I would like to become a leader in the field of composition and rhetoric. I have worked toward this goal by presenting pedagogy papers at local conferences. One of my objectives for the Ph.D. program will be to collaborate with the IUP faculty on classroom dynamics in the composition course and publish beneficial research in professional journals while continuing to present at industry conferences. My main focus will be producing classroom resources that will enrich the educational experience for students and provide cohesive teaching materials for educators.
These goals would not be obtainable if I had not taken control over the wayward direction my life was heading when I was in my twenties. In the 1990’s I was classified as one of the “working poor”. I was a single mother trying to provide for a child with menial, low-paying
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I spent 5 ½ years of that time working for the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. During that time, I ran a specialized program for people who received federal benefits. During the week I taught three classes that covered topics of soft skills, adult basic education, and interviewing techniques. One of the first things that I took away from my clients is their lack of high school diplomas, the citizens who lack English language skills and the young people who graduate from our federally funded school system without any knowledge of how to write a cohesive statement. After spending many years working with English Second learners and clients who lacked their high school diplomas I knew I could make a bigger difference at the collegiate level. I finished my undergraduate degree while still working full time and just recently resigned because I wanted to become a graduate teaching assistance. I knew I needed firsthand experience in the English composition course to gain a true understanding of what is