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 * Shining through my writing

by:Zekeia Baggett
 * Table Of Content My Annotated Table of Content

Academic Resume

Academic Essay

Seat Belts Essay

Choice Essay

Whats My Name? Essay

Reflection ||


 * My** **Annotated Table of Content**

Annotated Table of Content

Section One This section includes my academic resume and a sample application essay. Most of this writing was developed in class and was revised at home. The resume highlights my school involvement including my classes, school activities, and community service. The essay maybe adapted for future use. The resume has been saved to Sharepoint where it can be updated regularly.

Section Two This essay was written within the first few weeks of school. The prompt for this essay was to state our opinion on whether or not there should be seat belts on school buses. I believe that my essay was fairly persuasive. I let my opinion show by having my reasons and supporting each idea with details.My first essay was missing supporting detail so i improved with solid details. My opinion is that there is no need for seat belts on school buses because it is a time consuming process to install and it will not be used by everyone.

Section Three This essay was written in the middle of the year. By this time I was learning how to improve my essays and make them more organized. For this reason, my essay was organized and supportive of the prompt. For this essay, I was given a quote by Fyodor Dostoyevsky about choice. My job was to state whether I agreed or disagreed with the quote and why. I made reference to the book Siddhartha. In this book, Siddhartha made choices from the beginning of the story to the end. He didn’t let society hold him back from making choices in his favor. My essay was strong in details and examples from the story. I also did well on my spelling and word choice. There is not anything I would change about my essay.


 * Academic Resum**

__ Personal Information __ __ Objective __ 2008-Present: Tallwood High School Global Studies and World Languages Academy 1668 Kempsville Road Virginia Beach, VA 23464 GPA: 2.7 __ Advanced Courses __ 2009-Present: Algebra 2/ Trig AP Human Geography World Literature and Composition 2 Earth Science Spanish 4 2008-2009: Geometry World History 1 Global Ecology World Literature and Composition 1 Spanish 3 __ Specialized Classes __ 2009-Present: Arabic 1 Global Cultures Psychology 2008-2009: International Careers Global Issues __ Honors and Awards __ 2009-Present: Perfect Attendance All Year 2008-2009: Honor Roll Perfect Attendance Acceptance into Global Studies and World Languages Academy __ Community Activity __ 2009-Present: Salvation Army Nursing Home singing Christmas Carols and for Black History Month Kidney Walk 2008-2009: Virginia Kids Eat Free Volunteer Centerville Elementary Volunteer Walking for Babies Volunteer Teen Fest Volunteer Salvation Army Nursing Home singing Christmas Carols __ Travel __ Florida Philadelphia Delaware North Carolina California New Jersey West Virginia __ Special Skills __ Technologically Advanced Leadership Skills __ Hobbies and Interest __ Singing in Youth and Unity Choir at Ebenezer Baptist Church Zeta Archonettes Community Service Group Vice President for four years Stepping

What I will keep until forever My baby years are the most precious times we will ever experience through out the course of our lives. Unfortunately, the only way we will experience the events that occurred during these times is through our parents reminiscing on the old days. For me the precious years may be over but I still have objects to remind me of the “good old days.” I plan on keeping these objects for the rest of my life. . When I was little, my mom bought me a little brown bear that had a shirt that was half red and half green. I decided to name him David because my sister told me she liked the name David. I took my little David everywhere I went, because there was just something about him that was so special. I even took my bear to the hospital with me when I had to get stitches. David was my cuddy buddy when I went to sleep at night. He was extremely soft and was always smiling. I really loved my little David. Today, David is sitting on my dresser with the same smile he has had since I was little. I have kept many of my childhood stuffed animals but they are not as special as David. When I get older and have my first child, I will pass David on down to him or her. I never thought a little bear would mean so much. I have read plenty of books over the course of my life and out of all thoses books my baby book is my favorite to read. My baby book is another item that I treasure. I keep my baby book displayed on my bookshelf in my room. I am scared to let my baby book leave my room because I don’t want it to somehow get lost. I am delighted that my mom kept my baby book up to date. Unlike my other books, my baby book never gets worn out and I can read it continuously without getting bored . Completing a baby book is a tradition that my mom has done with my siblings and I plan on following through with my children. Knowing the first time I smiled, laughed, ate my first table food, spoke my first words, or even took my first steps is astonishing to me. I couldn’t even imagine being this small and reaching my first milestones. The most important part of my baby book is the cards in the back from my first birthday. One of the cards was from my great grandmother and sometimes it makes me sad when I read it and see her signature on the bottom. This card is the only thing I still have from her, since she passed away when I was younger. I wish she could have been here today to see me grow into the beautiful young lady I have grown into. My baby book holds so many memories, stories, and pictures that I cherish dearly. I am grateful to still have two important childhood items in my possession for today, tomorrow, and always.
 * Academic Essay**

Changing: I didn't have to make major changes to the essay. I elaborated more on the topic and added additional supporting details.


 * Seat Belts Essay**

No Need for A Seat Belt My opinion is that seat belts are not needed for students on school buses. School buses have been fine for all of these years without seat belts, so there is no reason to change it now. The school buses would not be out for transportation for students to ride to and from school if they were thought to be unsafe or unfit for use. Seat belts are not the only item that can be used to keep the children safe. There is no reason to put so much money into one thing, when there are many other issues to be concerned about besides seat belts on school buses. Children could careless, if there was a seat belt to protect them on the bus. On the bus, a students main concern is talking to their friends about their day. A seat belt could be within their hands reach and not be used. If the student does not want to wear a seat belt, they will not wear it. The time and effort needed for workers to install the seat belts could be used some where else. Having students wear selt belts would be a set back in the morning and afternoon routes. Installing seat belts on school buses would be an unnessesary use of money. There are hundreds of buses and every seat on the bus would need two belts, you do the math. The school board would also have to pay for the dedicated workers who must install the belts on every bus. Seat belt installations would cut deep into the budget of the school system. Students are only on the bus for a short period of time, so seat belts would be installed to only be used for 10 to 15 minutes. The money could be going towards our programs in schools which would benefit more or towards scholarships for our children to be able to pay for college. Just because seat belt access is available on the bus there is no guarantee they will be used . Children are more concerned with being cool and what friends will say about them wearing a seat belt than worrying about their safety. Students on the bus would rather socialize and talk with friends until is time for them to get off the bus. Wearing a seat belt is the last thing on their mind when riding on the school bus. There would be some students who would wear their seat beats because they are caucious and concerned with their safety. This type of change would need full participation of students wearing the seat belts and not just some students wearing it. Even if seat belts are made a requirement, there would be students who refuse to wear one. If they don’t wear seat belts in a car with parents the odds are they will not wear one around friends. As long as the bus driver is careful and cautious, the students will be safe. Having seat belts on every school bus would be a time consuming process . Seat belts on school buses will not only take time to install on every bus, but it will take time each morning and afternoon for the children to get situated. The bus driver may also cause a holdup in traffic from waiting for every student to be buckled up. Putting on seat belts may be difficult for young elementary school students to do. The bus driver would then have to assist any child in need of assistance. On the occasion of a bus overflow, the children would sit three to a seat which would cause one student to be without a seat belt. It would be fair for the students left without a seat belt . I do believe the buses are equipped for the daily pick up and drop off of children. Seat belts are too costly for everyone to not participate in using them. As long as the bus driver insures the rules of the bus are followed such as; feet out the aisle, noise level in control, and children are faced forward, the students should be safe. People say, “Cars need seat belts so why doesn’t a bus. There is no difference between the two.” Cars need seat belts because they a highly prone to having a crash. A bus is built different therefore seat belts are not a necessity but are nice feature to have for the extra protection of the children. Changing: I made major changes to my essay on seat belts. I changed my whole point of view on this subject. I decided I felt stronger about there not being a need for seat belts on school buses. My previous essay was lacking in organization and structure. One of my main focuses for this essay was improving my paragraph organization. I also improved my word choice and took out sentences that did not pertain to my topic. I made stronger points with supporting details. I added transition sentences to my essay which was another piece missing in my other essay. My opening paragraph and my thesis statement gives the reader a better understanding of what my essay is going to be like.


 * Choice Essay**

Choice Yes, I agree the quote made by Fyodor Dostoevsky. In the book Siddhartha, Siddhartha made choices that impacted his life and the lives of many other. He could have easily gone his whole life doing the same thing everyone else did and doing what everyone else told him to do. Sometimes all we need is the ability to make our own choices to get us where we want to go in life. The government and society can be known for putting a hold on the choices that we want to make. If we make the wrong choices that are not pleasing to them, we are seen in a different light. Siddhartha didn’t allow society to put a wall up and trap him from making choices he desired to make. Siddhartha’s choice to leave his father and the Brahmin lifestyle set off the whole adventure that lied ahead for him. At this time, Siddhartha didn’t know where the roads would take him, but he knew inside being with his father wasn’t accomplishing anything. father was a Brahmin, so he was taught the teaching of a Brahmin. Unfortunately, the teachings the Brahmin priest and his father taught him were of no use to him. . In fact their teaching only left questions in his mind. They were not showing him what he was looking for. Siddhartha longed to be one with Self. His choice of leaving home to go roaming the land, didn’t go over well with Society. The village Siddhartha lived in had high expectations for him to fulfill the shoes of a Brahmin like his father. His father was highly displeased with his decision to leave the village behind. Despite all the comments thrown out into the atmosphere about the decision, Siddhartha made a choice and no one could change his mind about it. The only one Siddhartha had on his side was Govinda. Govinda was a supportive best friend that admired Siddhartha and the choices he made. Govinda promised Siddhartha, he would never leave his side. It was almost like Govinda was a human shadow of Siddhartha. One of the small choices made was to follow the Samanas. The Samanas were a group of old wise men that Siddhartha and Govinda had come across in their journey. An important requirement for the Samanas’ lifestyle was to give up all things of value. Siddhartha and Govinda did just that and ended up becoming to dirty men. They had to disconnect themselves from society in order to truly be able to conquer Self. Once again Siddhartha found himself making another group of people who grew to accept him and his friend. Govinda and Siddhartha took off without waiting for the approval and the comments that the Samanas would have about their choice of leaving. Each choice we make in life teaches us something new. The choices we make on our own can open doors others didn’t even know existed. The decisions and choices we make could end up being beneficial to others. Siddhartha opened a window of opportunities for Govinda. Without Siddhartha, Govinda would still be in the Brahmin village and wouldn’t have met Buddha. Siddhartha and Govinda heard “The Enlightened One” was coming to give a speech. Govinda was moved by the words of “The Enlightened One” and became a prophet of him. He finally made his own choice and took a step out of being Siddhartha’s shadow. Sidd made the choice not to follow Buddha because he didn’t believe Buddha would help him reach Nirvana. It was as if he was a nomad going from place to place. After all Siddhartha’s ups and downs, his choices led him to a blissful ending. Siddhartha reached Nirvana and became the new Buddha after the Gutama Buddha passed away from illness. Becoming Buddha never even crossed Sidhartha’s mind when starting the journey. The journey consisted of being a Brahmin’s son, a Samanan, a merchant, a husband, a father, and at the end Buddha. All he needed was to be able to make his own choices. The choice is yours take advantage of it. Changing

Over all I am pleased with my essay so alot of changes were not needed. I did edit my essay by making more references to

the quote. I made sure that the references in my essay were supportive of the quote made by Fyodor Dostoevsky. I improved

this essay by adding transition sentences. My draft for this essay was lacking a sound conclusion so I added to it. The last

thing I did was change my word choices to be more descriptive.


 * My Name**


 * Reflection**

The title of my essay is //Shining through my writing.// I chose this title because I express myself through my writing. I put alot of time and

effort into every piece of writing that I have created. I am shining because I let my talent show through each essay I wrote. My title

relates to my portfilio because it has my best writing that gives people a sense of my writing abilities. The best piece of writing in my

portfolio is my essay about my name. I had fun writing this essay because I had so much to say about this topic. I believe this essay is

strong in tone and my voice is heard through this essay the most. This essay overflows with stories and supporting details that helps

the reader understand how I feel about the name I was given. I believe my college essay would benifit most from an essay revision.