The drafting process of this unit 2 assignment was creating my digital story using the ArcGIS software. This was my first time ever using this software and there was so many interactive features I had to get familiar with and test out before I finalized how I wanted my audience to view the storymap. The purpose of the assignment was to use the fieldwork notes, research and outline to create a storymap, along with this assignment was a cover letter explaining my work and rhetorical situation. This assignment helped me experiment with a technological app for future multimedia writing projects. 

 My junior year of highschool is when I wrote that essay and during my three years in high school, the bus was my main transportation to school and work. This semester, I designed a digital StoryMap as a call to action, allowing the viewers to better understand why public transit should be free for the benefit of our entire community, students, and the earth we live on. It allowed me to expand my definition of home and brought me joy as I passed by and saw the destinations that I was so fond of with meaningful memories. In December of last year it was announced how transit fees that were paused as a COVID-19 relief effort would continue to stay in place until the end of June. With this news I wanted to share my personal experience to work towards justice and free mobility by considering those that are being excluded. 

Growing up, stability was something that came and went in the blink of an eye. As a first-generation student a college degree means “stability.” This, my mother tells me constantly, is about having financial freedom with a high paying salary and a 401(k). My first semester of college felt as if I walked in blind; my “nepantla,” which represents a concept of “in-between-ness,” was being in the middle of where I live on the southside of Tucson and being apart of my community and hispanic culture and going to school at the University which was way different and a shock to me. I came with no one else’s experience or advice to come home and be bombarded with questions and try to come up with answers so I wouldn’t disappoint my family. Just as Mario Suarez shared about the good, the bad and ugly of growing up, you know that your family will always have your back. Reading his essay, “El Hoyo” allowed me to recognize the shared experiences and culture of my family that creates an unbreakable bond and ties me close to my community. 

The first couple of weeks it was hard to navigate around campus; I still remember my first week as the shuttle took off without me. And the time I got dropped off to the parking lot where I parked my car and I accidentally left my keys inside the cat tran shuttle. It was pouring rain outside and I got so soaked while waiting outside for the shuttle to circle its route back to the lot. After these experiences I started to better figure out campus and get there without being left or losing my keys. In October is when things took a turn down, I started to experience symptoms and tested positive for COVID because I had been exposed. Like many students in this uncertain time, my life quickly changed. This affected me not only mentally but also academically because I wasn't able to attend my in-person courses. I withdrew from the courses of my semester at the University and this made me feel ashamed of myself. Then the second semester was about to start and I felt uneasy about returning but I have pushed myself in my English course because I’m determined to accomplish my goal of pursuing my career. 

 As my English course comes to an end, I have realized how much I have transformed as a writer. Compared to last semester’s English course, my time management skill has improved by submitting most assignments in a timely manner which really relieved a lot of stress over the semester and allowed me to focus better on my assignments. My writing became stronger over the course as I developed researching, revising, and communication skills. All of my assignments focus on experiences I’ve had and tell a meaningful story, which are personal narratives that I really learned more about myself from, my community, and my Latinx culture. This I measure as progress because I never considered myself a good writer or someone who was good at analyzing literature, it was also something I never enjoyed. Despite these initial thoughts, I did improve a lot more than I thought I would. With the focus on Latinx writers, I was able to learn more about Tucson and what my home means to me. This contributes to my future identity as a writer to recognize injustices and be a voice for those excluded. The course study greatly influenced the extent of achieving the course learning objectives that I was able to understand and  accomplish. All in all, I’ve learned a lot and hope to learn more as a writer.