Hello and thanks for visiting my E-Portfolio. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Shanna Tate, and Spring 2009 has been my second full-time quarter at Everett Community College. I’m double majoring in History and English, but my faith in the latter has been tested greatly through this quarter. I’ll explain more about that later.

This portfolio is a showcase of the culmination of everything we have learned this quarter. We’ve learned about identity, and what it takes to find it. We’ve learned about community, and what it takes to be a part of one. We also learned about traditions, and how they are formed and tested every day. When going into the quarter, I was excited to read more about each of these ideas. What I didn’t expect was that in studying and writing through these three units, I would learn more about who I am and what I stand for. I would also become more comfortable with where I fit in, and what my place is in society. Learning more about myself in these ways also helped me have a greater respect and understanding of tradition and why it’s important. Yes, it seems as though English 101 has served me well.

With all the lessons learned, I think it’s important to note that this hasn’t been an easy journey for me. Growing up, I knew what I wanted to do: I wanted to be a writer. I’d major in English and History to learn everything I could about the world and to gain perspective, learn about photography to capture priceless moments and great memories, and travel the world with family and friends, documenting my experiences. I'd teach English or History as my main source of income, and having summers off would give me plenty of time to live out this dream. It was never about trying to make money doing this, but about living life and the experiences I would have doing what I love. I lost sight of that as I got older. Very few things will make you worry about money more than buying your first home, and the thought of being in debt forever frightened me. Thinking I should forget my passions and go for a high paying career instead, I started college. A year later and after a few failed, miserable attempts at majors that I knew weren’t right for me, my husband encouraged me to follow my dream and go for it. I talked to my closest friends to gain reassurance, and with my support system in place, "going for it" was exactly what I did.

I registered for this class feeling confident. English had always been my forte, and I never foresaw myself having any problems. All was going well until the end of the second week when the first paper came along. My grade wasn’t terrible, don't get me wrong. By any normal standard, it was a completely admirable grade and looking back, I wish I wouldn’t have felt so let down by my own inability to live up to the standards and visions I had set for myself. As the quarter progressed, I continued to feel more and more like I was kidding myself by thinking this was the right path for me. I had been out of school for nearly seven years and felt like I had lost my niche and my passion for writing. After a death in the family and an extended vacation thanks to bad weather in Chicago, I felt myself giving up and in desperate need of inspiration. With a pep talk from family, friends, and fellow classmates, I was able to realize that even though this quarter didn’t go perfect, it was the first step – merely a stepping stone back into the groove of academic writing. Instead of looking at how much I felt I had failed myself, I instead looked at how much I accomplished, and all the lessons I had learned.

This course allowed me to see things in a different light, and realizing that was just the inspiration I needed to regain my confidence. While the pieces I am highlighting as a part of this portfolio aren’t perfect in content and form, looking at it now, they are everything I could have hoped for. They are the beginning of the next chapter in my life, and the beginning of my progression into becoming a writer again. Enjoy.