Acknowledgements

Moving to a new country, away from what I knew for most of my life, my journey both as a student now at Troy High and as a person has been something I’ve been very proud of. The transition, at first, was overwhelming; I had to immerse myself in a new society, a new way of life. With this being my first true year at Troy (although I did attend this school for a semester before) and can look back and admire what I’ve accomplished. That isn’t to say I haven’t had any help along the way. Being in this 11 AP Language class has positively impacted my life on many levels; beyond improving my writing abilities, this class helped me make new friends and expose me to new perspectives and thoughts pertaining to a copious of topics ranging from racism to identity to my own outlook on life. And with the progress that I have made, it is only right that I thank the people and pieces that have made this year a year to remember.

I can’t think of anyone else to thank first than my two English teachers this year: Mr. Kisse and Mrs. Valentino. You guys have truly made me a better person and writer. Mr. Kisse, although you are no longer my teacher, your humor and intellectual insight made me beam with happiness and excitement every time I stepped into class. Having to wake up and go to school very early in the morning, I would generally be tired and lethargic, but your constant energy kept me awake and intrigued. Through our analysis of MAUS, you helped me identify visual rhetoric that bolsters the telling of a story. Through identifying these symbolisms, you helped the class understand the importance of intergeneration trauma and its various affects and how such traumatic events can alter a person forever. Mrs. Valentino, although I did have you online before, having you as my teacher in-person was completely different- and for the better. You have done a tremendous job at preparing me for the AP exam, but beyond all that, I have grown astronomically, both as a person and writer. Your genius idea of weekly blogs and essays have allowed me to practice my craft and let my thoughts and voice speak through my writing. Looking back at my first couple essays and blogs and comparing them with more present writings, the difference is night and day. Because of your instructive critiques and lessons, I have learnt the importance of letting my own voice and opinions guide my writing. Before having you, I was overconfident in my writing. I believed that I was the best writer and there was nothing more I can do. But, with you showing us multiple examples of high-scoring essays and different sample writes, I realized that I have a lot of room for improvement. You helped ground me as an author and taught me that writing can be enjoyable; not everything needs to be formulaic, and you showed the importance of creativity.

I never thought I would ever thank an author or a book, but I can forget to appreciate the many pieces we’ve read over the course of the year. Through these pieces, I was opened to a wide range of perspectives and opinions on aspects of society and the very fabric of our existence.

The first piece I would like to express my gratitude towards is The F Word by Firoozeh Dumas. As an immigrant and ethnic person myself, I was able to truly connect to her own struggles of fitting in. Her experiences made me realize the mass effects of being in a ignorant and insensitive environment. Assimilation is a challenging dilemma to face, and Dumas creatively shows her personal struggles with this. Wanting to change her name and become “more American” showed the hardships of moving to a new country. Her realization that she must accept her heritage and culture and ignore the mispronunciations and misrepresentations made me feel more comfortable in my cultural differences, helping me accept that I am who I am, and no one can change that.

I would also like to show appreciation to The Great Gatsby, written by Scott Fitzgerald. This book made me aware of the illusion and appeal of the highly regarded “American Dream”. Jay Gatsby spent his whole life chasing something that wasn’t there, and that made me question my own ambitions. Was I too chasing a ghost? Was I too engulfed and hypnotized by the ever-alluring green light? Was I too overly focused on material gain? On top of that, The Great Gatsby showed me the importance of perspective. Each character had their own arch and storyline that intertwined with each other. All the people in the book dealt with their own struggles and each went through troubles that effectively ruined the lives of each other, primarily Nick. Once Nick woke up from his wealth-obsessed slumber he finally became aware of the disasters caused by the rich society and realized that no amount of money can bring true happiness, that wealth simply sweeps the problems underneath a rug, but if one lets the problems mount, the problems begin to seep into the weave of your daily existence. Money doesn’t make the problems go away, in fact, it increases the problem.

                Before I end my acknowledgments, I just want to say that I have finally reached a point in my life where I enjoy writing and have found it to be both peaceful and helpful. I’ve come to realize it’s extreme influence on society and understand that our words can truly make a difference.