615 N. Monroe St.

Stillwater, OK 74076

April 23, 2019

Diana Watkins
Office 382
615 N. Monroe St.
Stillwater, OK 74076

Dear Mrs. Watkins,

The collection of writings I chose for my portfolio are very significant to me. The writings are
significant to me because three out of the four of my writings are about personal experiences that
I have been through. The collection of my portfolio reflects me as a writer because it is easier for
me to write about my personal experiences rather than subjects I am unfamiliar with. Writing
about my own personal experiences comes very natural to me.
The titles of each of my writings are Coaches Words Are Never Forgotten, All Hope Was Lost,
The Battle of My Mindset, and The Impact Technology is Making on Our Mental Health. I
placed Coaches Words Are Never Forgotten as my first writing example because it was my
favorite out of the four essays I chose. I chose to use this essay because my coaches in high
school truly made an impact on my life and what they taught me I will never forget. At the time I
did not know the life lessons they were trying to teach me, but I am so thankful they knew what
they were talking about. I placed All Hope Was Lost second because this essay was like a
growing time for me. During this time my sister and I were discipling Caleb and during that time
I also grew in my walk with Christ tremendously. I felt like this essay was appropriate to put
after Coaches Words Are Never Forgotten because I learned a lot from my former high school
coaches and finally I was able to apply it to my life.
The third essay I chose was The Battle of My Mindset, this essay was easy for me to write about
but a struggle at the same time. I felt very vulnerable writing this essay because it is about my
own personal struggles and adversity that I faced in high school. My top three essays all flow
together because each essay helped me apply more of myself, throughout all three of these essays
I continued to grow more. My last essay I chose was The Impact Technology is Making on Our
Mental Health. I put this essay last because it did not relate to my first three essays. This essay
was the toughest of all the essays that I chose. I struggled because the sources were not always
credible. Some of the sources for this essay would just repeat themselves. I had to dig deep to
find good solid information. I chose Coaches Words Are Never Forgotten, All Hope Was Lost,
and the Battle of My Mindset because they were very easy for me to talk about. I placed those as
my top three writings because they were my favorite to write. However, last essay which was
The Impact Technology is Making on Our Mental Health was the most difficult essay for me to
write.
When I was a young child I had always loved to read and write but as I got older I did not care
for either one anymore. Whenever I got into high school that changed my sophomore year
because of my English teacher. My English teacher always challenged me as a student and held
me to a high standard. During my sophomore year of English, I was taught to be as thorough as I
could while writing an essay, and that is when my writing started to blossom. Writing became
easier for me whenever my English teacher from sophomore year taught me how to become a
thorough writer.
My writing process has changed since I have been out of high school, throughout my freshman
and sophomore year I would use webs or bullet points to gather my thoughts. As I got into my
junior and senior year of high school I began to outline with numbers and letters. Now when I
am about to begin writing for an essay I always choose a good strong topic that I know I will be
able to talk about with any troubles. Once I have my topic, I like to make a detailed outline to
prepare me for writing the essay and to help keep myself on track of what I am writing about.
After I am done with my detailed outline I begin writing my essay, once I am done I proofread
and highlight what needs to be fixed or taken out. The process of my writing has changed
dramatically since I have come to college because I organize my thoughts better before I begin
writing an essay.
I feel that my strengths outweigh my weaknesses. I believe a strength I have is my word
selection is good and creative. I try to use words that are not used often. I am always honest in
my essays while speaking of my own personal experiences. Another one of my strengths include
my organization skills. I am an organized person and that shows during my writing process. I use
my time wisely and when I am writing my essays I am sure to spend extra time thoroughly
working. When I am passionate about a subject, it is very easy for me to write about. I love to
receive feedback from other people and I am open to changes and suggestions that other people
offer. I pay attention to the detail included in my essays and if there is not enough then I add
more of what is needed. I am a disciplined writer and I have a routine when I begin my writing
process. Ever since I was a little kid I have always had a passion for writing, I love quotes and I
enjoy reading books. I can have good transition from paragraph to paragraph, and this is also a
weakness that I struggle with.
Although I feel like I have many strengths, I also have weaknesses. When it comes to writing I
am my own worst critic, I will critique myself worse than what others will. Whenever I have a
topic that I am not interested in, I lose the passion for writing. Also, if I am writing about a
subject that does not interest me then I feel like I am boring the reader and they are no longer
interested in the writing. There are many times that I lack focus and when I do then I will not
write well. Another weakness that I have is getting off topic while writing or repeating what I
have already written. I tend to do these quite often when I do not have a solid detailed outline.
I plan to continue my time at NOC until I receive my associate degree. After I receive my degree
I will then be transferring to Oklahoma University in Norman to obtain a master’s degree in
occupational therapy. In my future I see a lot of essays about medical terminology and science
related topics. The classes I will be taking over the next four years will include medical
terminology, chemistry, anatomy, psychology, physiology, statistics, and physics. I am prepared
for the future of what my major will bring. Comp I and Comp II have helped prepare me for the
future essays I will be writing.
The writings I chose for this portfolio were all very important to me and challenged me as a
writer. I truly enjoyed having you as a professor. You have helped prepare me for the future. I
feel that I have worked to my full potential in your class and the assignments, and my hard work
has truly paid off. Thank you for always pushing and challenging me to do my best. I will miss
you as a professor. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Morgan Richardson