Community Building by Katherine Pope

Community Building by Katherine Pope https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks Community Building en-us 2021-08-26 01:46:52 UTC 2023-01-22 05:03:42 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1730685946
Hello everyone, My name is Tharwat Ghet . I was born and raised in Egypt then I moved to the USA. I studied Accounting and I got a BS degree in Accounting. I became more interested in study computers since. I started to work on my cybersecurity degree in the last fall of 2019. I am planning on pursuing my major in cybersecurity at George Mason University. What I like most about school is the flexibility in schedule, so it can fit my full-time job. This year was amazing for me because I started to finish some of my degree requirements. I always advise myself to never give up and focus on my strengths, not my weaknesses. I am passionate about learning something new, having an adventure. My best quality is to keep going after my goals. I can describe myself as a quiet man and loves to learn and learn more new things. My favorite hobby is playing and watching soccer. I work a full-time job, so I study after work and during the weekend. Be trustworthy in your personal and professional affairs to influence society and gain their respect. The most valuable thing I have ever been told is "Education is extremely important and no job is shameful and deserving of condescension". finally, as I mentioned earlier I was born in Egypt, so I speak Arabic fluently. One memorable experience I have had with reading and writing was back in 2001 after I came to the USA. At this time, I tried to improve my language skills, so I studied English in Community college. One of the requirements was to write something about your life and read it in front of the teacher and the class. It was the first time in my life to stand and read in front of people. It was embarrassing in the beginning, but it gives me confidence that I can do it again. Also, these occasions give me reassurance and satisfaction that I move along and my skills were improved. I expect to Develops skills in composition, critical inquiry, and information literacy.

I should see great improvement in my skills during my 13 weeks of study experience. Also, I expect to expand my vocabulary, expression, and pronunciation beyond the classroom

thanks

]]> 2021-09-10 11:58:43 UTC https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1730685946 https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1731242048 Hi guys,

My name is Katherine Marquez, I was born and raised in Honduras till the age of six. My dad worked on cruise ships as a waitress and that gave my mom and I the access to come to the US with a Visa. I first went to Miami then I traveled back to Honduras and then I came to New Orleans where I completed second grade. I moved to Virginia when I was twelve years old, and it is where I currently reside. Ever since I was little, I always dreamed of speaking English and becoming a Nurse, that was the motive of my parents bringing me to this country. It is the main reason why I am in college to become a registered nurse not only because it is an excellent paying career and high in demand but because I am most passionate about helping others in their most vulnerable moment. Also, I have a crazy one year old son that legit does not make me want to go out because of how bad he is and just wants to destroy everything ( LOL) but he is a wimp when it comes to any medical appointments. However, that little human gives me the motivation to keep pushing forward in college besides my parents. It can be very frustrating, stressful, and draining working full time as a: permit specialist, mom, and a student but I have always learned with God everything is possible and he has no limits, to not limit myself because I can go as far as my mind lets me and whatever I believe I will achieve with faith. My teacher in elementary school would always evaluate us individually when it came to reading in groups and I used to think I was the best reader because I would read fast and one day I had to read to my group and when the teacher asked me questions, I had no idea of what I had just read. I honestly felt dumb that day, I read perfectly but I could not even summarize or interpret the context of what I just had read, and it made me realize that reading is deeper than just skimming through words, but we must know what the author is trying to make us think or believe. Now, When I read, I stop and ask myself those questions. I genuinely hope I can enhance my writing skills in this class to not struggle as much when it comes to an essay, learn more in depth about literacy, and also have the ability to clearly discern the readings we are assigned.

Best wishes,

Kat

]]> 2021-09-10 15:33:33 UTC https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1731242048 Letters of Expression https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1731856886 Hello Everyone,

My name is Alexandra Johnson. I was born in Des Moines, Iowa and raised in Virginia. Despite all of that I've moved to various states and even to Spain at different points in my life. Nonetheless, my path continues back in Virginia. After just moved back to my hometown from Richmond due to the pandemic and new rising opportunities, I thought this would be a perfect time to enhance my career with a degree; to finish something that I've started. I chose to rejoin this journey with ENG 112 because English has always been a class of comfort. I'm not much of a reader except during my travels. It's writing, however, that really has impacted me to express myself in different ways. For instance, whenever I needed to get something off my chest writing just seems to flow so much softer compared to when I would try to communicate out loud. In my family I'm known for writing heart felt letters, whether it's for an apology, to express feeling or simply a sign of affection.

My mother has always been known for running around cleaning the house, using all her time to serve her family. One day, I felt for her and decided make all the beds. I left a note on her pillow saying, "RELAX: Use the time you would have spent making the beds for us for yourself. Love You! -Ale"

She got back to me with grateful, happy eyes. I could tell the gesture really touched her. I'm one who believes cards and letters are the best part of any gift because its what makes the gift personal from the giver.

I'm excited to read different writings in a way to expand my current knowledge of literacy expression. I enjoyed ENG 111 from 6 years ago, I'm happy to be moving forward!]]> 2021-09-10 20:55:33 UTC https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1731856886 Cece https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1731963566 Hello! My name is Celina Cordova but you can call me Cece. I was born in Bolivia but came to the U.S when I was 6 months old. I was raised in Virginia basically my whole life. I am a flower child at heart and I love animals. I am a cat mom to a Tabby named Simba.

I have put off college for so long due to many reasons that sometimes felt like excuses. I am now putting myself, alongside my education first.

Growing up in a dysfunctional family household and the youngest of 4, I was mostly alone due to moving too often. Despite being not only a women, but a women of color, I was born into a certain societal norm. It took a lot of inner work for me to realize that I am worth more than what the world portrays me as. Being a young women and realizing that breaking generational trauma wasn't easy, seeking help was a step I decided to take. I was 19 when I saw my first therapist. I was told to journal my bad days as well as my good ones. I would have never thought that journaling would become my outlet and a way to express all the built up anger and sadness I was dealing with. It relieved a lot of negative emotions towards my fathers death that I couldn't understand. When I've felt overwhelmed, I would write till my hand cramped because one thing I've noticed is a journal will never judge nor interrupt me.

Now that I am older and have more control of my life, I would love to take my journaling to the next level. Enjoying new forms of writing and getting creative with it!

]]> 2021-09-10 22:51:08 UTC https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1731963566 Happy Friday! jh241855 https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1732038064 Hello everyone!

I'm Jessica Hathaway and a little about me is that I'm a 20-year-old gal that spends an embarrassing amount of time on TikTok, likes finding knickkats, solving puzzles, and enjoys learning fun facts. :) I was born and raised here in Fairfax, Virginia. Where I went to college straight out of high school, I plan on continuing until I get a Masters's Degree in Elementary Education.

Education has always played a cherished part in my life. During high school, I remember this one assignment I had to do that asked us to 'explode the moment. To explode the moment I had to take a moment in my life that was about 5 minutes or less and write a whole story on it. That concept completely changed my life.
I always try to make each moment longer. To romanticize life in a way to make me fall in love with it.
I do this because with my struggle with depression memories tend to get muted from time to time. So in an attempt to fight it, I try to remember everything from the sound of the wind to what a person's voice sounds like.
It's crazy that a simple English assignment I had four years ago became the best weapon I had against my depression.

Just like that English class I've had in 10th grade, I've learned so many lessons and skills that I had no idea that I would. Using the quote by Henry Ford "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses" is exactly how I feel. I feel like I don't have anything I hope for in this class because whatever I could think of wouldn't be what I needed. So hopefully I remain open-minded to all the lessons going to be taught to me this semester. Either for the subject or life in general. ]]> 2021-09-11 00:37:02 UTC https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1732038064 https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1732138525 Hello friends,

My name is Sana Afridi. I was born in Kabul, Afghanistan. I finished elementary school in Afghanistan. In 1994 mujahedeen captured Afghanistan and we had to immigrate to Pakistan. I was in seventh grade at that time. I finished high school in Islamabad, Pakistan. My father was a journalist and my mother was a doctor. My dream job was to become a doctor. After finishing high school I got married and didn’t get the chance to go to college. In 2002 I came to United States and had my oldest daughter. I have four kids now, my eldest daughter Zainab is 18 years old, My son Sulaimon is 15, And my youngest two (which are twins) are 12. I started going back to school 3 years ago. My goal is to get my associates degree in early childhood education. I love children and enjoy working with them. My hobby is watching Bollywood movies and cooking new foods. My favorite food is Afghan qabily palou. I also enjoy spending time with my friends and children.

]]> 2021-09-11 02:33:17 UTC https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1732138525 Nataly Maravilla https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1732205294 Hi everyone! My name is Nataly Maravilla, I was born and raised in Northern Virginia. What truly has brought me to college has been my privilege to be a first generation college student. I am truly motivated to reach my dream career of working as a Neonatal nurse. I am excited to start another semester here at NOVA. One memory I have about writing is the time my fifth grade class made books. Each student was given the opportunity to write their own book and illustrate it as well. The creation of the book taught me to love and appreciate reading and writing more. Through writing my own story this inspired me to write more frequently. This semester I would like to learn to polish my writing and extend my writing skills. I want to be able to use these skills in my daily life and in my career. I truly would like for my communication skills to improve through my writing. ]]> 2021-09-11 03:47:37 UTC https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1732205294 https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1732978754 Hi guys,
My name is Yerusalem Ghebremeskel. I was born in a small country called Eritrea that is located in East Africa. I came to the United States when I was 16 years old. I grew up in Asmara, Eritrea and Silver Spring, MD. I am married and a full time working mom of 4 kids and a beautiful dog name Sawa. I have been meaning to go back to school for a long time, for various reasons, I was unable to fulfill my desire. Now have I realized that it is preventing me from reaching my full potential. It is not easy to tackle between family and work, but I am determined to continue until I reach my goal.

One of the greatest experiences I had with a book was when I read "Healing is a Choice" by Stephen Arterburn. I really enjoyed reading it and gained a lot of knowledge and wisdom. The book helped me to let go of the weight that has been holding me back and move forward.

I hope to become a better reader, writer and communicator in my workplace and personal life.

]]> 2021-09-11 21:42:24 UTC https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1732978754 Chrystalia Balanga https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1733144544 Hello, everyone! My name is Chrystalia and I was born in Woodbridge, Virginia and have lived between Woodbridge/Dale City, Occoquan, and Dumfries my entire life. Growing up, going to college was always expected of me, so I kind of adopted it as an aspiration of my own. Neither of my parents graduated college the first time they went (because little, baby me was born), so as I grew up, I decided I would be the one to finish on my first attempt no matter how long it takes me to graduate. I had a rough few years in high school, and had many people in my ear telling me I wouldn't even make it through that, so I didn't bother applying to four-year universities, which was quite ironic because I finished with a 2.97 GPA in high school and could've made it in somewhere if I tried. My senior year I applied to NOVA's pathway program and got in, so that was how I ended up here!

Growing up, both in middle and high school, I had a rough life at home so I turned to writing fiction. Embarrassingly enough, I had a 4-year stint as a fanfiction writer, until I finally developed my writing style and started creating fantasy worlds in my head. Writing helped me get through my tumultuous home life and express my creativity in yet another way. Currently, I'm attempting to write a fantasy novel series, but much like every other thing I've ever written, I probably won't finish it no matter how engrossed I am in the world and characters I've created.

One thing I genuinely hope to get out of this class is to learn the skills to finish my story. I have bits and pieces, but for some reason I just can't seem to finish it, either because I'm hypercritical of my word choice, or because I just don't know where to head. So I'm just hoping that something, many things, will speak to me as I go through the class and will finish my first novel!

Good luck, everyone, and let's have an amazing semester!]]> 2021-09-12 03:19:02 UTC https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1733144544 Deidra Brown https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1733716831 Hello Everyone! My name is Deidra Brown. I was born and raised on Long Island, NY. I originally moved from New York to Upper Marlboro, MD in 2014 when my brother and sister-in-law had their first child. My niece Xenia was born 11 weeks premature and her parents had to go back to work. They asked if I could come live with them and watch my niece. I said yes and now there are 3 girls, which I love with all my heart. I do not have any children of my own, mainly due to medical problems that I have had the majority of my life. When I was 25 years old I had my first open-heart surgery to replace a valve in my heart. Since then I have had multiple surgeries and pacemakers.

I have always loved to read. As a child I remember going to the library with my mother on the weekends, and finding the books I wanted to read was always the most exciting part. The Dewey Decimal System is how I fell in love with numbers along with words from the books that I read.

It was always unspoken, but we knew that we where expected to go to college. My parents felt that college is something that everyone should experience. I originally started college 30 years ago, however due to my illness I could never finish. Now that I have the time and my health is a bit better, I decided to pursue my dream of being a Certified Public Accountant.

I am hoping to be more confident in my writing and expressing myself through writing in this class. I hope that this class will give me the structure I need to someday be able to write an autobiography about my life, and my family.]]> 2021-09-12 13:53:06 UTC https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1733716831 Hello! https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1733972308 My name is Hannah Pope, I am 23 and live in southern Georgia just outside of Savannah. My husband and I moved down here in April, for his work. I was born and raised in NOVA but lived in DC the past three years. I have cat named Lulu and am adopting a kitten next week named Mei Mei (which means little sister in Mandarin). We are also getting my husband's family dog, a golden retriever named Charlie, from Russia in December. My husband was born in Russia and lived there until he went to high school in Beijing. I love traveling and have had the privilege of going to Hawaii twice, both times I stayed on the island of Kauai and fell in love. I hope to be able to bring my family there sometime soon. I have a 21 year old sister and a 10 year old sister back in Virginia along with various other family members ( I have a large family). I am finishing up my degree from NVCC and will be attending a nursing school down here in Georgia and maybe eventually become a P.A.. I am a Pharmacy Technician and gave COVID vaccines back when I worked in Virginia and felt a sense of pride in knowing I was part of doing something good for the population, which reinforced my passion for medicine and want to be a nurse. My impactful experience I had with reading was when I used to go to the public library in Manassas by the Costco and do the summer reading competition they had with my sister ( back like 10-15 years ago now). I would read up to fifty books some summers, of course they were much shorter than the ones I read now. I have a lot of happy memories going to that library and bringing lots of books home with me. My mom used to read Little House on the Prairie to my sister and me when we were little before bed. My favorite book is Gone with the Wind I was never much for writing but as I have gotten older I have gotten to appreciate it more and get more joy out of it, but I still prefer reading to writing... Other than obviously wanting to do well in this class I hope to improve my writing skills and increase my appreciation and joy for writing.]]> 2021-09-12 17:05:46 UTC https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1733972308 Patricia Gibbs https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1734218761 Hello everyone! My name is Patricia Gibbs, and I am originally from Brooklyn, New York. My family has Northern as well as Southern roots. I love our different foods, church attending and spending time with friends and family.
I moved to Northern Virginia 10 years ago accepting a job with Inova Health System. My position is called; Patient Access Associate 4. It deals with direct contact with patients. Including Registration, Insurance verification, and preparation for Surgical procedures. I have worked in Health Care for several years but was not able obtain a degree in the field previously. It is my goal to obtain the degree in “HIM” (Health Information Management). My salary is good but putting a degree with my experience will put me in a higher salary bracket. I really enjoy my job and look forward to going in to work each day.
I have 2 adult children: a son and a daughter. My daughter recently got married (last weekend) and my son plans his wedding for next year. I am very proud of them both. They have chosen great partners to marry and start their lives with. By the time grandchildren come, I hope to be finished with school.
Coming back to school after so many years is so different, especially with all the new technology, but I am determined! I genuinely hope to get all the necessary skills in this class to appropriately write, connect, and use the correct terms for today’s world. I’ve always enjoyed reading & writing in my earlier school years. I loved the essays, creative writing and compositions that challenged my anticipation. I look forward to learning in this class as well as getting to know my fellow classmates!

]]> 2021-09-12 21:35:49 UTC https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1734218761 Aline Benites https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1734259588 Hello everyone! My name is Aline Benites. I was born in Lima Peru. I moved to U.S.A in 2016 and it was tough to get used to a big change. However, i am here because i want to become a professional. To be more specific i want to be a psychologist and i know this will take me time because of the language, but i will make it happen. My biggest dream is to be an independent woman because i saw cases of women being humiliated by their husbands and that gives me a lot of anger and sadness. So, i don't want to repeat the same history. I love animals. I just got a new puppy like a week ago and her name is Nina. She is like a baby, I've always wanted a dog and my dream finally came true. Of course, I take responsibility for my baby.

I am not someone who reads, but i love writing. I think writing is so important because you can express yourself. Something personal about me is when i feel sad i like to write in a notebook my emotions and somehow makes me feel better. I did not have an easy life, but i will always do my best to have a happy ending.

I am hoping to be more confident in my reading because i get distracted easily and i know that i have to read in class which will help me a lot. ]]> 2021-09-12 22:28:22 UTC https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1734259588 Nora Rodriguez https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1734276473 My name is Nora Rodriguez. I was born and raised in Saltillo, located in Mexico. It is a colonial beautiful, and touristic city. I earned my BS in Business administration. My husband got a job offer, and we decided to move to Virginia. Since then, I had been living here. I decided to change my path a long time ago when I got my children's. I started volunteering in a classroom, which was why I decided to go back to school again. After years became so interesting in pursuing Early Childhood in special education, and I am almost there. My short-term goal is to finish and transfer to GMU and earn my Master's. I work in school; I love to work with preschoolers, and I had been doing this for six years. The time passed faster, and I had gained valuable experience, traveled to different cities, and met different people.

I like to read literature in Spanish. I had an outstanding experience with many teachers from Nova, but the most memorable was when I lived in Toronto. I had a wonderful experience with my reading class teacher. She helped me to think beyond and connected my ideas when we wrote essays. Some teachers always leave something memorable in students. For this class, I want to express myself better and extend my vocabulary to help me in my daily life. I am still learning how to be a good parent and teacher, but I am keeping forward to studying and working. ]]> 2021-09-12 22:51:31 UTC https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1734276473 Nguyen Nguyen nnn252 https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1734359839 Hello everyone! My name is Nguyen Nguyen. I was born and raised in Vietnam. My family immigrated to the US in 2018 after 14 years of waiting. I feel so grateful that the whole family got to go together. Even though I knew a little basic English when I came to the US, it was still challenging to integrate and understand what people were saying. So after about a year, I could enter college. When going to college, my goal is to study well and transfer to George Mason University to get a Bachelor's degree in accounting.

I passed ESL level 3, and it took me a long time to get into this class. When I entered ESL3 reading class, I had a reading problem. When I first entered the course, I felt confused because I couldn't understand the text, so that I couldn't summarize it. After that, I tried to learn more vocabulary to improve my reading comprehension, but I still didn't feel good enough. After taking this class, I hope that my reading skill will improve, and I can read challenging books confidently and not need to look up the dictionary.]]> 2021-09-13 00:11:27 UTC https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1734359839 ycm212 https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1734412300 Hello everyone. My Name is Yessica Mendoza. I was born and raised in the Dominican Republic. I came back to college to get a degree in business because I would like to open my own home health care agency. One memorable thing that happens to me on my ESL 52. I that I fall in love with the novel "The Testament" by John Grisham. My love to the author was so hard that I buy a couple more books. With this class I am expecting to get better on reading. Some tomes is hard for me to understand the meaning of some words or even sentences.

]]> 2021-09-13 00:37:23 UTC https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1734412300 Nicholas Arthur https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1734412721 Hey guys
My name is Nicholas Arthur, I was born in Manassas, Virginia. I left around age 5 to move to Front Royal, Virginia. Then around age 15 to Spotsylvania, Virginia. I'm going to college to get a degree in I.T.

My greatest achievement and what meant most for me in my great enjoyment of English, is in 9th or 10th grade I was the first done and received the highest score in the school. On top of being the fastest 40 yard in the school. These experiences showed me I can do so much with my life.

Beyond doing the aforementioned, just kidding, I'd like to learn to write more concisely, and also learn how to do sourcing properly.]]> 2021-09-13 00:37:35 UTC https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1734412721 Agnes Shin https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1734525000 Hey everyone, my name is Agnes Shin and I'm currently 20 years old! I lived in the NOVA area for 13 years now but before my family settled in Centreville, VA about 10 years ago, we moved around a lot. I was born in Queens, New York but when I turned one, my parents decided to go back to South Korea and continue their life in their mother country. I was raised in Gyeongsan-si, a city right outside of Daegu, South Korea til the summer of 2007. My mom, sister, and I flew out to Fairfax, VA for the first time in our lives to hopefully settle in the area eventually. But this venture lasted for only a few months because of issues relating to immigration; so we packed our bags and moved back to Korea again. I was in 2nd grade by this point and was enrolled my 2nd school due to moving around from Korea to the U.S., and moving around in Korea as well. In the middle of 2nd grade, my parents decided to permanently move my mom, sister, and I to the states so we packed our bags, hopped on the 13 hour flight, and we reached Dulles Airport all over again. After arrival we moved around a lot, so as a result I changed schools almost every year up until 4th grade. I still loved to go to school to learn, to see my friends, etc! I loved and respected my teachers, they always helped me fit in and feel excited to learn.
I want to go to school so I can help out my family and repay them for all they've done for me, but it's also for myself. It gives me time to learn more about different subjects and topics, and it makes me happy knowing that someday I'll be an elementary school teacher and I can help out kids that come from all sorts of backgrounds, hoping to be a great constant figure in their lives.

I attended VCU for my freshman year of college, when COVID hit I transferred to NVCC and have been attending ever since. My first assignment for my first college English class was to observe a certain space and write about the space. It was about dissecting the area, seeing the commonly known and seen area as well as unseen, untouched areas. It was my first time going into a space thinking about writing about it after. It made to analyze so much more than usual, and it made me focused. I'll never forget that assignment because it was one of those that I didn't dread writing about, procrastinating about it for weeks. It was fun and I actually wanted to write.

I hope to learn more about conclusions. I've never really been good at conclusions. Mine are usually short, kinda abrupt, and I'm just thinking, 'I literally said all I needed to say'. But I know they are vital to a good piece of writing since it's what the reader remembers and it's what sticks with them. I hope I get to learn more about how to correctly end the paper on the right note. Alright, this is another one of my terrible conclusions, haha, thanks for reading!

]]> 2021-09-13 01:25:08 UTC https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1734525000 Shad S https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1734634427 My name is shad siddiqui. I am currently 24 years old and this is my second semester at NOVA and my first year going to college. I was born in Lahore, Pakistan. I came to the states when I was 8 years old in 2005 and I moved multiple times and currently live in Woodbridge, VA. I got good grades until the 6th grade and due to certain circumstances I started getting in trouble and did not really focus through middle to high school. Also due to life situations I put off going to college until recently. What really brought me to Nova was one on my friend really persuaded me to further my education and I laid out a plan for what I want to do in the future.
I plan on transferring to university of Virginia or William and Mary to get my bachelor in economics or finance.

One memorable experience I had with writing is in high school I had to write a argumentative paper and my topic was controversial. Through that I learned how to present an argument using facts whether it be on paper on vocal. I always read book and try to understand complex ideas so reading is a big part of my life.

One thing I genuinely hope to get out of this class is getting better at writing because I do not really have too much experience. I always struggled when it came time to write a paper in high school and I would say English is my weakest subject because I am not a creative person.

]]> 2021-09-13 02:09:12 UTC https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1734634427 Ana Rosales Claure https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1734896673 Hi everyone! My name is Ana Rosales Claure. I was born in a small town in Bolivia called Aranjuez. My family moved to the United States when I was 7 years old. We lived in Falls Church for the first few years before moving to Fairfax City. I graduated from Fairfax High School in 2008 and I ended up taking a few college classes throughout the years trying to figure what I wanted to do. I worked in the restaurant industry for over a decade and when the pandemic started it really forced me to examine my life, goals, and what I wanted for myself (and my family) in the long run. Currently I am pursuing a degree in the IT field.

As cliche as this may sound, when I was a kid I became obsessed with the Harry Potter series. As most kids, I despised reading. I would always try to finagle myself out of reading books. However, when I first read Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone I fell in love with it. I couldn’t bring myself to put them down (no matter how bigger the books got). The wizarding world that J.K. Rowling brought to life in her writing helped me discover a love for books I didn’t know I had. Nowadays, I’m more into historical stories.

English is my second language and my worst subject. I thrived in math and science courses but when it came to English, my mind would literally go blank. Analyzing readings and writings is probably one of my weak points along with putting ideas in writing. Overall, my one goal would be to be better at trying to understand what the authors main idea is.

]]> 2021-09-13 03:58:14 UTC https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1734896673 Jonh Ventura https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1736213108 Hello everyone, my name is Jonh Ventura (yes, my mom wrote my name as "Jonh" instead of "John" on my birth certificate) and I was born in Bronx, New York. I moved to Virginia, specifically in Woodbridge in 2007. Unfortunately, my father was deported in 2010 to his native country of Argentina so, for him not to be alone, we all moved with him to South America. I experienced so much in Argentina and I learned so many things that I don't think I would have learned if I had lived in the US. Anyways, I moved back to Virginia all by myself in December 2019 right before the pandemic started in search of a better life because Argentina is currently going through a really bad recession. Covid halted all of my progress to succeed here and I couldn't really do the things I wanted to until everything started to simmer down a bit. Although this pandemic was horrible, I actually got something profound out of it because it made me realize that I was wasting my time doing jobs that lead to nowhere, I decided to get my GED and go back to school to pursue a degree in Engineering, specifically Computer Engineering. It's been an incredible almost 2 year journey and I am now so happy and proud of myself to actually be in school, something that I thought I would never be able to do.

I don't really have to many experiences writing but as a kid I read alot of books, from fantasy to non-fiction books. I would love to read again but I just have so much going on and other hobbies and I get distracted easily now haha! What I hope to get out of this class is to become an even better writer and to learn more aspects of writing as well. I want to become better at doing research and where to get information from that is trustworthing and not spinned in any narrative.

But yeah guys, that's my little biography and it was nice meeting everybody last class. If anyone ever needs any help or anything, please feel free to reach out to me and I would love to help out in anyway I can. Good luck to everyone this semester!]]> 2021-09-13 14:10:12 UTC https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1736213108 Josue Zelaya https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1764195036 Hi class! My name is Josue Zelaya and I'm from Northern Virginia. My parents immigrated from El Salvador in the 80s during the Salvadoran Civil War. They met in Houston, TX but ended up settling down in Virginia. I was born and raised in Falls Church and graduated from Marshall High School. I was an entrepreneur in the confectionery industry for 5 years but have switched careers towards the Computer Science field. I've always been curious about computers and programming and how they can help streamline business practices as well as inspire creativity. The COVID-19 pandemic brought me back to college and highlighted the need to have a disaster proof career for the longterm during these crazy times. I also need a well paying job because sneakers are my weakness.

I've always enjoyed reading and writing, I took IB English in high school a while back and it 100% helped me in my professional life. The experience was tough. We read about 6 books in the year wrote a few timed in-class essays. We also had a commentary portion where we had to take a page of one of the books, and speak for 10 minutes on its relation to the book as a whole. The experience taught me how to be quick on my feet by processing and analyzing and also how to write a lot about a little.

I hope to improve my writing process. I got an internship in February and writing emails has been a large part of my struggles. I'll find myself drafting and redrafting a thought. Also, improving my conciseness and more effectively communicating are both goals I am hoping to improve.]]> 2021-09-23 23:07:51 UTC https://padlet.com/thxmb5vgpz/Bookmarks/wish/1764195036