It can sometimes be hard to recognize the things that we’ve
done as noteworthy in relation to something outside of the event itself. I’ve
been a student all my life, even for the 5 years between graduating high school
in 2010 and beginning to attend UWM in 2015 while I was enlisted in the US Army.
No matter what I’ve done in my life, I have tried to look at every moment as a
moment where I could learn something (even if that something I was learning was
just how to walk really far). In high school, the most
profound thing I learned about writing was how to avoid it as best I could, in
the military, writing countless counselling statements for soldiers I led, I
learned to write as precisely as I could, and at UWM I’ve learned to value
writing as more than just something I do as a requirement. Because of my
experience in a rural high school where people were more focused on getting
ready to enter a technical field or labor career, I know how important it is to
offer guidance to students and to do my best to let them in on the secret of the power that the written word has. Because of my experience in writing workshops
and English classes at UWM, I have a decent grasp on how to help a writer making
that same journey, even if it seems like a long one.
2 comments:
Hey James,
I was reading other blogs and noticed that a lot of us avoided writing for a decent chunk of our lives. Like you, I try to learn from each experience and learned that being able to write and write well would help me out tremendously. I look forward to seeing how you take your experiences and translate them to a coaching role.
Maggie
Wow, James. I'm inspired to hear that you've served time in the military and that during that time you offered help on writing. I curious how you see that experience contributing to your work with young writers this semester. Is there anything in particular you'd like the to know about you, since many will be reading this biography?
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