May 24.

2021

Dear Liling,

Warm greetings!

About halfway through my college degree, the professor in research assigned to our group a
project that the government may find a “good spot” for a tourism project in the future. We
divided the work to be done and spent the rest of the semester doing our parts and checking in
through routine coordination meetings.
 
My contribution involved traveling all over the place to do the foundational research for our final
paper. Over time I grew increasingly frustrated with the five students who were not doing their
part in the project. 
 
The final report that our group produced did not deserve a good grade. Hence, all eight of us got
a mere passing grade. I could not swallow the 3.0 in this research class. I knew I had done quite a
good lot of work myself, and I think it was unfair that another student’s laziness was bringing
down my grade. 
 
I decided to see the professor about my grade. I communicated the entire series of events related
to our group’s research project, including all the work I had done and the procrastination of our
least involved group members. 
 
The professor looks at me straight face and listened. When I finished, she said in a statement “I’ll
change your grade.” The professor gave me a good grade in the research course.
 
This became a “lesson learned” for me in college: the importance of self-advocacy. Self-
advocacy is an important part of life: it can help you get a better grade in class; it might help you
overcome a challenge, or it may enable you to achieve your goals.
 
This experience showed me that you should stand up for yourself when it is necessary. It taught
me that the teacher is not necessarily always right, and it directed me that by simply sharing your
concerns with someone, you can effect change.
 
I have since had the chance to teach college and graduate students. Looking back to this
experience, I never forget to tell my students to see me if they need to discuss a legitimate
concern, and this is one of the other things they appreciated with me the most.  

Very truly yours,

Susan L. Cobarrubias