Why I went back to school

I had always loved reading, loved to learn and romanticized about the idea of becoming  teacher. 

The problem, for me, was that I felt a deep shame and embarrassment about my time in undergrad. In my sophomore year I quit soccer, what I thought would surely be my lifelong passion. What ensued was an identity crisis and sense of loss. This experience led me to lose any interest in my academics while at school and so I grew to be ashamed of my GPA and lack of success throughout that time. 

However, throughout and shortly after the pandemic, I realized that there was nothing wrong with this experience. Everyone experiences setbacks in their life and they should never become reasons to avoid your goals. 

I applied and gained acceptance to Arizona State University' Online English MA Program, and I could not be happier with the decision I made. 

For the first time in a long time, I look forward to this career switch from editor in a luxury lifestyle magazine to educator and hopefully I will go on to publish some of my own fiction. 

Below you will find examples of my writing done throughout this unforgettable program:

ASU Writing Samples

Here are three examples of writing submissions I am proud of from a few courses I have taken during my MA Program.

In FMS508 Race, Gender and Sexuality in Media, I am learning about tropes that have been/continue to remain embedded in the media we consume as it relates to the LGBTQ+ community, among other disenfranchised communities. Additionally, we have zeroed in on the concept of intersectionality and its impact on these stereotypes portrayed in media. 

In ENG568 WWII in Literature, I learned about the deep repercussions something as awful as WWII can have on the world and its people. The rich reading material and lessons learned in this course inspired me to pursue my desire to teach in order to ensure future generations learn from this and other moments in human history.

In ENG507 Methods/Issues in Teaching Composition, I became for familiar with teaching concepts and methodologies connected to teaching writing and composition. It was enlightening to see how much one ought to learn about oneself before teaching others. 

Look to the Present, Not the Past: An Argument for Increased Use of Contemporary African American Voices in Classrooms

This is a proposal for research within the educational field of Liberal Arts. Specifically, the proposed research will focus on the subject of the Black experience as it relates to an educational topic within the American high school classroom. Given the subject matter at hand and the targeted age group of the students focused within this proposal, the research will pertain to the English or Language Arts classroom setting. Two separate schools of thought will be introduced throughout this proposal. Both intend to educate and provide awareness from students regarding race relations in American Society.

World War II in Literature: Lessons for the Future

Education and its practice, with the intent to benefit the following generation as a vehicle to improve society, is one of the most important endeavors one can aim to achieve. The source materials and lessons gathered within this course have embedded seeds of thought which can manifest in a variety of ways further down the road. The most pertinent of which was to learn just how deep and everlasting the trauma of World War II was in the past, continues to be in the present, and has the potential to be in the future. This paramount lesson can help avoid such a widespread and evil man-made catastrophe to ever occur again.

A Narrative History: Theories on Why I Write

For all the stories and perspectives shared on life as an immigrant, one of the more elusive of them is the privilege of being multilingual. I was just an infant when my parents immigrated to Miami from Brazil. I have lived here ever since. I’m more American than I am Brazilian. So much so, I think in English. Fortunately for me, my parents insisted that I exclusively speak Portuguese with them, whether we were at home or in public. They were particularly adamant that I speak had to speak Portuguese fluently. Their usual argument for this would be something along the lines of, “How else will you communicate with your grandparents?” I’m glad they took that stance.

Tish Survives Beale Street: The Gender Dynamics Portrayed in Barry Jenkins’ If Beale Street Could Talk

Despite showing the build-up and consequences of the injustice which sent Fonny to prison, Barry Jenkins tells a love story through the perspective of a young colored female in the ‘70s, thereby making Tish a symbol of Black female strength. While this movie is an adaptation of James Baldwin’s novel of the same name, this essay will analyze the dynamics of gender in Jenkins’ 2018 film. The film is a testament to both the beauty and cruelty of love. One of the more fascinating discussions to be had about this film is responsibility and how it relates to gender.