Core Competency Self-Assessment.

I make an effort to include missing voices/ perspectives by exploring and exposing different perspectives in my class discussions. In class, we explored topics that are often overlooked or pushed aside, such as disability, LGBTIQQ communities, races, discrimination, climate change, politics, substance use, and global reality. As we dive into these complex topics, we maintain an open mind, sharing and holding a discussion circle where everyone is heard and respected. We listen to each other and read new papers from different perspectives or neutral territory. During these moments I participated and built on what my classmates said. When I disagreed, I asked politely for my classmates to provide more insight for me to better comprehend where they were coming from. I’m proud of our class’s ability to abord controversial topics with, mostly, an open mind.

My cultural background/ upbringing contributes to who I am as a writer. I generally describe emotions or base my stories on topics or values I shared or felt strongly about. I notice, that if I write about things that I felt or happened to me, I’m more likely to do a better job. I can get inside the skin of that person with more success, adding descriptions that help the character grow. There’s no person we know better than ourselves, so I used this to my advantage. I recognized where I was coming from, and my background and tried to reduce it into small paragraphs in my writing.