Most college students have just graduated from high school or are adults going back to work, but I don't fit into either of these categories. My name is Kaitlyn, and I am only 15 years old. Before taking English 98 at Everett Community College during spring quarter 2009, I was home schooled my whole life. During that time, I learned a lot of grammar rules, but I never had to use them beyond a paragraph or two at a time. The A Beka textbooks I used since I was little taught effectively and they helped me so much as a writer, but once I finished the last book, I still didn't feel like I had completely grasped everything I was supposed to. Now, I needed to go somewhere with those rules, and that was the college. My mom and I decided that I should take Running Start for my junior and senior year of high school, but we weren't sure if I was ready to jump into college writing. So, my parents paid for me to take English 98 from Professor Phebe Shen to help my writing transition from high school to college level.

Especially from the the three major writing assignments I wrote, my writing skills improved a lot in her class. Our Major Writing Assignments (MWAs) were three different types of essays. Each one challenged my ability to write good paragraphs, topic sentences, and thesis statements. They also challenged my ability to make my thoughts in the paper clear. This is an area I have struggled in, but through her comments, my sibling's comments, and my own analysis of my writing, I have improved a lot. I was also helped in this area by reading Three Cups of Tea, which was the book my class read, analyzed, and discussed. After reading a few chapters in the book, my classmates and I were required to pick quotes from the book and explain why we liked them or link them to other quotes. Doing this required me to use my analytical writing skills.

We wrote a lot during the quarter. Essays, journals, sentences, summaries, and blogs are only a few of the writing assignments we were given, but throughout all of them I was required again and again to remember and use the writing rules and skills I had learned from school, and learn new ones. Looking back on the writing I did, I am confident that I am ready to jump into English 101 and running start, and I hope you will to.

As you read through my e-portfolio, you will first find my writer’s choice piece which I have revised to show my writing before and after English 98. Then, I have included my third MWA that exhibits my ability to take an essay through the writing process. Third is my effective writing piece which demonstrates that I can write using good grammar and punctuation. The final piece i a homework assignment that challenged my analytical writing skills. Enjoy your read.