Matthew Baisch

The first semester of college has been the most difficult challenge I have faced in my life so far. It has turned my world and everything I know and thought I knew upside down, forcing me to reexamine who I am, what family truly means, the importance of relationships, and how difficult it is to be outside my comfort zone. 

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​Although this journey is not the first chapter of my life, it is the beginning of my personal discovery of who I am, who I want to be, and where I want to go.

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English 1101

"Students will be able to critically examine and act on the relationship among identity, literacy, language, and power."

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Throughout this course, I reflected on my writing and how my identity influences my word choices. I identified situations where power imbalances exist due to language barriers, literacy levels, and social positions. I analyzed how these dynamics affect communication and access to information. I examined written and spoken language to identify underlying biases, power structures, and access to information. I learned how to adapt language and my communication style to effectively engage with diversity while respecting the identities and power positions of others.

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​After 15 weeks of reading, analyzing, and writing, I have obtained and sharpened my ability to "critically examine and act on the relationship among identity, literacy, language, and power." I learned how my personal identity, level of literacy, and language use are all intertwined with power dynamics found within a given context. I now better understand how to navigate situations and communicate effectively when facing power imbalances.