December 13th, 2023

Dear Mrs.Williams,

The purpose of this letter is to explain the revisions I have made as part of my final exam in
English 111. I chose to revise Formal Assignment #1, the English Narrative as it explains who I
am very well and the things I have gone through that have gotten me to where I am today.

My writing has changed in this course significantly. I have not only grown as a writer but I have
truly understood the material that has been given to me. I have learned the importance of revising
and the effect peer reviewing has on writing. Along with the intricate steps of the writing
process. Throughout this course I have written in many different ways whether through my
How-To-Manual, a Narrative Essay or a Bibliography. I have learned different types of writing
and their different characteristics. Over the past couple of years I have only written essays and
focused on MLA format. This course has allowed me to expand my writing skills and try new
types of writing.

I chose this essay because I believe it does a good job of describing my past years and past
experiences. I wanted my final paper to represent myself and explain the thoughts that have gone
through my mind the past couple of years. I have never written down my feelings and this
narrative essay has given me the opportunity to do that. I am able to express my feelings and
thoughts without speaking. I am now taking away this new love of writing and will continue to
jot down my inner thoughts and feelings.

My writing before taking English 111 was mediocre. English has always been my best subject
but I never believed my writing was anything amazing. I think this class has allowed my writing
to prosper and really take off. It has sparked confidence in myself and an interest in writing. I
have never been a part of a class that required this amount of writing. Nonetheless it has only
benefited me and helped prepare me for the real world. As difficult as this class was I truly
believe it has improved my writing and gotten me out of my comfort zone. This class was
different from any other class as I created my own website and digital portfolio! My revised
essay shows that even though sometimes the words I put down change over time I can always go
back and alter it to keep it up to date.

This essay means more to me than the How-To-Manual I created or the Bibliography I made.
This narrative was personal and that's what I wanted to end this class. I didn't want to take the
easy way out. I wanted to choose something that meant a lot to me and reflect on something I
truly enjoyed writing about.

When I first started this narrative I focused on the highs and lows that I have experienced
throughout my education. Writing down both the positive and negative experiences and events I
have gone through. I made sure to list and write down those teachers, coaches, anyone who was a
role model to me. Making sure to include why they were a role model to me and why they had
such a positive impact on me. This made the transition to the final paper a lot easier for me.
One of the most beneficial factors that helped improve my writing was getting that peer and
instructor feedback. I appreciated that I received feedback before submitting the final paper. This
helped increase the chance of me getting a good grade. I believe it's very important to get many
different perspectives and feedback from others. So the fact we incorporated that feedback
regularly really helped me throughout this class. I also enjoyed being able to help my fellow
classmates and friends continue to get better at writing and help them realize some of their
mistakes. The most significant change in my revision process was having to change the entire
introduction paragraph. In my first draft I touched on the fact that I have never experienced a
significant change such as moving or losing a loved one. Now looking back only a month after I
wrote that, I cannot say that anymore. I recently lost my grandpa a couple weeks ago and so I can
now say I have experienced a significant change in my life. I have now experienced a traumatic
event that has changed me as a person. I also focused more on the highs and lows of my
education. Pointing out the times in my essay where I experienced a high or a low. I also revised
little things here and there. Talking more in depth about the emotions I felt when I received my
acceptance into my school. But overall the most significant change was having to rewrite the
introduction paragraph and second paragraph along with adding more information about the
highs and lows of my education.

I used the writing process to help strengthen my essay, making sure I wasn't leaving anything out
and everything was organized. This helped me structure my essay better, helping the writing
flow. I think it's important to go back and change things especially over time. Especially because
things can change as shown in my narrative. I was able to go back and revise my essay keeping it
up to date though so that greatly improved my essay. This writing process is a great safety net to
make sure I don't miss anything and to make sure my writing is the best it can be.

After completing my revision and essay I believe the strongest part of my essay is the 6th
paragraph. In this paragraph I touched on the lowest time of my education. The years of dealing
with Covid-19. Talking about the effect Covid had on not only my education but also my
relationships. It genuinely changed me as a person in many negative ways. I overcame these
battles summer before 9th grade. Finding my old self again with the help of my family, friends
and teachers. This is the strongest part of my essay because it shows how I was able to change
my habits and really overcome the person I used to be.

One of the biggest concerns of my paper are the paragraphs where I talked about my teachers
who have had a big impact on my education. I believe I could've talked more in depth of the
impact they really had on me. I wish I would've gone back and looked at old photos and
memories from when I had them as a teacher. This would have helped spark that old memory of
the times I had with them. I think I did a good job of describing the person they are but I think I
could have described more about why I liked them, what their classes were like, old memories I
had of them. Just the little things that could have helped make my paper stronger.

Throughout this semester I have genuinely enjoyed this class over my other classes. As I said the
workload was tough and difficult at times but looking back I think I have excelled greatly over
the past couple of months. As tough as it was, I am proud of myself for maintaining an A in this
class and getting out of my comfort zone with my writing. The biggest thing I took away from
this class was the importance of revisions and peer reviewing. If we had more time I would like
to have focused more on the steps of the MLA format as that is something I have noticed I lack
knowledge of.

Sincerely,
McKenna Verdi
[email protected]

McKenna Nadyne Verdi

ENG-111

Professor Williams

04 October 2023

The Highs and Lows of Education

Throughout my life I have experienced many highs and lows of education. Trying to only

focus on the highs. Towards the end of my 5th grade year the idea of me going to a new school

was being thrown in the air among my family. At the time I wasn't sure if this was going to affect

me positively or negatively. Was this going to be a low point of my life? Or one of the highest? I

wasn't sure at the time. Now looking back I can now confidently say it was the highest point of

my education and ultimately one of the biggest changes in my life.

2018 was the year I realized I made one of the best decisions of my life. It was the year I

switched from my small private christian school to my now much larger charter school. I vividly

remember the exact moment I was told I got in. The excitement and happiness that filled my

heart when my parents told me the exciting news. It was at that moment that I instantly knew

where I needed to go, where I needed to spend the next 7 years of my life, Monday to Friday

attending. To this day I have never experienced an emotional rush like that. It was truly one of

the most surreal experiences.

the same people, I hung out with the same people, I had been with these people ever since

preschool and I truly never knew what more was out there. My ties were strong to the school. My

brother and I were lifers and growing up our mom played a big role in helping run the school. It

was not easy for my mom to make the decision to leave, but I am so grateful that she saw more

out there for my brother and I. To this day I thank my mom for realizing that. Realizing that there

is another school experience my brother and I needed to see. Another environment and place to

help us grow and prepare us for the real world. Another place for us to meet and connect with

others and another group of people God wanted to put in our life. She could see the potential

highs.

When I switched I transitioned easily, socially wise. It was complicated and difficult at

times having to adjust to this new school, new people and new teachers. It took time for me to

build new strong relationships with my teachers, classmates and administrators. Having already

built those close connections with individuals from my old school made it difficult for me to start

from scratch. I enjoyed this though which led me to discover the love I have for meeting new

people. I have now connected and met some of my closest friends who I hope will someday

become my bridesmaids.

During this time period I dearly missed my 5th grade English teacher. She taught me it

was okay to be unique and different. Mrs.Powers was one of the most important people in my

life. She was tall, had big blonde spiky hair and would always show up to school in the craziest

lipstick. At first my young self wasn't sure whether to be scared of her or whether to adore her. I

soon realized the love she had to give and the impact it left on me. I currently don't know where

she is or what she is doing but I do know that the one year I spent with her was one of the best
years I've had at my old school. It was one of the many highs. When I switched schools, I always

kept her in the back of my head reminding me to stay true to myself and never let anyone tell me

different.

When I started at my new school I quickly excelled in the first semester of my first year.

Then when the second semester hit I started to put my social life above my education. I started

falling behind and was receiving the consequences of my own actions. This continued

throughout my middle school years. 6th, 7th & 8th grade were all the same. I still was putting my

education below everything else in my life. Then when Covid hit, not only did it encourage me

to continue to not care about my grades or relationships with my teachers but it also motivated

me too. The summer before 9th grade, I realized I needed to change my ways and truly focus on

my education. My teachers and parents both highly encouraged this of me and I don't think I

would have changed, without their support and input. Looking back I am so proud of myself for

realizing this, realizing that I needed to find my old self again and put my education first. I don't

think I could have done this without my family and teachers.

My 9th grade English teacher inspired me to be somewhat fond of writing. During that

year I formed a strong connection with her learning new ways of writing and what is needed to

become a teacher. She continued to also teach me to never lose sight of my aspirations. From

then on I have now excelled in school and learned how to prioritize both my education and my

social life. I have been able to find my old self now in my new school while also melding it with

this new version of myself.

I will continue to preach that switching schools was ultimately the best decision I have

made and has shaped me in so many positive ways. I never would've been able to achieve this

transition so smoothly though without the support and love from my teachers, coaches and
overall big role models. To my 4th grade math teacher who inspired me everyday and always

supported me no matter what. To my 5th grade English teacher who always pushed me harder

and knew I could succeed. To my 9th grade English teacher, Mrs.Whitehead who has inspired me

to enjoy school while also pursuing my dreams and aspirations in life. To my 10th grade art

teacher, Mr.Hutchinson who would always tell me the truth even when I didn't want to hear it. To

my soccer coach who has impacted my life in every way. Continuing to inspire and motivate me

even on tough days. Lastly, to my parents who have been there for me every step of the way,

always looking out for the best in me. These many people are the reason I am who I am today

and I thank them greatly for that. I would not be the person I am today without their endless love

and support. They are the reason I have experienced so many highs in my education.