Statement of Purpose Version 2
Hello everyone! I'm back and bringing a brand new statement of purpose. If you don't remember my previous statement of purpose, it was posted approximately two- three weeks ago in regards to Langston Hughes' "The Need For Heroes." After receiving tons of feedback from friends, peers, and professors, I decided to completely scrap that idea and go a different route, a much clearer and concise route.
The prompt was to write a brief explaination of my reasons to pursue graduate study in English, outline my goals, list any previous experience, and aspects of the school's program that I feel would help me attain my goals.
Please be honest, blunt, and offer constructive criticism! Thank you! :)
Also, the section highlighted is to help me distinguish between the professors at the respective schools.
Statement of Purpose
In my formative years, reading books was merely a pastime done strictly for enjoyment. I would often wander about with a book strategically placed in my hand. This was my world-a world that no one else could see or even imagine. A fairytale world filled with kings, queens, and mystical beings. I always had my head in a book, and over time, the book became a part of me. As I matured, so did my literary penchant and my college English courses provided new and challenging literature that was absent in what I was accustomed to reading.
While in college, I learned to read critically. For the first time, I was given the tools to analyze, interpret and conceptualize literature by authors as diverse as Richard Wright and Ntozake Shange, and more standardized literature by William Shakespeare and Geoffrey Chaucer. I was able to connect various cultural, gender, and queer theories and conceive and support my own arguments. While Images of Women in the Media and Seminal Writers in the African American Tradition challenged me to study relatively new texts in literature and cultural studies, I matured as an individual and reached beyond my basic understanding by exploring a wide range of topics such as gender and racial inequalities. Additionally, I expanded my literary canon and discovered authors to which I was unaccustomed. The English Department at Spelman College has equipped me with the necessary tools I need to eventually become an English scholar.
Reading various literary genres expanded my worldview and after taking Advanced Exposition, Introduction to Literary Studies, and Grammar and Style, I unexpectedly developed a passion for critical writing and its mechanics. At Spelman, I began to strengthen and develop my craft and establish an affinity for grammar, rhetoric, and syntax. I often found myself policing various texts-whether inside or outside of the classroom. It was not until my senior year, where I obtained a tutoring position in the writing center that I was able to put my affinity to work by assisting my peers in writing and grammar. These experiences enabled me to develop a newfound level of personal and professional fulfillment and realize my zeal for literature and composition. In addition to literature, it is my intent to share the multiple levels of writing with my students as they live in a world composed of various avenues of communication.
Receiving my Bachelor of Arts Degree in English will be the next step in a long journey. I know that there will be many more authors to read, theories to examine and more room to grow as a writer. Furthering my education at [school] as a graduate student in the Master of Arts English Program will give me the opportunity to continue to develop and enrich my skills at a challenging institution. [University’s] program will allow me to select the courses I feel would provide the necessary knowledge to achieve my career goals-whether they are English courses or courses from other disciplines.
Working with Dr. Everett Hamner on Ethnicity and Gender Studies and Dr. Neil Baird on Composition and Rhetoric Discourse [WIU]/Dr. Ann Brigham on Women and Gender Studies and Dr. Theodore L. Gross on Ethnic Studies [RU] will further my understanding of the disciplines I enjoy and provide knowledge both applicable and beneficial to the English courses I intend to teach. Additionally, [University’s] individualized program will provide a supportive and engaging environment that renders endless possibilities. I will build upon the strong foundation I received as an undergraduate English major so that I can share my love of literature, writing and rhetoric discourse along with African American literature with my future students.
The prompt was to write a brief explaination of my reasons to pursue graduate study in English, outline my goals, list any previous experience, and aspects of the school's program that I feel would help me attain my goals.
Please be honest, blunt, and offer constructive criticism! Thank you! :)
Also, the section highlighted is to help me distinguish between the professors at the respective schools.
Statement of Purpose
In my formative years, reading books was merely a pastime done strictly for enjoyment. I would often wander about with a book strategically placed in my hand. This was my world-a world that no one else could see or even imagine. A fairytale world filled with kings, queens, and mystical beings. I always had my head in a book, and over time, the book became a part of me. As I matured, so did my literary penchant and my college English courses provided new and challenging literature that was absent in what I was accustomed to reading.
While in college, I learned to read critically. For the first time, I was given the tools to analyze, interpret and conceptualize literature by authors as diverse as Richard Wright and Ntozake Shange, and more standardized literature by William Shakespeare and Geoffrey Chaucer. I was able to connect various cultural, gender, and queer theories and conceive and support my own arguments. While Images of Women in the Media and Seminal Writers in the African American Tradition challenged me to study relatively new texts in literature and cultural studies, I matured as an individual and reached beyond my basic understanding by exploring a wide range of topics such as gender and racial inequalities. Additionally, I expanded my literary canon and discovered authors to which I was unaccustomed. The English Department at Spelman College has equipped me with the necessary tools I need to eventually become an English scholar.
Reading various literary genres expanded my worldview and after taking Advanced Exposition, Introduction to Literary Studies, and Grammar and Style, I unexpectedly developed a passion for critical writing and its mechanics. At Spelman, I began to strengthen and develop my craft and establish an affinity for grammar, rhetoric, and syntax. I often found myself policing various texts-whether inside or outside of the classroom. It was not until my senior year, where I obtained a tutoring position in the writing center that I was able to put my affinity to work by assisting my peers in writing and grammar. These experiences enabled me to develop a newfound level of personal and professional fulfillment and realize my zeal for literature and composition. In addition to literature, it is my intent to share the multiple levels of writing with my students as they live in a world composed of various avenues of communication.
Receiving my Bachelor of Arts Degree in English will be the next step in a long journey. I know that there will be many more authors to read, theories to examine and more room to grow as a writer. Furthering my education at [school] as a graduate student in the Master of Arts English Program will give me the opportunity to continue to develop and enrich my skills at a challenging institution. [University’s] program will allow me to select the courses I feel would provide the necessary knowledge to achieve my career goals-whether they are English courses or courses from other disciplines.
Working with Dr. Everett Hamner on Ethnicity and Gender Studies and Dr. Neil Baird on Composition and Rhetoric Discourse [WIU]/Dr. Ann Brigham on Women and Gender Studies and Dr. Theodore L. Gross on Ethnic Studies [RU] will further my understanding of the disciplines I enjoy and provide knowledge both applicable and beneficial to the English courses I intend to teach. Additionally, [University’s] individualized program will provide a supportive and engaging environment that renders endless possibilities. I will build upon the strong foundation I received as an undergraduate English major so that I can share my love of literature, writing and rhetoric discourse along with African American literature with my future students.