Through the requirements of the Minor in Writing, I've been able to break out of the social science course work and take a few English and writing courses that have challenged me to do more than the academic essay. While it often made me uncomfortable to write about personal subjects, this experience pushed my writing forward.
One of my favorite pieces in the personal genre was for a creative non-fiction class where the assignment was to write about a ritual. In Wonderful Aus, I recreate my family visits to stay with my grandparents in Australia and reflect on the lessons they taught me and my siblings. In this section, I've also included a piece from my Freshman writing requirement, The Plan(s), where I discuss my emotional decision to stay in America for college. Even though both me and my writing has changed a lot in the four years since I wrote this, I still connect to the writing and enjoy re-reading this work.