I would first like to say I very much enjoyed being in class with you all and would like to thank Professor Seaman for a great semester.
As someone not graphic-design inclined (nice rhyme) I was not too selective in regards to the way my website looked. My favorite color is green so I chose the color green. In thinking about the structural aspect I just based it upon what I thought looked good. I hope it did.
For my artifacts I decided to choose the three pieces I thought I did well on throughout my career at Charleston. In looking back, I wish I better thought out how they attribute to my exact skills rather than looking for how well they perform comparatively to my work. In doing so I would probably pick things that are more musically inclined or close to the analyzation of music.
Going on the thought process of improving I think I could work better on the overall layout of my e-portfolio. I have friends that are more artistically inclined, so I wish I cooresponded closely with them in regard to the aesthetic portion of my portfolio.
Additionally, my website must have not saved properly as my blog post section and linkedin were not included during my presentation, but I will read those soon.
I further wish I had more ~professional~ photos of me, but that is more of a personal thing than directly pertaining to my portfolio. I do believe it would help my portfolio look better.
While designing my portfolio I really wanted to promote my writing so I chose the Pieria theme because, in the description of the theme, it said it was for displaying text. I wanted the homepage to be simple so then on the blog posts, I could have a lot of creativity with the design. I had a lot of fun reworking my essay about music because adding Spotify links that can play within the blog post made the essay super visual. That paper just worked really well within the blog format because I could also add the quote block to show the song verses.
I liked creating the blog because although it’s supposed to be a place for other people to look at our work and possibly connect with us for a job or career, however, it acts as an archive for myself. I think the website shows the abilities I have as a writer and how I can write about many different subjects well. I chose pieces that demonstrate my academic writing ability, journalism work, and my creative writing. I wanted to show a wide variety of subjects that I am familiar with, such as films, music, and social justice.
I wish I had more time just to play with the website and come up with the best possible way to display my work. The mechanical aspects of the website are what I wish I had more time on. But overall, I think I did a good job of demonstrating the different types of writing I can do and what my plans are for the future.
In my e-portfolio, I’ve created a space to showcase the works I’ve created during my time at the College of Charleston. The theme and color scheme of my website are a direct reflection of my affinity for black-and-white photography. As both an English and photography student, I’m naturally inclined towards simplistic, traditional, and stripped-down expressions, which I’ve translated into the overall look and feel of my site.
I’ve not only emphasized a diverse array of works completed during my time at the college but have also highlighted my extensive portfolio of photography from this period. Writing and photography have been lifelong passions of mine, making their integration into this portfolio particularly meaningful.
Within the website, I’ve curated six literary pieces from courses I’ve taken at the College of Charleston. My first artifact is an essay on motherhood from my ENGL 299 class, chosen to represent traditional academic essays. The second is my rewriting of Alexander Pope’s The Rape of the Lock. What I enjoyed about this piece is that it was more creative than a typical paper, but I also changed its medium for English Day by making it a poster and presenting it that way. The third artifact is a poem I wrote for a poetry class, which I wanted to include because it is poetry that really got me into studying English and was the first literary medium that I began writing myself at 10 years old.
The fourth is a philosophy paper I wrote. I thought including this would be interesting, as it is still an academic paper, but it is written in a completely different context and writing style. The fifth is a close reading paper I wrote about Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye. I wanted to include this because I presented it at an academic conference and thought the script I made from my essay would be an interesting interpretation of my work. Finally, the sixth is another close reading paper on two poems for a romantic class. I wanted to include this because it is still a traditional-looking paper but is more of a close reading in a more creative context.
For this website, I think that I spent a lot of time on each individual page. I wanted to ensure that it was easy to follow but also really interesting to look at. If there was anything I feel like I can improve, it is that I feel I might have gone overboard in my work summaries. I am not sure if I should have made these shorter, but I wanted to give context for why everything is included. Overall, I really loved this assignment. Mostly because it is exciting to have all of my work in one place, particularly my photography.
My portfolio serves to bridge the gap between the English and business worlds. I strongly feel that the skills I have gained over the course of my academic journey are highly transferable to sales, marketing, and business development professions. The purpose of the liberal arts degree is to create your own unrestricted path, and I feel that I was able to do that at The College. My portfolio aims to mirror this belief. I feel that the website reflects my core values and skills: sales, marketing, and communication which are grounded heavily by my degree in English. Without my English degree, I feel that I would not have the skillset to create tailored messaging for target markets and saturate markets through critical research.
My artifacts touch up on each of my skillsets highlighted throughout the portfolio: Sales, Marketing and Communication.
Artifact 1 demonstrated my ability to communicate, research, and synthesize artifacts. A typical literary analysis paper shows my ability to think critically and communicate my thoughts effectively.
Artifact 2 experiments with unrestricted formats, styles, and structures to reflect upon my writing process. It uses keywords derived from texts during a writing course. Ultimately, the project aims to synthesize my writing praxis. It demonstrates my ability to think beyond typical writing structures and transform ideas in abstract styles.
Artifact 3 serves to demonstrate my ability to do market research, analysis, and make financial projections. This skillset is crucial in a business field and I felt it would be important to include in my portfolio. This project highlights my ability to write in not just English fields, but in business-oriented disciplines as well.
My vision for the English major revolves around a profound appreciation for the intricacies of language and literature, recognizing their enduring relevance in today’s world. Through my exploration of seminal works like Jean Rhys’ “Wide Sargasso Sea” and Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” I’ve discovered the profound impact literature can have in challenging societal norms and revealing universal truths. These projects exemplify how the English major cultivates critical thinking, empathy, and cultural awareness, essential skills for navigating our interconnected society.
In my analysis of “Wide Sargasso Sea,” I delved into the intricate relationship between characters and the exotic setting of Dominica, revealing the thematic depth that literature offers. By emphasizing the symbolic significance of the landscape, I demonstrated my ability to engage critically with texts and uncover layers of meaning. This project underscores how the English major equips individuals with the skills to analyze and appreciate diverse narratives, fostering a deeper understanding of the human experience.
Similarly, my exploration of nature in Shelley’s “Frankenstein” showcased the transformative power of literature in exploring the human condition. Through vivid descriptions, I explored themes of solitude, resilience, and the connection between humanity and nature, highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of the English major in addressing contemporary issues.
Furthermore, my interview with Professor Caroline Hunt provided valuable insights into the personal and academic journey of an esteemed member of the English department. Her story serves as a testament to the transformative power of perseverance, mentorship, and a passion for lifelong learning, values inherent in the English major.
Looking ahead, I aspire to merge my passion for language and literature with meaningful professional endeavors. The foundation established by my English major equips me with a versatile skill set that transcends disciplinary boundaries. The critical thinking, communication, and analytical skills honed through my coursework have prepared me for success in various fields, from academia to marketing. As I embark on this journey, I hope to leverage the transformative potential of literature to effect positive change in the world around me, whether through advocacy, education, or creative expression. In crafting my final portfolio and personal website, I aimed for a clean and minimalist design to showcase my skills and values effectively. While I am satisfied with the outcome, I wish I had more time to incorporate multimedia elements for enhanced user engagement. Overall, my portfolio reflects my journey as an English major and my commitment to lifelong learning and intellectual exploration.
For my design, initially I went for a black background, but after experimenting with a few of my posts, I realized that I was not getting the feeling I wanted to convey with the portfolio. I wanted the tone to be warmer design-wise, so I went with a tan color and a lively but formal font. With making structural choices, I had a hard time figuring out what would look best where and how each post coincides with the other on each page. To find a solution, I looked at the examples that we looked at as a class and tried to remember what I initially thought of the ones that I remembered made an impact on me.
With the artifact selection, I knew I wanted to display one of my fiction works because I plan to apply for a graduate creative writing program, and this would be a great way to get my work out in the career field somewhere. I found the artifact section of the ePortfolio hard only during the remix part of it because I had never created a poster from paper before. I am grateful for that experience, though, because it showed me that I am able to transform a piece of art into a whole new artform entirely without ruining or losing the original meaning of the artform.
I feel that this website reflects how I value English literature, whether I am focusing on comparative or my fiction writing. This ePortfolio shows my creative ability to present my work on a different platform that is outside of an academic setting. I do wish I had more time on the general style and color of my website. While I thought the color style was better than the black tone I originally planned, I thought I could have found a better theme color that coincides with my work.
The design of my website is based off of the website of the firm that my alumni interview connection works at. My goal after graduation is to succeed at law school and be hired as an attorney, so I thought, why not make it easier for them? My website is plain but still colorful and relatively interesting – it puts the focus on the pictures the most.
My artifacts were mainly picked for two things: to show that I can write extensively about any topic, and to show my identities as a Southern Jew. These are two tenets that are central to my law experience: I want to work in a path that may take me to a big firm where I have to work horrible hours, but I am not willing to sacrifice observing the Shabbat commandments, so that is clear through my poetry collection. In terms of the essays, I really just wanted to show my attention to detail and my ability to cite and build an argument.
My two additional pages focus on my editing experience, which again, shows attention to detail but also team leadership and effective communication, and on my bioethics story and research, which explains why I want to go into the specific field of law I’m planning to pursue.
If I had more time to improve, I probably would have wanted to add more of my editing experience. I will soon have articles that show editing directly in the medical field published, and I will also have the fourth issue of YNST coming out, so there will be a lot more comments.
