Richard Gatt

 English Composition

In 1985 I received an associate in science degree from Daytona Beach State College. My major was Professional Photography. After receiving my degree, I worked 25 years as an independent photographer. In 2011, I decided to change my career and pursue a degree in nursing. I have just completed my first semester of general studies. English 2010 has taught me to research my writing so that I can incorporate others’ ideas with my own. I have learned to properly cite other writers’ work according to established standards.

                I have learned to think more critically as I have researched the material for my writing. Before I started writing in college, I had never researched the issues I would write about. I simply expressed my own ideas without examining the literary work of others who may have agreed or disagreed with my viewpoint. I have learned to analyze, compare, and contrast the thoughts and ideas of others as I form my own opinions and conclusions about my own writing assignments. The performance of my writing assignments demonstrates that I am achieving the college’s criteria to develop critical work in reading and writing. I am able to utilize these new skills by communicating more effectively with faculty and prospective employers.

                I have gained a lot of insight while researching the topic for my two primary projects the Argument and the Proposal. In the past, when I wrote any type of paper or essay I would simply sit down and work it out in one session. English 2010 has greatly refined my skills in researching any subject which I want to write about.In the course, I was required to create drafts of my projects, perform peer reviews on the work of my classmates, properly cite my sources, and utilize the source’s information to support my own thoughts and beliefs. My Argument and Proposal essays were based on my own life experience. I am a left behind parent. This means my child's mother abducted my daughter to a foreign country. I've had very little contact with her in the last two years. The projects that I undertook in English 2010 allowed me to research the problems of parents taking their children abroad and preventing them from having access to the left behind parent.

                I noticed my writing skills improving as I progressed through the semester. Since this is my first semester in college, I feel I am progressing towards SLCC’s Learning Outcomes in action. My ability to think critically and examine issues from other writers has been greatly enhanced as a result of English 2010. I am much better prepared to undertake more advanced classes. Overall, I am very excited to move forward with my learning career at Salt Lake Community College.