Description of the Assignment

This assignment required me to write for an advocacy and social change initiative of my choice.  In “Creating a World Without Poverty,” Muhammad Yunus urges everyone to create a wish list for a better world. One part of this assignment required me to compile my own wish list of how I wished to see the world in 50 years. One of the items on my wish list was to see a world in which all people have the support to attend and succeed at an affordable university. For the written advocacy and social change component of this assignment, I composed a formal business letter to Dr. Janelle Rouse, director of Collegiate Start and Collegiate Mentoring at Elon University. 

English 110 Objective

This project is associated with the third objective of this course: to develop an appreciation for the capacity of writing to change oneself and the world. My project is a formal business letter addressed to Dr. Janelle Rouse of the University’s Center for Access and Success. It is designed to call for greater first generation student support at Elon University.

 Strengths of the Project

This is a strong project, because it is something I am personally connected to. I have experience at Elon and at Swarthmore College in receiving support from college administrators and faculty members as a first generation student. As a junior, I also have 3 years of experience which support my ideas for what the university could do to better support first generation students on campus. 

Challenges

While completing this assignment I struggled to determine to whom I should address my letter. I first needed to determine who would have the most influence in helping my idea. In order to do this, I researched the Center for Access and Support and the Academic Advising offices on Elon’s website. Another challenge I faced while completing this assignment was finding a formal voice and tone in my writing. I want Dr. Rouse to take this letter seriously and want to work with me in the future. Through peer-reviews and conferences with my classmates, I think I have found the appropriate tone for this social change project.  

Things I Learned

As a transfer student, this project gave me the opportunity to learn more about the resources Elon has to offer first generation college students on campus. I was able to network with Dr. Janelle Rouse and some of the staff members in the Center for Access and Success. This writing project required input from many people, including my classmates, Dr. Schwind, and Dr. Rouse. In completing this project, I learned that writing for social change is most effective when you have support and guidance from a group of individuals. My writing process for this paper involved a series of conferences, presentations, meetings and peer reviews. Each step in the writing process allowed me to get input from others.