Suero, 1

Val Suero

Prof. Steffen Guenzel

ENC-1101 Thur 12:00

October 4, 2017

Essay 1

Reminiscing on my Childhood

Literacy stems past simply the ability to read and write efficiently, and instead breaks it

into ideas, rules, and methods to create good writing. The ability to resort to your own personal

experiences, thoughts, and ideologies, while simultaneously relying on others literature, (oral,

written, or any other), to strengthen your claim, advance your level of knowledge, or

develop/join an argument in which you can participate in an effective manner, all becomes the

basis of literacy. Although good writing incorporates many aspects, there are key influences

which lead to this concept, and the progression of character due to my childhood development

has been most substantial in my education and knowledge of life and communication.

When I was just experiencing a world outside of my home at the age of five, I remember

having a vivid, rambunctious imagination in which my thoughts, drawings, and creations would

be these sort of daydreams I had about the real world. I remember during kindergarten, we were

asked to write daily stories. Often, mine would be about fantasies, such as the future job I had in

mindbeing a doctor. Although I did not include my name or even a sketched-out crayon

picture of myself, I unintentionally made this character who I wanted to be. I was raised to
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believe going into these prestigious sort of fields was the way to ensure success in life, and I

ultimately included this within my childhood imagination and writing. Although I did not end up

choosing to be a doctor, I kept the same mindset as themthinking logically rather than

creatively, and choosing a field that required work under pressure. This concept then lead into

first grade, when we were asked where we saw ourselves in twenty years. I drew myself as an

engineer, following in my fathers footsteps, but exaggerated this idea by then including my own

personalization and fantasy of it; the ability to own several rescued animals and fostering others

with the stable salary involved. Although the chances of this happening are slim, I added onto

my truth and aimed to achieve an additional goal. I was not exactly sure as to what engineering

was at the time, but I was determined to learn. Because of my interest at a young age, I grew into

the industry, and since I am still convinced to foster animals, I mention this idea whenever asked

about it, although it is not currently the truth. These creative and imaginative assignments were

part of my childhood development, and are a factor within my evolving progression within life.

Even now when writing poems or stories and forming these daydreams in my head, I continue to

have a realistic goal, such as my choice of career as an engineer, but my expectations of what it

will be like are potentially a stretch, including the capability of paying for a luxurious home,

cars, clothes, the needs of my future children, and several other aspects of this high-end

lifestyle.

Moving onto second grade, I began my first structured introduction to reading and

writing, inside and out of school. I struggled to understand the organization of an essay, my

supports were weak, and I found no interest in reading books or assigned texts myself. I

would go home and spend time with my neighbor, getting stories read to me in a way that

seemed for pure entertainment. Unintentionally, these novels taught me how stories built up
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and, with my experience, had a happy resolution. Because of this outside source I was

fortunate to have, I slowly improved my writing and ability to communicate. This eventually

lead to class, where I sat confident analyzing a story about a fox that was determined to steal.

I noted his characteristics while reading and moved on to the questions, showing an

improvement within my abilities. The analytical questions I originally struggled with, such as

the overall theme or purpose, began to have clear answers for me that I could elaborate on

and defend. I received my grade within the following days, and I discovered a new passion

for writing because of my achievement. My education continued to take place in and outside

of the classroom and shape me into the writer I am now; searching for answers within texts,

now often written by scholars, I developed my own style of writing as being descriptive, yet

to the point.

When it comes to idols within my life, I only have one that has made a significant

influence on my character and approach to education. I remember going to Frys Electronics

with my dad, following this highly experienced computer software/hardware engineer view

books, monitors, computer cases, and all the necessities to go within. I was ten years old

when I built my first computer, and I recall sitting in our office for nights, memorizing each

piece of equipment and its function, being tested repeatedly on these details. My knowledge

had to be flawless, or we did not progress. I disciplined myself to learn from repetition and

why these parts were significant. Although I do not recall the specifications, since it has been

so long, I remember the influence they had. I was able to learn at a young age the logistics of

life and how to develop a successful work ethic for myself. The oral, mental, and emotional

communication I had with my dad allowed for him to pass down an advantage within life

because I noted how specifications and details within communication, verbal, written, or any
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other sort, would allow me to excel in conversation and approach. Since he became the main

sponsor within my life, tutoring me through math, science, writing, and overall education,

my methods mirrored his. As I grew throughout junior high though, my dad began to

encourage new ways of resolving or coming to the answer to problems. Where my essays

used to be strong, they were now lacking at a higher level of education. I would analyze his

comments and notes, rewrite, show him, and repeat this process until he believed I exhibited

my full potential. Although I no longer have him around to discipline me, I have been able to

gain enough knowledge to recognize where improvements need to be made due to our time

spent together at a young age. Now that I am in college, I have had the experience to learn

and discover how my essays prefer to be framed by varying individuals, and although I

continue to take this logical, detailed, and straight-forward approach in my writing, my

style continues to develop based off the expectations of my superior figures and professors.

While my dad happened to be my most significant sponsor, friends, family, teachers, and

more will continue to act as figures to gain knowledge from throughout my life, whether this

happens to be from a positive or negative standpoint.

Leading into what I consider the end of my childhoodearly high schoolI began to

note a darker side of literature due to the fact that it was my first true experience associating

with people with mental illness(es), security/self-esteem issues, and the overall focus of

trying to discover who they are. Many relied on social media, specifically Twitter, to express

their level of stress, anxiety, depression, etc. I became drawn to it, as most other people did,

tweeting and retweeting about negative experiences within our lives, often referring to

unhealthy relationships, substance abuse, loss of a friend or direction in life, or several other

unfortunate happenings, allowing this social platform to be used as an outlet. Whether

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personal or not, people generally are unaware or oblivious to the potential severity of it.

Because of this, users, including myself, can express what we want without much judgement

or question from others, and we give ourselves the capability to join and leave conversations

to our own liking. This idea of a free flow of inclusion and removal allows for individuals to

connect with pages, accounts, and users to help develop and discover their own identity,

leading into a character which is expressed through their writing and communication. While

this can be a tool used to an advantage, it can also lead to a miscommunication between an

individual and the world around them. I learned to constantly check on pessimistic accounts,

allowing it to alter my mood and include that same approach when it came to my own

tweets. Although I was not an angry or upset person, my writing reflected a sense of this.

People, including myself, can become disconnected and mask their identity with social

media, allowing them to write and express themselves in a way that is potentially inaccurate.

While I seemed serious, argumentative, and pessimistic due to my attachment with social

media, it allowed me to discover my true character and detach myself from writing and

communicative styles that were not accurate to my personality. As I learned to take

advantage of these social platforms though, I began to highlight my interests in life, such as

football, architecture, music, and fashion. I connected with others similar to me, enhancing

my knowledge and allowing for my identity to reflect the positives of my character. When I

arrived at college, I immediately formed a group of friends with a stronger and more healthy

connection than I previously had, and this same mindset of discovering who or what I

identify as or with will continue to be relevant throughout my life and professional career.

While people similar to you are generally easier to get along with, I discovered the

significance of being understanding, open-minded, and accepting of others ideas fully during
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my final years of high school. I recognized that being with people who think and express

themselves the same as you is not beneficial, and you will struggle to see past your own

perspectives and solutions. Disagreeing and expressing your thoughts, feelings, and

ideologies is the basis to all conversation. Sophomore year, I chose to read The Devil in the

White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson,

and connected to and enjoyed it to the extent that I developed an argument as to whether or

not the architectural movement of 1893 was beneficial for Chicago or not during my senior

year, due to the multiple negatives that came with pride and nationalism. Many articles were

controversial, and I analyzed multiple primary and secondary resources. Although I believed

that the World Fair was generally a success, there are various factors which argued against it,

such as the increasing crime rate, death of workers, racism towards Italian immigrants, etc. I

had to observe their takes before I made a claim of my own. This became the most enjoyable

part of all my English education up to that point due to the personalization of it, but outside

of a classroom setting is where arguments tend to be most common. Being outgoing, I always

find an interest in learning about others beliefs and ideologies, but I also search for direct

answers to my questions in order to be more knowledgeable. In my final study hall, nearing

the end of my (personally considered) childhood experience, I sat between two people who

continuously discussed politics. One being an extreme liberal, and the other an extreme

conservative. Unfortunately, neither were very opened-minded about issues, but I attempted

to gain insight by asking them about specific controversies, such as immigration,

humanitarian aid, and more, allowing for me to get the direct answers I search for. Overall,

these clear expressions of my own ideas and open-mindedness of others have become general

rules to follow when involving myself in conversations, and they have allowed me to
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progress as an individual and writer due to my ability to communicate with a purpose. I

found an interest in controversial subjects, and being able to have an effective conversation

revolving issues or different approaches to problems will be essential while working in a

field that consists and relies on the interactions of engineers, architects, carpenters, and many

other individuals.

While everyone has their own experiences and methods to their advancement within

literacy, my childhood experiences throughout my education, family connections, and personal

growth have allowed for me to reflect on these past influences as the main source for my

progression. Although I have many more experiences to come, my writing is rooted in my past,

and to see conversations thrive, in and out of it, allows for me to appreciate the significance these

early factors had on my success in school and in life. While a thing of the past, they affect my

present and future, and will continue to be a significant part of my growth throughout college

and the rest of my life.