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English 115 Portfolio

Sara Tejada

Sara Tejada

English 115
Professor John Kubler
Sara Tejada

Hi! My name is Sara and I am a freshman at California


State University of Northridge, also known as CSUN. I am a
19 year old student who is studying Public Health. I have a
passion for learning and a very curious mind, which have
been extremely beneficial so far during my life as a college student.

English 115 Portfolio


Sara Tejada

My first essay, If God Loves Everyone is an argumentative


essay concerning religious freedom and non-discrimination in
public businesses. I chose to write my essay on that topic because I believe that the discrimination that the LGBT community endures based on another persons justification of religion is
unjust and inhumane. This essay addresses possible steps that
religious conservatives can take to use their religion as a way to
forgive, understand, and love someone with a different sexual
orientation. God does not teach discrimination, so it should not
be used in the name of religion. Religious freedom and homosexuality are two values have previously clashed, but public businesses need to use the teaching of love in religion when it
comes to homosexuality and find a way to treat people with a
different sexual orientation the same as everyone else, without
discrimination.

My second essay focuses on the double standards between


males and females, gender stereotypes and the battle for equality, and the debate of whether sexual expression is a form of
personal empowerment or objectification. I addressed how a
hyper-sexualized society impacts the perceptions about the
power dynamics between genders in real life relationships,
which often results in harsh consequences on a persons selfesteem. I decided to write my essay on this topic because todays
society has become more concerned about their looks or how
other perceive them, which has a harmful effect on ones self-worth.

English 115 Portfolio


Sara Tejada

The Revisions that I made on both of my essays involved changing


quote choices I made, reconsidering the audience I am speaking too
(CSUN is not a bible school), and fixing some grammar/word choice
mistakes that I made. Professor Kubler advised me to make these
changes to improve my writing.

Over the course of my first semester I have learned a lot


about writing. Before this semester, I never focused on
the audience I was addressing. Now I am aware of how
important it is to change your writing based on whom
you are speaking to. Also, I developed good skills to
make interesting and thought-provoking introduction
paragraphs in order to catch the readers attention.

Although I am very confident with my writing abilities, I know that there is always
room for improvement. Finding good quotes is a skill I need to work on in order to
support the arguments I make in my writing and perfect my quote sandwiches. Also, I need to work on being a more open minded person when I decide what I will be
writing about. While discussing and addressing controversial topics in my English 115
class, it was difficult to consider all options or opinions before I was more educated
about the topics I was writing about. Once I gained more knowledge about these topics, I was able to shift my writing in a way that challenged my original belief and supported a side that I previously opposed.

English 115 Portfolio


Sara Tejada

English 115 with Professor Kubler has been one of the most interesting and thought provoking classes I have ever taken. I really enjoyed challenging myself as a writer. This class has not only helped
me become quicker at writing, but it has also taught me to be receptive to new and different ideas. It used to be difficult for me to write
about controversial topics, such as homosexuality and transgender
rights, but now that I am more educated on these topics I see the
importance of understanding the opinions of others. Also, I discovered that once I heard the entire story surrounding a topic, I changed
my entire previous views that I assumed to be right. English 115 has
helped me become a more successful writer.

Sara Tejada
English 115
John Kubler
Final Portfolio

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