This course was one I needed to fill a prerequisite requirement but that I actually ended up enjoying. The general English class everyone takes is an expository composition course, but this specific class takes that class and puts a spin on it by focusing on different social issues throughout the class. Each section had a different "social issue" that became the central theme of the class; mine was "Language, Literacy, and Identity" and was explored via different readings by diverse authors on this theme as well as writing papers in response to these readings and my learnings from class discussions afterward. The culminating project for this class was an e-portfolio on Canvas, synthesizing and organizing what we believed to be our best works from the quarter (Spring 2021). 

Writing: This is the most obvious competency, given that this was a writing composition course. I wrote a number of short and long essays throughout the quarter, all pertaining to a specific writing competency identified by the UW English Department. I then had to organize my best works in an e-portfolio and explain how those chosen essays best reflected the given competency. I had to be clear, concise, and detailed in my essays, as well as share my analysis, stories, and reflections in a thoughtful manner. 

Service: The unique part of this course was that it's a "community-engaged course," meaning I had to volunteer a couple times a week as a part of my coursework and complete a reflection paper on the experience. Service is not unfamiliar to me as I completed many volunteer service hours from middle to high school but this was special to me because it was on Zoom, tutoring kids from the Delridge Neighborhood Development Association. It was great to see that you can still get involved in community work as a college student and that people were still making an effort to provide these kids with tutoring services while on Zoom. It was fun to meet and see the same kids every week and to be able to help them with their math homework, but it was also impactful to know that I was helping make their lives and their parents' lives a little easier. 

Other Perspectives: Through this course, we had many discussions as a class about our personal experiences with language, literacy, and identity. I grew up in an English-speaking household with grandparents who spoke different languages than me, but could still use English well-enough that I never had to learn their native languages. This is my unique background, but a lot of my classmates were first or second generation immigrants who grew up in a bilingual household, or had to translate for their parents. Some had only ever spoken English like me, but never had any other language in their family to speak or learn. These were all different perspectives from others that I had to listen and learn from, as well as incorporate into my essays. 

This is an upper-division requirement at Foster and I took it in Fall 2022 (my first quarter in Foster). There was an extremely steep learning curve as my professor was pretty strict and detailed in his grading, often subtracting 0.2 points for missing a comma. We explored different forms of business communications, from written to oral to visual. We had to write business emails and memos, perform an elevator pitch, create strategic reports, and present strategic recommendations multiple times. 

Verbal Communication: Presentations are very normal at Foster, but I got a lot more practice through this class alone. I had to record a solo persuasive presentation (shown below), as well as present with a team another strategic recommendation in front of the whole class. I had to learn a lot about speaking speed, enunciation, and how to not memorize my script and just get so familiar with the material that it sounded natural while saying everything I needed to say. I thought I was a pretty good public speaker from prior experiences but this did help me identify my lingering weak points in my presentation skills and address them.

Appropriate Interaction: In this class, we also learned the power of word choice and how there are certain types of interactions that require different tones, words, and body language. We practiced a negotiation where it was important to not be seen as aggressive, but also be assertive. In an elevator pitch, we have to be respectful but also personable. When presenting to a company, you have to be clear about the numbers and impact of your recommendation, all while being professional and formal. Understanding the range of business situations one can find themself in and how to appropriately engage in thoughtful interaction was a big part of this class and my takeaways from it.

Advocating for a Point of View: Finally, advocating for a specific point of view came from the different strategic reports. Being able to effectively present my research, thoughts, evidence, and the impact of these recommendations was crucial in persuading the audience to agree that my solutions were not only needed but the best alternatives to their current endeavors. I argued that Tazo Tea should invest in compostable tea bags, that &Collar shirts should create a women's line, and argued that Peloton should expand globally. All of these different perspectives had to be backed up by research, evidence, and good reasoning, which I (hopefully) clearly communicated in the given medium of the assignment (written or verbal).