About Me
Hello, my name is Ashlee Morales, and I’m a freshman at the University of Arizona majoring in Biology. This semester, I took English 101, a course that helped me reflect on my writing and improve how I express ideas. At the start, I believed a good writer was someone who could tell a smooth, engaging story, while a bad writer was someone who lacked clarity or effort. That perspective hasn’t changed entirely, but this class taught me that writing well also means using thoughtful strategies—like structure, tone, and audience awareness—to make ideas more effective. Early on, I considered myself a pretty good writer. Now, I realize I’m a developing writer with solid skills and plenty of room to grow. The lessons I’ve learned have not only shaped how I write, but also how I think about communication overall and being able to fulfill that on paper. I'm grateful for the growing opportunity this class has given me and getting the chance to better understand myself alongside my writing.
Introduction
In this portion of my portfolio, I will reflect on five key learning outcomes I set for myself at the start of the semester, including some that emerged along the way. These goals have helped shape my development as a writer and encouraged me to view my growth with a more thoughtful and analytical mindset.
One of my first goals was learning to accept criticism. Initially, this was a challenge for me. I had always been protective of my work, and receiving feedback felt personal rather than constructive. While I didn’t fully reach this goal, I’ve grown in how I respond to feedback. I now see it as a tool for growth, not judgment, and I approach critiques with more openness.
My second goal was to improve my outlining skills. Before this class, I often wrote without a clear plan, which made the process harder and longer. With structured outlines provided by my instructor, I learned to organize my thoughts more clearly, allowing my writing to become more focused and efficient.
My third goal was developing rhetorical awareness, something I didn’t fully understand before this course. Learning how to consider audience, purpose, and context has become one of my biggest achievements. I now see how it can influence the tone, structure, and content of any piece of writing. This has helped me make more intentional choices to better connect with readers and meet the goals of each piece.
My fourth goal was reflection.Before this course, I rarely took time to reflect on my writing. Instead I would complete assignments just to meet the rubric, without thinking deeply about what I learned. This course pushed me to reflect on my growth, helping me see both my progress and what I still need to improve. I've learned that reflection is key to becoming a thoughtful writer.
My final goal was mastering conventions—style, design, and mechanics. This helped me strengthen the technical side of my writing and see it from the audience’s perspective. Over time, my writing has become clearer, more polished, and more professional.
To represent each outcome, I selected five assignments that supported my growth. For my criticism goal, I chose task 5.2, a peer review activity that helped shift my mindset on feedback. It showed me that feedback isn’t something to fear—it’s support meant to help me grow. For outlining, I selected task 10.2, which gave more structure to my writing helping me organize my ideas more clearly. Task 8.3, tied to rhetorical awareness, allowed me to analyze different writing approaches and better understand rhetorical appeals. For reflection, I picked task 7.2, which encouraged me to assess my growth across past, present, and future writing. Lastly, task 10.1 represents my progress with conventions, as it helped me thoroughly focus on revision.
Each of these learning outcomes has played a significant role in shaping my academic journey. While I didn’t reach every goal to the extent I had hoped, the progress I’ve made has been rewarding.
Five Artifacts
The Ability To Take Criticism: Task 5.2
Feedback Fruits Peer Review
While I didn’t meet this goal as fully as I’d hoped, the progress I’ve made has been meaningful. One key moment came from task 5.2, related to my criticism goal. I had received feedback before, but this peer review was different. A comment I got was especially blunt—it said my draft was confusing and unclear. I initially took it personally because I felt confident about the piece. But after reflecting, I realized the feedback was meant to help me, not hurt me. That moment taught me that criticism isn’t an attack—it’s a guide for growth. I learned to separate my emotions from the advice and use feedback to strengthen my work. I also realized that constructive criticism often comes from people who believe in your potential. Because of this task, I began to see feedback as a valuable part of the writing process, and I improved the organization and clarity of my work. It was a turning point in how I receive and respond to critique.
Improving On Outlines: Task 10.2
Outlining Project Number Two
Task 10.2, played a major role in helping me reach my goal of improving my outlining skills. Before this class, outlines felt optional—I often relied on messy brainstorm bubbles rather than organized planning. But this assignment changed that. I was initially confused by the prompt, but completing the outline helped me clarify my ideas and understand what the assignment was really asking. Outlining had always been a struggle for me in English classes, and I never realized how important it was until this course. This task in particular showed me that outlining isn’t just busy work—it’s a tool that simplifies writing and strengthens structure. I learned that writing with a clear plan makes everything more manageable. It taught me that slow, steady preparation leads to stronger results. Thanks to this project, outlining is now something I see as essential rather than optional.
Almost There
Rhetorical Awareness: Task 8.3
I included this goal in my portfolio because learning rhetorical awareness had one of the biggest impacts on my English 101 experience. I had heard the word “rhetoric” before and even memorized it's definition, but it never really clicked until my instructor explained how it functions in writing. Through Task 8.3, I was able to compare two different pieces using rhetorical appeals, which helped me understand how purpose, audience, and context shape writing. This assignment helped me realize that good writing isn’t just about telling a smooth, captivating story—it’s about making deliberate, strategic choices to engage readers. I learned that rhetorical awareness isn’t just helpful when reviewing someone else’s work; it’s also a powerful tool to apply when crafting your own. It taught me to be more critical of my choices and intentional in how I structure my arguments. This goal reshaped how I think about writing, and Task 8.3 marked a turning point in developing that understanding.
Fourth Artifact
Reflection: Task 7.2
Task 7.2 gave me a clearer grasp of my growth as a writer. Writing a reflection letter allowed me to analyze my development, the challenges I faced, and the steps I took to overcome them. This process helped me identify how the class guided me through my struggles and highlighted areas where I’ve improved. Reflecting on my journey made me realize how important it is to not only look back at my work but to learn from it and apply those lessons moving forward. This exercise was extremely helpful in showing me how far I’ve come, reinforcing the importance of self-reflection in becoming a better writer.
Final Artifact
Conventions: Task 10.1
Task 10.1 gave me valuable insight into the importance of analyzing my own essays, particularly by practicing reverse outlining. This helped me identify the strategies I used to create structure and clarity in my writing. If I couldn’t easily define key elements of my communication, I learned to retrace my steps and improve them. This goal not only enhanced my ability to structure essays but also helped me see my writing from an audience’s perspective. I shifted from writing simply to fulfill an assignment to considering the genre’s requirements, design, and mechanics. Before this, I rarely thought about what my audience wanted or needed from my writing. This goal taught me how crucial it is to consider the reader, and it made me a more thoughtful, well-rounded writer.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Looking back, it has become clear to me that this class has done more than just be an academic requirement, to me it was a journey towards personal growth. Starting this class, I began with a goal of learning how to take criticism and through that I was able to obtain a better view of my peers in relation to my writing that allowed me to not only grow as a person, but a writer as well. Improving my outlines helped me find structure in the midst of my mind, while rhetorical awareness gave me the insight to voice my knowledge towards different audiences with a broader approach. Reflection became a habit that pushed me towards self-improvement and lastly understanding conventions gave me the credibility to polish my work when seen from an outsider’s point of view. The outcomes of these goals not only taught me how I can become a better writer but also a thoughtful communicator. Going forward, I hope and plan to carry these strategies with me, whether they be in future classes, personal projects, or professional settings, my growth won’t end here.
Credits:
Created with images by Keopaserth - "cozy library scene with rain on window, creating tranquil atmosphere. Books are open on wooden table, inviting readers to enjoy peaceful moment" • BESTIMAGE - "dark clouds make sky in black. Heavy rain thunderstorm. Pattern of clouds overcast predict tornado, Hurricane or thunderstorm and rainy. Dark sky cloudy have storm and lightning thunderbolt." • Keopaserth - "cozy library scene with rain on window, creating tranquil atmosphere. Books are open on wooden table, inviting readers to enjoy peaceful moment" • Keopaserth - "cozy library scene with rain on window, creating tranquil atmosphere. Books are open on wooden table, inviting readers to enjoy peaceful moment" • Keopaserth - "cozy library scene with rain on window, creating tranquil atmosphere. Books are open on wooden table, inviting readers to enjoy peaceful moment" • Keopaserth - "cozy library scene with rain on window, creating tranquil atmosphere. Books are open on wooden table, inviting readers to enjoy peaceful moment" • Keopaserth - "cozy library scene with rain on window, creating tranquil atmosphere. Books are open on wooden table, inviting readers to enjoy peaceful moment" • Keopaserth - "cozy library scene with rain on window, creating tranquil atmosphere. Books are open on wooden table, inviting readers to enjoy peaceful moment"