Reflective Essay

The main topic of this class seemed to be social justice issues. This was very useful in
helping with the different strategies used for argumentation since there will always be two sides
to every social justice issue. It gave the students in this course a chance to argue for their side,
while at the same time looking at other point of views.
The different writing styles were set as a flash memoir and report. I have never done a
flash memoir before, and this course gave me a chance to see what it was like to write in a
different style. Also, the discussions we had each week helped me to see my peers writing
styles.
Quizzes in this course helped me become more analytical and research more deeply into
my topic. It showed me different ways to write in multiple genres, and it also allowed me to
connect with my paper more through informative videos. The quizzes also taught me how to
correctly cite my sources and find the best articles related to my topic.
For my decision making, I had to choose a social justice issue. It was a bit tough since
there is a lot, but my heart was set on poverty. It was also a little hard for me to choose between
talking about poverty and education, or one over the other. I mainly chose scholarly articles and
articles found on the SLCC website in which one of the quizzes helped me out a lot with.
On both the flash memoir and the report, I took out a lot of irrelevant information. It
made the paper flow easier, and I also used my peer reviewers advice. My professor had a lot of
good critical feedback for me in which I used on my paper. I took out most of my first paragraph
in my report. It made the paper flow and got the idea across to the audience better.

The process of putting my final portfolio together was tough. I started the first week of
the final week. It took me a while to process my ideas and to see which I would choose to talk
about. I chose the report since it seemed fit for this and it took me longer to work on it than my
flash memoir. I started to reflect on my first draft and see where my mistakes were, looked at my
feedback again, and also thought about what I was thinking at that moment. For my second draft,
I took a similar route, but it was easier to talk about since I did pretty well on the report.
Reflecting on the third draft was probably the most difficult for me. I had to take my time and
see where all my flaws were in the second draft. Overall, the final project for this portfolio took
me the longest to complete out of all the assignments. I wanted all my reflections to clearly show
how much work I put into the class, while at the same time showing what Ive learned.

First Draft (Before Peer Review)

Jessica Bounsanga
Professor Onwuzuroha
ENG 2010
17 July 2015
Poverty and Education
One of the major causes of social tensions in America is poverty. It threatens to divide a
nation because of the issue of inequalities, and in this case it deals more with income inequality.
The perverse cycles of poverty mean that lifelong obstacles and troubles are typically passed on
from one generation to another. Children who don't have access to the necessary resources are
more likely to end up in poverty, just like their parents or guardians. Poverty can affect not only
those who are poor, but also the society as a whole. Revolts can rise because of the lack of jobs
and crime rates are also more associated with high poverty levels. Generally, an effective way of
reducing poverty is to invest in education. There is more to education than just writing, reading,
and arithmetic. Education can offer people critical skills and tools to help them better provide for
themselves and their children. It can create opportunities for a continual and viable economic
expansion and a better connection with other cultures. It is discernible that poverty has effects on
all people. By improving poverty through education, economies could blossom, health could
improve and countries can establish stronger relationships.
Below is the most updated statistical graph of the poverty rate by age. Calculated by the
Economic Policy Institute, and also a little research of my own, this graph shows the percentage
of those below the poverty line.

The graph above shows that the average percentage of those below the poverty line is mostly less
than six years old. The reason for this is because most families with children less than six years
old struggle with providing the general necessities a toddler or baby needs to survive.
Throughout the years, the percentage has fluctuated, but it is now higher than usual. Another
table is provided below that gives more information about what the national poverty line consists
of.

The majority of people that meet the expected poverty line are unable to attend school
from a very early age. The necessary clothing or supplies required for school are difficult to
afford for most families. Transportation can also be challenging. Whatever the reason, there is an
apparent link between families living in poverty and their lack of education. According to the
Borgen Project, obtaining a basic education could potentially bring about 171 million people out
of poverty. Once an unpleasant cycle is created, it is challenging to get out of it. Poverty can be
considered a vicious cycle that prevents people from gaining a good education, and not obtaining
an education prevents people from escaping poverty. Below is visualization of how many
students live in poverty.

For the first time in at least 50 years, a majority of public school students across the country are
considered low-income, according to a new study by the Southern Education Foundation.
While poor children are spread across the country, concentrations are highest in the South and in
the West. If there were more social programs that helped families with providing the basic
necessities a child needs for school, more effort would be put into actually focusing on

education. For example, at the University of Utah, a program called Feed U Pantry just recently
opened up a year ago, and the feedback has been great. People dont really have to worry about
not having any food or money to buy food, and the less worry, the more they can focus on their
studies. I believe Salt Lake Community College has a similar program. The more we help out
and the more money we invest into people getting an education will help students critically think,
and it will improve poverty levels.
If lower-income schools got more funding or the same amounts of funding those
higher-income schools receive, more programs will be accessible to those in the lower-income
areas. More academic programs tend to offer students a better and cheaper way of getting
education. By this, I mean that a more excelled program will help some lower-income students
critically think and make it so they have a better chance of getting a higher education. More
education proposes an increase in a better economic development in society. One of the main
reasons that education advances an economic development is that the overall skill level of the
potential employee or laborer is what drives jobs and wage growth. If some employees get better
skills through education, this not only benefits the employee, but also increases the employment
rates and wage rates of everyone else in that regional work environment or economy.

The picture above shows the general unemployment percentage by education status. The more
education means the less unemployment rate.
Poverty can affect many things, and also cause a chain of unfortunate series. Since
poverty affects the lack of education a person has, it can also lead into health issues. The less
educated you are about the way your body works, the more likely you will have health risks.
With a poor education system in low-income areas, those that suffer from poverty have a higher
chance of poor health. Those in poverty tend to be deprived of the information, money or access
to health services that would help them prevent and treat disease. A great example of how
poverty is linked to health is that some parents or guardians have to make harsh choices. Its
either putting their health at risk because they cannot see their children go hungry or paying
money to get a regular health checkup. Poor health can affect an individuals education, which
will cause them to have a lower paying job in the future, thus creating that vicious cycle, as
mentioned before.
Education and poverty are key concepts in cultural affairs. The more money you have,
the more likely you are to travel and gain experience of the world around you. With more
education, you also get to learn more about the diversity of the world. Most people in poverty
cannot afford to do this. Getting educated for the basic necessities is already hard enough for
most low-income families. With the endless open mindedness opportunities that education and
money can offer, its sad to say that poverty has a high effect on the way we see other cultures
and countries. Its important to have a strong relationship with the countries around us, especially
for economic reasons.
The more programs and funding we get for lower-income schools and schools in
neighborhoods with low-income will help expand our knowledge, economy, and health. Without

the education I had growing up, I probably would have never attended college. Project Youth is a
great program to kick start the interest of children in low-income families to get a higher
education. It is a program connected with the University of Utah, which allows a tour of the
University to low-income elementary students. The more interest an individual has in higher
education, the more likely they will get out of the poverty cycle. Its highly unfortunate to see
a smart child with so much potential giving up their education or career because they simply
cant afford it.

Works Cited
Kavanaugh, Jennifer. "Effects of Poverty on Society: Why We Should All Care."
Poverties.org. Poverties, 11 May 2013. Web. 18 July 2015.
"Education | Global Partnership for Education." Education | Global Partnership for
Education. Global Partnership, n.d. Web. 18 July 2015.
"SWA-Poverty | Figure 7B | Poverty Rate, by Age, 19592013 | State of Working
America." State of Working America. Economic Policy Institute, 26 Sept. 2014. Web. 18 July
2015.
Bartik, Tim. "Why Education Is Important to the Economy, Especially the Local
Economy, and How Business Can Help Improve Education." Investinginkids. WordPress, 14
June 2012. Web. 18 July 2015.
"Key Facts: Poverty and Poor Health - Health Poverty Action." Health Poverty Action.
N.p., n.d. Web. 18 July 2015.
Levine, Jacob K. Low Incomes: Social, Health and Educational Impacts. New York:
Nova Science, 2009. Print.

First Draft Reflection

The successes I had with this first draft is a strong introductory paragraph. It was a very
good and interesting topic to talk about. My charts and graphs were really helpful and were very
relevant to my topic. All the sources I used in this paper were credible and I loved reading them
as I put them in my report.
I had more challenges than successes in my first draft of this paper though. Some of the
sentences were hard to read and I had to change how I worded things. The paper needed to be more
focused on the topic of poverty, but I made it more general than specific. I had to revise a lot and
most of my paragraphs were too long.
My thoughts when I turned in this paper before the peer review were pretty confident. The
length of the paper was good, and I felt that it was very informative and not biased. I had no clue
that I should have focused more on one main topic.
Now that I look back at this draft, I can see how long the paragraphs are and its filled with
information that isnt necessary for the main topic of this paper. Im glad I had the critical feedback
from my fellow peer and professor. It made me realize how much I needed to change, because I
even got bored a little reading about the things that didnt really relate to poverty.

2nd Draft (Graded)

Jessica Bounsanga
Professor Onwuzuroha
ENG 2010
1 August 2015
Poverty and Education
One of the major causes of social tensions in America is poverty. It threatens to divide a
nation because of the issue of inequalities, and in this case it deals more with income inequality.
The perverse cycles of poverty mean that lifelong obstacles and troubles are typically passed on
from one generation to another. Children who don't have access to the necessary resources are
more likely to end up in poverty, just like their parents or guardians. Poverty can affect not only
those who are poor, but also the society as a whole. Revolts can rise because of the lack of jobs
and crime rates are also more associated with high poverty levels. Thus, poverty is an ongoing
issue in America that must be addressed in order to target other social problems that are
associated with the current inequalities in our society. Below is the most updated statistical graph
of the poverty rate by age. Calculated by the Economic Policy Institute, this graph shows the
percentage of those below the poverty line.

The graph above shows that the majority of those below the poverty line are less than six years
old. The reason for this is because most families with children less than six years old struggle
with providing the general necessities a toddler or baby needs to survive. Throughout the years
the percentage has fluctuated, but it is now higher than usual. Another table is provided below
that gives more information about what the national poverty line consists of.

The majority of people that meet the expected poverty line are unable to attend school
from a very early age. The necessary clothing or supplies required for school are difficult to
afford for most families. Transportation can also be challenging. Whatever the reason, there is an
apparent link between families living in poverty and their lack of education. According to the
Borgen Project, obtaining a basic education could potentially bring about 171 million people out
of poverty. Once an unpleasant cycle is created, it is challenging to get out of it. Poverty can be
considered a vicious cycle that prevents people from gaining a good education, and not obtaining
an education prevents people from escaping poverty. Below is visualization of how many
students live in poverty.

For the first time in at least 50 years, a majority of public school students across the country are
considered low-income, according to a new study by the Southern Education Foundation.
While poor children are spread across the country, concentrations are highest in the South and in
the West. If there were more social programs that helped families with providing the basic
necessities a child needs for school, more effort would be put into actually focusing on

education. For example, at the University of Utah, a program called Feed U Pantry just recently
opened up a year ago, and the feedback has been great. Families now have the opportunity to
worry less about food and money, giving children the ability to focus on their studies. Similar
programs are also offered throughout the Utah valley, including programs at Salt Lake
Community College. By investing in education, students will have an increased chance of
gaining critical thinking skills that may result in reduced poverty levels.
If lower-income schools got more funding or the same amounts of funding those
higher-income schools receive, more programs will be accessible to those in the lower-income
areas. More academic programs tend to offer students a better and cheaper way of getting
education. By this, I mean that a more excelled program will help some lower-income students
critically think and make it so they have a better chance of getting a higher education. More
education proposes an increase in a better economic development in society. One of the main
reasons that education advances an economic development is that the overall skill level of the
potential employee or laborer is what drives jobs and wage growth. If some employees obtain
better skills through education, this not only benefits the employee, but also increases the
employment rates and wage rates of everyone else in that regional work environment or
economy.

The picture above shows the general unemployment percentage by education status. The more
education means the less unemployment rate.
The lack of educational resources can have detrimental effects. For example, poverty can
get in between learning. Many teachers who are better at teaching may not be available in lower
income schools due to financial incentives. Additionally, many classes that expand critical
thinking and teach real-life skills may not be offered to impoverished schools. Quality textbooks
and learning materials to enhance educational and behavioral skills are lacking due to poverty.
While many schools place an importance on education, schools in impoverished communities are
lacking behind. Many teachers and school staff may be aware of the difficulties associated with
living in poverty and may discourage students from reaching their full potential. As a result, the
combination of both poverty and education help give students the idea that education is not
important which may result in gang involvement and crimes. Poverty can affect many things, and
also cause a chain of events. Since poverty affects the lack of health education a person has, it
can also lead into health issues. The less educated you are about the way your body works, the
more likely you will have health risks. With a poor education system in low-income areas, those
that suffer from poverty have a higher chance of poor health. Those in poverty tend to be
deprived of the information, money or access to health services that would help them prevent and
treat disease. A great example of how poverty is linked to health is that some parents or
guardians have to make harsh choices. Its either putting their health at risk because they cannot
see their children go hungry or paying money to get a regular health checkup. Poor health can
affect an individuals education, which will cause them to have a lower paying job in the future,
thus creating that vicious cycle, as mentioned before.

In her most recent interview, Christiana Johnson, whom is the director and student leader
of the Social Justice program at the University of Utah, talks about how she has never
experienced what actual poverty is like, but loves to help those in need. She grew up in Idaho,
where her parents own a successful small business. I grew up going to a private school and had
many friends who were able to afford the same things as me, is what Christiana said. I feel
very privileged, and believe I can help those who really need it the most, considering I have that
power. Christiana also mentioned how she knows that it is tough for people to get out of the
vicious cycle of poverty. She sees it happen a lot with the children she works with. Their parents
arent able to provide them with the same necessities she had, like a backpack, wearable shoes,
etc. Without these items, its hard to focus on anything, and get anywhere in life. She loves the
idea of investing in education and like many people, is able to grasp the concept of a better
education leading to a more successful future. Christiana is an inspiring individual that is
willing to understand the difficult struggles of poverty.
Overall, an effective way of reducing poverty is to invest in education. There is more to
education than just writing, reading, and arithmetic. Education can offer people critical skills and
tools to help them better provide for themselves and their children. It can create opportunities for
a continual and viable economic expansion and a better connection with other cultures. It is
discernible that poverty has effects on all people. By improving poverty through education,
economies could blossom, health could improve and countries can establish stronger
relationships.

Works Cited
Kavanaugh, Jennifer. "Effects of Poverty on Society: Why We Should All Care."
Poverties.org. Poverties, 11 May 2013. Web. 18 July 2015.
"Education | Global Partnership for Education." Education | Global Partnership for
Education. Global Partnership, n.d. Web. 18 July 2015.
"SWA-Poverty | Figure 7B | Poverty Rate, by Age, 19592013 | State of Working
America." State of Working America. Economic Policy Institute, 26 Sept. 2014. Web. 18 July
2015.
Bartik, Tim. "Why Education Is Important to the Economy, Especially the Local
Economy, and How Business Can Help Improve Education." Investinginkids. WordPress, 14
June 2012. Web. 18 July 2015.
"Key Facts: Poverty and Poor Health - Health Poverty Action." Health Poverty Action.
N.p., n.d. Web. 18 July 2015.
Levine, Jacob K. Low Incomes: Social, Health and Educational Impacts. New York:
Nova Science, 2009. Print.

2nd Draft Reflection

One of the many successes of writing this revision was having a guideline to follow. I
had a lot of feedback on this paper and that helped me understand what I needed to fix. I did
more research, fixed my grammar and awkward sentences, and also made other people read it
before turning it in. What was challenging about this paper was trying to find out what I needed
to take out and keep in. Its hard for me to distinguish what exactly is important and if it has
anything to do with the topic of the paper.
At first I didnt think the paper needed much revision, but after I saw all the feedback, I
realized a lot of worked needed to be done on this paper. It was hard since I thought I did really
well the first time.
Some of the revision choices I made included a lot of what my professor and peer
reviewer had to say. I completely took out most of my first paragraph and made it shorter, and I
also revised my sentences. The transitions flowed a lot easier and I also put in a whole new
paragraph that talked about who I interviewed, and removed my opinion from the paper.
Before submitting the text I made 3 people read it just to make sure it was good. I felt
more confident in turning it in since I had a little guideline to follow of what to fix.
My thoughts on this text now would just be that I worked hard on this paper and had a lot
of fun doing it. Im so glad I picked this topic and writing about something I truly care about
makes my so happy. This paper was tough, but worth it. I hope I can use this paper in the future.

3rd Draft (ungraded)

Jessica Bounsanga
Professor Onwuzuroha
ENG 2010
8 August 2015
Poverty and Education
One of the major causes of social tensions in America is poverty. It threatens to divide a
nation because of the issue of inequalities, and in this case it deals more with income inequality.
The perverse cycles of poverty mean that lifelong obstacles and troubles are typically passed on
from one generation to another. Children who don't have access to the necessary resources are
more likely to end up in poverty, just like their parents or guardians. Poverty can affect not only
those who are poor, but also the society as a whole. Revolts can rise because of the lack of jobs
and crime rates are also more associated with high poverty levels. (Kavanaugh 123) Thus,
poverty is an ongoing issue in America that must be addressed in order to target other social
problems that are associated with the current inequalities in our society. Below is the most
updated statistical graph of the poverty rate by age. Calculated by the Economic Policy Institute,
this graph shows the percentage of those below the poverty line.

The graph above shows that the majority of those below the poverty line are less than six years
old. The reason for this is because most families with children less than six years old struggle
with providing the general necessities a toddler or baby needs to survive. Throughout the years
the percentage has fluctuated, but it is now higher than usual. Another table is provided below
that gives more information about what the national poverty line consists of.

The majority of people that meet the expected poverty line are unable to attend school
from a very early age. The necessary clothing or supplies required for school are difficult to
afford for most families. Transportation can also be challenging. Whatever the reason, there is an
apparent link between families living in poverty and their lack of education. According to the
Borgen Project, obtaining a basic education could potentially bring about 171 million people out
of poverty. Once an unpleasant cycle is created, it is challenging to get out of it. Poverty can be
considered a vicious cycle that prevents people from gaining a good education, and not obtaining
an education prevents people from escaping poverty. Below is visualization of how many
students live in poverty.

For the first time in at least 50 years, a majority of public school students across the country are
considered low-income, according to a new study by the Southern Education Foundation.
While poor children are spread across the country, concentrations are highest in the South and in
the West. If there were more social programs that helped families with providing the basic
necessities a child needs for school, more effort would be put into actually focusing on

education. For example, at the University of Utah, a program called Feed U Pantry just recently
opened up a year ago, and the feedback has been great. Families now have the opportunity to
worry less about food and money, giving children the ability to focus on their studies. Similar
programs are also offered throughout the Utah valley, including programs at Salt Lake
Community College. By investing in education, students will have an increased chance of
gaining critical thinking skills that may result in reduced poverty levels.
If lower-income schools got more funding or the same amounts of funding those
higher-income schools receive, more programs will be accessible to those in the lower-income
areas. More academic programs tend to offer students a better and cheaper way of getting
education. By this, I mean that a more excelled program will help some lower-income students
critically think and make it so they have a better chance of getting a higher education. More
education proposes an increase in a better economic development in society. One of the main
reasons that education advances an economic development is that the overall skill level of the
potential employee or laborer is what drives jobs and wage growth. If some employees obtain
better skills through education, this not only benefits the employee, but also increases the
employment rates and wage rates of everyone else in that regional work environment or
economy.

The picture above shows the general unemployment percentage by education status. The more
education means the less unemployment rate.
The lack of educational resources can have detrimental effects. For example, poverty can
get in between learning. Many teachers who are better at teaching may not be available in lower
income schools due to financial incentives. Additionally, many classes that expand critical
thinking and teach real-life skills may not be offered to impoverished schools. (Levine 289)
Quality textbooks and learning materials to enhance educational and behavioral skills are lacking
due to poverty. While many schools place an importance on education, schools in impoverished
communities are lacking behind. Many teachers and school staff may be aware of the difficulties
associated with living in poverty and may discourage students from reaching their full potential.
As a result, the combination of both poverty and education help give students the idea that
education is not important which may result in gang involvement and crimes.
Poverty can affect many things, and also cause a chain of events. Since poverty affects
the lack of health education a person has, it can also lead into health issues. The less educated
you are about the way your body works, the more likely you will have health risks. With a poor
education system in low-income areas, those that suffer from poverty have a higher chance of
poor health. Those in poverty tend to be deprived of the information, money or access to health
services that would help them prevent and treat disease. (Levine 277) A great example of how
poverty is linked to health is that some parents or guardians have to make harsh choices. Its
either putting their health at risk because they cannot see their children go hungry or paying
money to get a regular health checkup. Poor health can affect an individuals education, which
will cause them to have a lower paying job in the future, thus creating that vicious cycle, as
mentioned before.

In her most recent interview, Christiana Johnson, whom is the director and student leader
of the Social Justice program at the University of Utah, talks about how she has never
experienced what actual poverty is like, but loves to help those in need. She grew up in Idaho,
where her parents own a successful small business. I grew up going to a private school and had
many friends who were able to afford the same things as me, is what Christiana said. I feel
very privileged, and believe I can help those who really need it the most, considering I have that
power. Christiana also mentioned how she knows that it is tough for people to get out of the
vicious cycle of poverty. She sees it happen a lot with the children she works with. Their parents
arent able to provide them with the same necessities she had, like a backpack, wearable shoes,
etc. Without these items, its hard to focus on anything, and get anywhere in life. She loves the
idea of investing in education and like many people, is able to grasp the concept of a better
education leading to a more successful future. Christiana is an inspiring individual that is
willing to understand the difficult struggles of poverty.
Overall, an effective way of reducing poverty is to invest in education. There is more to
education than just writing, reading, and arithmetic. Education can offer people critical skills and
tools to help them better provide for themselves and their children. It can create opportunities for
a continual and viable economic expansion and a better connection with other cultures. It is
discernible that poverty has effects on all people. By improving poverty through education,
economies could blossom, health could improve and countries can establish stronger
relationships.

Works Cited
Kavanaugh, Jennifer. "Effects of Poverty on Society: Why We Should All Care."
Poverties.org. Poverties, 11 May 2013. Web. 18 July 2015.
"Education | Global Partnership for Education." Education | Global Partnership for
Education. Global Partnership, n.d. Web. 18 July 2015.
"SWA-Poverty | Figure 7B | Poverty Rate, by Age, 19592013 | State of Working
America." State of Working America. Economic Policy Institute, 26 Sept. 2014. Web. 18 July
2015.
Bartik, Tim. "Why Education Is Important to the Economy, Especially the Local
Economy, and How Business Can Help Improve Education." Investinginkids. WordPress, 14
June 2012. Web. 18 July 2015.
"Key Facts: Poverty and Poor Health - Health Poverty Action." Health Poverty Action.
N.p., n.d. Web. 18 July 2015.
Levine, Jacob K. Low Incomes: Social, Health and Educational Impacts. New York:
Nova Science, 2009. Print.

3rd Draft Reflection

My flash memoir wasnt a really good paper. I didnt do so well on it than I
thought I should. I think this is mainly because I was still getting used to what writing is like and
all the different styles associated with writing. The more quizzes I took, and the more I read my
peers discussions, the more I learned and grew. I took my paper more seriously the second time
and tried to focus more on the target of what I needed to write about and in what style it needed
to be in.
For this draft, it was hard for me to think of what to write. The success was that I didnt
have to really write or revise too much, but one of the challenges were coming up with what to
fix.
Throughout this course, I now know that every paper, no matter how good it is, can
always improve and be revised. After my second revision, I thought about ways I could improve
it even more although I didnt think I would have to make a third draft. I think improvement and
revision is always good, so yes Im glad I revisited my second draft and revised it.
In my third draft, I used my professors comments and changed the 5th paragraph. It is
now two completely different topics in two different paragraphs. I also went back and looked for
where I found my information so I could post the in-text citations.
I went to the writing center at the University of Utah instead of SLCC since it was more
convenient to me. It helped me improve my paper and writing skills a lot. I would definitely
show this outside of this classroom to the public. It would be very beneficial since it covers a
social justice issue that I believe is very important.