My Work

The following documents include some of my finest writing done for the purpose of providing a new voice to an academic conversation. I learned about rhetoric from the best professors at one of the only Writing and Rhetoric programs in the country. They encouraged me to ask questions and study the uses of literacy in my life. I began to research and analyze what meant the most to me, what I desired, and the role rhetoric played in shaping who I am as a writer and a person. This education and the work that I have created from it are invaluable in furthering my skills for a career in writing.
 

• Writing & Rhetoric Curriculum Map

  • This is the most recent, in-depth, and introspective project that I have completed. The idea was to create a visual map of sorts to convey the different knowledge and experiences I gained from the programs in the Department of Writing & Rhetoric at the University of Central Florida. The decision for a design revolved around my career desires, so I used a men's lifestyle magazine as the structure, and the different pieces of a suit to represent different parts of the program and what they assisted me in doing. Ultimately, the full suit dresses me like a rhetorical armor of sorts in preparation for graduation. This is one of the most design-heavy and creatively challenging projects I have done.

• Tactile Rhetorical Analysis: Nike Water Jug​

  • In this research paper, I discuss the impact of tactile rhetoric. When I say tactile rhetoric, I am talking about the persuasive literary influence that everyday ​physical objects have on our lives. I chose the object of a large Nike water jug that serves as an apparatus for drinking water all day, especially during exercise. Through some academic analysis, I discovered much of the subconscious reasoning and rhetorical choices behind my use and others' use of that specific object, and specifically what Nike represents in my eyes and in the eyes of others. This project significantly furthered my understanding of the author-audience relationship.

• Writing-Based Literacy as Catharsis and Social Development: The Songwriting Effect​

  • This research project aimed to analyze and report on a literacy-based activity that I conducted outside of academia. For me, this was songwriting, as I have written over fifty songs on my own and ten others with the band WISCO. In this analysis, I question why I write songs, what songwriting is able to be for myself and others, and how songwriting could be a great addition to an academic curriculum in K-12 schooling. I used research from multiple academic and outside sources to support claims and compare research to. I truly felt like I added a new conversation to a discussion with this. I went on to present this project on a panel at the annual University of Central Florida Knights Write Convention. It is a well-recognized event at UCF, and the presentation was heard by peers, faculty, and the Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities.

• The Windie Lazenko Story: A Cultural Rhetorical Analysis​

  • In a course called Cultural Rhetorics through the ​Department of Writing and Rhetoric, we focused on the literacy and discourse surrounding sex trafficking media. To simplify, we looked at how the longstanding methods of speech and written word of certain cultures impacted how sex trafficking is discussed in the news. My analysis specifically talks about the type of language used in different publications across the world to address the experiences of Windie Lazenko, an individual who had been trafficked for years. It was fascinating to see the rhetoric and discourse shape the representation of Lazenko throughout different publications. This project taught me the concept of cultural rhetoricity, which is the way customs and practices of certain cultures affect their discourse over time. It showed me how important the way we say things is to progress on tough cultural issues.