Personal portfolio (Gaby Ruz) by Gaby Ruz

gabyred07 — 2025-05-19 12:29:36 UTC

For Outcome 4, I selected my literature review on student-athletes and the challenges of balancing academics with athletics. In this assignment, I was not just summarizing articles, I had to draw patterns across multiple studies, find agreement and disagreement among scholars, and identify gaps in the research. This helped me develop my own insights about the importance of career planning for college athletes. I used scholarly articles like Miller and Buttell’s study on athlete stress and Quinlan and Renninger’s research on career development, and I built my analysis around a clear theme that student-athletes need to align their academic interests with realistic futures. I contributed my own perspective on how schools should respond, which shows my ability to think critically and place evidence in conversation. This assignment taught me how to build new knowledge by analyzing and interpreting other people’s research, not just reporting on it.

gabyred07 — 2025-05-19 12:29:36 UTC

I revised my original screenplay after getting both peer and teacher feedback. My first draft had some confusing scene changes and rushed dialogue. I revised by slowing down key moments, improving character motivations, and reorganizing the ending so it felt more complete. I also practiced cutting unnecessary lines to make the script flow better. This showed me how important it is to revise for structure and clarity, not just grammar. I used comments from my classmates to rethink my goals for each scene and made real improvements because of it.

gabyred07 — 2025-05-19 12:29:36 UTC

At the beginning of the semester, one of my biggest goals was to strengthen my confidence as a writer and to become more intentional about revision. Looking back, I think I’ve made strong progress. I became more comfortable developing deeper questions in my writing, especially during the research paper unit where I explored identity and storytelling in Things Fall Apart. I improved my ability to generate thoughtful claims and incorporate evidence, and I started seeing writing as a process instead of just a final product.

One of the skills I improved most was research. I learned how to identify credible sources, integrate them smoothly into my writing, and explain their relevance in my own words. I also got better at framing a strong thesis and building structure around it. The research paper was the most challenging assignment, especially with the amount of synthesis required, but it pushed me to think critically and manage my time better.

Peer feedback and my teacher’s comments helped me revise more meaningfully. Before this class, I often made surface-level edits, but now I make changes based on structure, clarity, and evidence. My screenwriting project changed the most through revision, and I learned how to tighten scenes and improve character dialogue.

My writing voice has grown stronger and more natural. I started trusting my instincts more and making intentional choices based on audience and genre. Overall, I’ve become more confident and reflective in how I write, and I now see writing as a skill I can keep building.

gabyred07 — 2025-05-19 12:29:36 UTC

For Outcome 2, I chose my research paper on the future of relationships and technology. In this assignment, I examined how digital platforms like social media and dating apps are reshaping how people form and maintain relationships. To support my analysis, I found and evaluated over eight credible sources, including journal articles, psychological studies, and a Pew Research report. I used databases like JSTOR and Google Scholar, and I applied class-taught evaluation strategies like checking publication bias, author background, and peer-review status. I also practiced MLA citation formatting and embedded evidence directly into my writing using signal phrases and synthesis. This paper pushed me to not just find sources but understand their relevance, connect them to my claims, and consider the ethics of quoting and paraphrasing others' ideas. I now feel more confident using research to support original arguments in academic writing.

gabyred07 — 2025-05-19 12:29:36 UTC

For this outcome, I chose the Socratic Seminar on “What Writing Is” by Stephen King and “Why I Write” by George Orwell and Joan Didion. This assignment helped me strengthen my ability to read, annotate, and think critically about different perspectives on writing. In the packet, I had to summarize complex ideas and answer layered questions that made me reflect on how personal beliefs shape why and how we write. Through discussing King’s metaphor of telepathy, Orwell’s political focus, and Didion’s self-discovery, I learned to recognize different purposes behind writing and apply that to my own. I also created my own questions, which pushed me to think beyond the text and make real-world connections. This seminar helped me express my ideas more clearly and taught me how to explore deeper meanings in writing, both my own and others’. It showed me that writing isn’t just about grammar or structure, but about voice, purpose, and connection.

gabyred07 — 2025-05-19 12:29:36 UTC

In this assignment, I wrote a short screenplay as if it were part of a pilot episode. I had to think about pacing, character dialogue, and scene transitions to tell a clear story visually and through conversation. I learned how writing a script is different from writing an essay because you need to "show not tell." I also revised my scenes based on feedback that suggested I make the emotional arc stronger. This project helped me understand how different genres require different approaches and constraints, especially when the writing is meant to be performed.