In this portfolio, you can find the three major essays that I wrote in this class, as well as a

revision of my first essay in this class, which was a profile on a mental health professional. I

hope that this compilation can showcase what we worked on throughout the semester, my

progress, and an example of what I learned in my revision. I also touched on some important

issues in my writing, and I would expect that if someone were to read my work, they might learn

something be better for it.

My profile was on Amy Tahran, who is both my mother and a huge inspiration. She has

worked selflessly in the mental health field for almost a decade now, and in that decade she has

helped countless people. Many have slipped through the cracks, but the few that get better and

live successful lives make all of the troubles worth it. I used her story as a way to highlight the

institutional problem of healthcare for the mentally ill. Funding cuts and deinstitutionalization

have made it nearly impossible to get long-term residential treatment for the mentally ill, despite

great strides in treating addiction.

The second essay I completed was the rhetorical analysis. This took the form of an

analysis of why the video game Stellaris is able to solve a problem that a lot of other strategy

games, namely the Total War series, lack. It was a fun one, as I was able to have a lot of freedom in

the subject matter and the way I went about the analysis.

The final essay I completed this semester was a commentary. I took this as a more academic

assignment, although a casual one. My subject was looking at the extent of corporate influence in US

politics. I went into the assignment with the assumption that things were a lot worse than they actually

were, but after reading a few academic articles looking at things like the effects of lobbying and

campaign finance on Congress and contract awards, I came to a much more moderate conclusion. This

was a great exercise in digging into scholarly sources and using that information to synthesize my own
point of view. Although I had difficulty finding enough academic sources, after quite a lot of digging I was

able to get there. Despite the difficulty of the assignment, I had a lot of fun with it because the subject

matter was interesting and I was learning a lot about it as I wrote it. What resulted was a well-cited,

pretty decent, although somewhat limited, commentary that could serve as a good introduction to the

subject.

Toward the end of the semester, we focused on smaller but highly relevant things, like how to

write a proper email and how to put together a good resume. I used these subjects almost immediately

in applying to a research assistant position. I put together a strong resume that prioritized the important

things and looked really nice, and then I sealed the deal by accompanying the resume with a concise,

courteous email, and I got the position!

Here are four excerpts from my writing this semester that illustrate what I’ve learned:

 “These invaders can come in the form of immortal eyeball-monsters that conquer to

feed or extra-dimensional beings that roam the universe and sterilize entire galaxies.

(Koumarelas, 2020). Each crisis is shrouded in mystery, from the sub-space echoes or

power surges that foreshadow their coming, to the first time they decimate one of

your solar systems.” (How Stellaris Accomplishes What Total War Can’t, 4)

 “The map starts out as a vibrant, wealthy Mediterranean paradise. However, as the game

progresses, the map becomes cold and infertile, with snow sticking around longer each year;

once-bustling cities are reduced to heaps of rubble, razed by the savage Huns; and in the

midst of the desolation, tribes of desperate, displaced barbarians trudge through the snow

in search of a place to call home. The point of the game is survival, and that becomes clear

after just an hour in when your first city is burnt the ground, or the fertility drops and your

nation plunges into famine.” (How Stellaris Accomplishes What Total War Can’t, 2)
  “One study (Milyo) looked at the stock market share price of corporations that contributed to

a congress member’s election, and how that price was altered by political events concerning

that congress person. Since the share price is in part a representation of the present and future

value of a company, it would be expected that when a candidate that a corporation

contributed to performed negatively, the share value of that corporation would fall.” (A

Discussion on the Extent of Corporate Influence on Government, 4)

 “So, Amy says, it becomes a “sad, hopeless, cycle, where people are transitioned out and

months later are admitted again for the same reasons.” And there’s simply nothing the

professionals can do without more resources.” (Profile, 2)

The first two excerpts showcase my descriptive writing in the rhetorical analysis. I think they are an

example of my ability to use colorful words and be engaging while still explaining a concept. The third

demonstrates my ability to effectively translate a long academic article into a short paragraph, which is

something I had to work on quite a bit. The last excerpt shows my integration of quotes into an essay,

which I gained a lot of experience with in that profile.

One of the learning outcomes that I accomplished in this semester was “Choose sources that are

credible, relevant, and appropriate for a variety of genres, situations, purposes, and audiences. Sources

may be popular or scholarly, and print- or web-based, and primary or secondary.” This is clearly

demonstrated in the contrast between the sources for my rhetorical analysis and my commentary. My

commentary relied on 6 peer-reviewed journals, most of which were primary sources, because I was

discussing a heavier, more difficult subject geared to a more politically interested audience. I had to be

able to back up what I was discussing. On the other hand, my rhetorical analysis relied very heavily on

my own personal experience, and I cited a couple of web articles from gaming journals. This was a much

more casual piece.

 Another learning outcome that I clearly accomplished in my work was “Integrate evidence

appropriately in writing through summary, paraphrase, or direct quotation.” I got very good at

summarizing through writing the commentary. My profile showcased a great mix of paraphrasing and

direct quotation, and I think I did a good job integrating both of those.

In the end, this was a very constructive, fun semester. It was well worth the 15-minute walk to

class, although I’m glad we had a mild fall. I look forward to applying all of what we learned to my future

endeavors, and already have in several ways. Although I entered with an already solid understanding of

writing, I leave knowing a whole lot more and with a more refined knowledge of the various genres

composition.