In addition to becoming an editor for 186 South College, I am also officially a Writing Fellow this semester. I remember sitting in my E110 class on my first day of college three years ago and meeting my assigned Writing Fellow for the first time. She explained what the program was, how we could all benefit from it, and finally how she was going to help us adapt to collegiate writing. As soon as she was done speaking, I knew I wanted to join the program. As a double major in English and History, writing has always been my utmost passion and when I found out the Honors Program employed students to help others become better writers, I was itching to sign-up.
When the time came my sophomore year to apply for the program, I was telling anyone who would listen that nothing was more important to me than writing a great application essay and then being invited to take E316 in the spring. I worked to make a good impression during my interview, presented myself as a suitable candidate, and hoped I would be allowed to get one step closer to actually becoming a Writing Fellow. After two weeks of nerves and constantly reverting back to things I had said during my interview, I got the e-mail that I was accepted into E316: Peer Tutoring/Advanced Composition. All Writing Fellows have to take this course prior to becoming an official member of the program; the class helps us become better writers and better tutors so we can effectively help freshmen with their writing. E316 is one of my favorite English courses I have taken here at UD and although I was sad to see it come to an end last May, I was excited for the next step—getting assigned my own Honors E110 or Colloquia class to work with.
A goal I set out for myself freshman year was finally accomplished this fall. I could not be happier with the Honors Colloquia I was assigned (a class that looks at plantations and slavery) and I find so much joy in having individual conferences with my group of students. In a way, I rediscover my love for writing every time I read one of their papers; I had become so conditioned to just producing papers by the dozen for both of my majors that I think I lost some of the passion I entered college with. It became a very methodical process for me and now, sitting with freshman and walking them through their papers and answering their questions about writing, I now once again appreciate the complexities of writing and have re-found my passion for telling stories and critically analyzing texts.
The Writing Fellows Program has given me so much here at UD; it has introduced me to a new community of students, it has made me become a better writer and tutor, it has challenged and stimulated my intellectual curiosity, and most importantly, it has allowed me to reconnect with my first love—writing.
