Graduate Level Writing Samples

In this section, I invite you to explore the journey my writing took during my time in the graduate degree program at ASU. It was a transformative experience where I not only honed my writing skills but also underwent a profound evolution in my thought process and style. Each piece I created became a milestone, marking a step forward in my as a writer. As I reflect on this journey, I hope to share the stories and insights that have shaped my creative path, illustrating how each experience contributed to my growth and understanding of the craft.

a table at a school where multiple students have left their notebooks and pens out as well

Literature Review - ENG 501

This literature review from ENG 501 was one of the first major projects that really changed how I thought about writing and teaching. I focused on the use of writing workshops as a way to connect what students learn in English classes to the kinds of writing they’ll actually do in the real world. Researching this topic helped me see how collaboration, inclusion, and adaptability can make classroom writing more meaningful and practical. Looking back, this paper became a kind of foundation for how I now approach teaching in terms of centering student engagement and preparing learners with skills that go beyond the classroom.

Shakespeare and a Multitude of Interpretations - ENG 534

This essay marked a turning point in my time at ASU. I received my lowest grade on it, but instead of letting that discourage me, it pushed me to rethink how I approached literary analysis and feedback. The paper examines how performance, disguise, and tone shape interpretations of Shakespeare’s play and its modern adaptations. Even though it wasn’t my strongest piece, it helped me understand that growth often comes through challenge. It reminded me that writing is a process of constant revision and self-reflection, which is an idea that’s shaped how I now hope to teach and respond to students’ work.

Proposing a Unit - ENG 507

This project was the first time I built a full lesson plan that felt tangible and focused, giving me hands-on experience with designing a unit from start to finish. Centered on Ulysses and modern student engagement, the project taught me how to connect literature to real-world issues and how to decontextualize complex texts for classroom discussion. More than anything, it showed me how to balance structure with flexibility and how to plan lessons that invite student voices rather than dictate them. Even though I may not use this exact unit, it became a key moment in understanding what makes a classroom discussion meaningful and how I want to guide my future students through challenging material.

Preparing Students for their Future - ENG 552

This paper helped me start breaking away from traditional classroom writing structures and rethink what’s truly important in English studies. It focuses on preparing students for the kinds of real-world writing they’ll face after graduation such as emails, presentations, and collaborative projects, rather than the standard five-paragraph essay. Writing this piece pushed me to question what we value in student writing and how to design assignments that reflect life outside academia. It was one of the first moments where I began seeing myself not just as a student of writing, but as an educator shaping how writing can serve people beyond the classroom.

Idea Portfolio - ENG 501

This Idea Portfolio comes from the very beginning of my graduate program and details the lead up to my literature review. Looking back, these early entries feel like the first sparks of the work I continued throughout the semester particularly in thinking deeply about engagement, utilizing practical writing skills, and how learning to design classrooms that genuinely prepare students for life beyond the university. This portfolio captures me wrestling with uncertainty, narrowing my focus, and discovering the themes that would eventually drive my research and curriculum design. In many ways, it’s the blueprint for the work sample that follows, as well as for much of the teaching philosophy I’ve built since.