14 April 2021

Portfolio Committee
Northern Oklahoma College
English Department
615 North Monroe
Stillwater, Oklahoma 74076

Dear Mrs. Davis,

I have put together a small sample of my composed writings throughout my enrollment

here at Northern Oklahoma College. The writings I have selected have importance to me and
have significance due to the fact they come from the very first paper I wrote continuing to my
final paper for this semester. I find these works important because of the personal growth I feel
that was made and strength gained as a writer.

My first example in the selection is my paper Pursuing the Dream of Becoming a

Radiologist. This example is near and dear to my heart since this is my current goal in life.
Before enrolling at Northern Oklahoma College, I had rarely written or invested much research
into topics to be placed in an official format. I enjoyed spending the time researching the
multiple career paths I could take or specialties I could potentially choose from. This paper was
enlightening, as I was unaware some of these choices even existed. It broadened my view of the
field and opened more doors for me to explore within my chosen profession. I felt this was
important to be placed first to show my own goals and dreams.

The second example is titled The Trials of European Colonists of the New World. I
believed myself to already be a history buff to an extent, however this paper made me re-
evaluate my own opinion of where I stood. I realized where some of my strengths in knowledge
were located and where I was lacking regarding American history. I now find myself challenging
myself to delve deeper into history and research to find more I was unaware of or perhaps had
skewed information on. This was listed second because of it being a steppingstone in my writing
journey.

My third example is titled Character Analysis in Oedipus Rex. I wrote this paper while
doing research in Ancient Arts and Culture for an investigatory assignment. This assignment
taught me to look beyond the text to get a true feeling for what the character may be representing
or their personal tribulations during the time. I used to take characters at face value and to used
for entertainment purposes. This helped me look beyond the text and attempt to relate with the
individual and view things through their eyes. This was listed third due to it being an important
element into expanding my understanding of writing.

The fourth and final example is titled Road to Personal Redemption. This was written as
my final essay submission as self-introspection and to bring light to my own journey into higher
education. This paper highlights key points in my life with my own journey of personal growth
and trials. I feel that it gives the reader a look into my past and current life with my dreams and
goals. I think it best describes who I am and where I come from along with what I have a passion
for. This was submitted last to show where I come from and how it helped bring me to the level
of understanding with writing I am today.

The tool in my writer’s toolbox that I learned to value the most must be writing for
myself then worry about the audience. Writing about something I enjoy, add details that enthrall
the mind, make things that I can easily visualize. Once I have all these that bring me deeper into
the story and I am happy with it, I can begin to examine things from the audience’s point of
view. I can make small adjustments to the material but above all things, make sure I am happy.
In my previous writing attempts, I would do my best to capture the audience and lose sight of
why I was writing. I would quickly become bored with the structure or the timeline of my piece.
Knowing what I do now, I enjoy writing much more and give little to no care of what the
audience thinks. I write for my own passion, not for theirs. My methods for previous writings
were jumbled at best. I had no clear line of thought for what I wanted to convey. I am now able
to structure things in an easy-to-follow timeline and revise them as needed.

While enrolled in this course, I feel I have expanded significantly in writing ability and
comprehension, well above where I was before. I have learned how to expand my knowledge,
write and research more in depth as well as follow a more structured writing method. I expanded
from strictly MLA format and was given the opportunity to branch into APA. After being given
the opportunity to expand into different writing methods, I was more comfortable with tackling
assignments head on. I used to dread writing essays or researching things for a course. I now find
it more enjoyable and dig deeper into the sources given while doing my research. Procrastination
was my worst enemy. Upon the realization that writing helps my thought process along with the
more stringent examination of source work, things began to flow easier, and the information
became more detailed. My peer reviews used to terrify me and now I understand that they are
just another steppingstone that allows me to reach a more understandable level of writing.

I have seen an improvement in my writing style, sentence structure, length of

submissions, expansion of thought processes and enjoyment of writing. I still find writing
challenging regarding topics that I may not have a passion for, or I find highly controversial,
however I tackle these head on instead of procrastinating until hours before it is due. I also find
myself writing for fun, something I used to do growing up. After criticism of my extremely early
work, I decided to cease any writing unless it was required. This course opened the literary door
for me again and allowed me to see the folly of giving up writing due to other people not liking
my work or finding it childish. I learned to write for my own personal enjoyment, not for peer
validation of my skills or topics. I have found my strengths regarding my writing ability to be my
methods of investigation of sources, and the ability to reach out and grab things that may not be
interesting to bring them into something more tangible for myself or the audience.

As this course draws to a close, I find myself regretting that it does not have a following
adventure. I have deeply enjoyed the class, my classmates, their wide varying views and takes on
a variety of subjects, but most of all my instructor. In the world today it is extremely rare to find
someone who maintains a passion for helping their students grow in their collegiate careers as
well as personally. I have mistaken my ability in writing for far too long because of self-doubt
due to peer review. My own curiosity and drive to write has been rekindled by taking this course
and the gentle prodding to push myself onto bigger and better things and to increase my own
understanding of the world around me. This course has made me realize how well equipped I am
to tackle further challenges and literary assignments. This opens the door for me, not only for
college, but the remainder of my life. Writing does not have to appease others, just myself. I
believe I will continue to write even after my collegiate career is over. This course will be
accredited for my success in writing for many years to come. I would encourage anyone that has
a fear of writing or finding it challenging to tackle it head on and write about what makes them
happy.

Sincerely,

Derek Wesley