what happened in the movie. It wasnt until the captain became aware of humankinds history
and joined another human that the peoplistic tendencies and constructs returned. It was this idea
that left viewer at ease.

Brandon Aguilar
Tasche Bryant
URI WRT 104
Part Time Everything: Felicia Smith
Knowledge is an undeniable power. The more we know the more empowered we then
are. If we arent more than superficially rational then we can be subject to systematic and
structural manipulation and control. The youth is especially exposed to ads and constructs meant
to manipulate them into abusing substances like drugs and alcohol. Because the youth have ripe
minds then they are especially prone to developing inappropriate behavior with these substances.
Thankfully though there are people in our community to prevent detrimental behavior to occur.
Felicia Smith finds time to help the cause; she is a noble woman who courageously does social
work to help out those in need of help. Her empowerment of people is what we need for a fair
and just society.
Felicia Smith is an African American woman with glowing black skin and a humble
presence which demands respect. Her smile can penetrate any barrier and the way she dresses
can always be seen as fashionable. She graduated from RIC with a bachelor's degree in social
work and currently works as a Program Coordinator for substance abuse prevention for the state.

Her intended job is just teaching people the curriculum of the class so that they can teach. In
addition to that Felicia reports to the state. However because of understaffing, she is also the one
implementing the program at Blackstone Academy and Pawtucket Academy. It must also be
noted that Felicia has a husband and a child and a social life outside of her workplace.
I was a student of her class Powerful Teens my freshman year at Blackstone Academy.
The class revolves around the dangers of substance abuse, effective communication skills and
how to deal with domestic affairs; in a nutshell, it is class which prepares us for the internal side
of life; the internal side being the private, personal, intimate and non-objective side which has to
deal with your own and close ones lives. I left each class impressed and inspired by Felicia and
her character. She always greeted the class with a warm smile and a happy vibe permeating from
her being. Despite the sometimes darker topics we went over, there was always a wholesome
tieback to the discussion.
When we see Felicia now we are greeted by her warm kindness and wit. Her enthusiasm
inspires and her satisfaction with life makes itself present. Each class was full of jokes and a fun
time. However, Felicia wasnt always this happy with her life and dedicated to the community.
The development of this Felicia is an inspiring story.
I spoke to Felicia on the phone the day she arrived back home from her trip to the
caribbean and she told me that she lived in Liberia until she was 12. Once she moved in with her
grandmother, who adopted many kids in order to give them a second chance, she was was
exposed to her grandmother's selfless tendencies. She explained how she had inherited her
grandmother's love for helping people. Her grandmother often said, Lifes not just about getting
what you want. Youre born with what youre born with but what are you going to do with that.

Her grandmother was also a supportive person who gave kids the support and confidence they
needed to continue on. It is this philosophy which Felicia was influenced by.
She encountered serious culture shock when she attended school. She told me she was
confused with the way people would act and how they were able to get away with it. If one were
to act the same in Liberia they would be quickly disciplined. What baffled her the most though is
that people would be mean to each other and make exclusive cliques. She would often wonder,
Why dont we all just work together?. Felicia had to transcend this high school facade to
understand the structure because no one was there to help her figure it out.
We can see from this experience that this was when Felicia began to develop her
worldview and philosophy. Looking back at her past, she had wished there was someone to help
her out and simply give her a heads up of about life. It is for that reason that he dedicates her life
to givings kids the opportunities she wished she had. She wants to give kids the heads up, the
subtle yet meaningful praise to continue on, the this is what would help speech and the this is
how to avoid that speech, As she puts it, Lifes going to kick your butt but effective
communication can help. I just want to teach kids skills so that they can be contributors of
society. She brings in people from the community who have gone through different paths in life
to talk to the youth. Whether they be police officers or former substance abuser, she hopes that
they can help her students stay away from substance abuse.
It's nice to know that people are available who love what would never leave. She says
that there is no amount of money which would make her change careers. She calls this moment
in her life her best. Just work is the most satisfying to Felicia.
Felicia is part of a cycle of community leaders and meaningful societal contributors
which must continue so that we can progress as society. Her grandmother influenced her and her

many others. This exponential growth of selfless people will lead to a community of good
people. She is passing on the torch of positivity onto future torch holders.
Felicia has a kid and a husband and lives a normal life as a civilian. She has friends and
family whom she spends time with. Despite all these responsibilities she still manages to give all
her effort into everything. Nothing of what she does is hindered. She can be thought of as a
simple civilian, going about just like the rest of us, except that she's a vital part of our
community, making sure the youth stay on the right path.