Draft 1
Family Name (Last Name) Given Name (First Name) Middle Name
Rueda Maria Pia
From a young age, we are asked what we want to be when we grow up, or ultimately what we want to do with our lives. When I was younger I explored many things and was very much a free spirit. I would engage in conversation with anyone-child or adult. Considering I was an only child, I quickly adapted to all kinds of interactions with people, including more advanced conversations with adults. My parents and I had emigrated from Colombia when I was almost two years old in search of a safer future filled with educational opportunities for me.
My culture was different from what I saw in American t.v. shows and movies and heard in American songs. I listened to Shakira, Carlos Vives, and Juanes. Shakira was the first artist I saw in concert, and she was my favorite Latin American artist; she could sing and dance and was oh-so talented. She was iconic: a success for Colombia and a success for Barranquilla. I remember her first albums; when Hips Don’t Lie first came out I was eight years old.
“Mira en Barranquilla se baila así, say it!
En Barranquilla se baila así”
This genre of words in music, or lyrics, impacted me because they express the idea that in the city I’m from people dance differently, implying its music and other cultural aspects are different, too. Shakira and her lyrics served as a reminder in my young age to preserve this culture because it was a part of me even though I was living in a different nation.
Address - Street Number and Name Apt. No.
1311 Crest Glen Dr.
C/O (in care of)
Bernardo Rueda and Gloria Bastidas
City State ZIP Code
Arlington TX 76002
Growing up, I was very aware of the differences that lied between me and my peers. I grew up in a good and safe neighborhood, and I attended a Catholic school beginning in the 4th grade, so I was around a majority white population, and the Latinos that did live in Texas were mostly from Mexico.
I remember my first day attending St. Maria Goretti Catholic school, a girl asked me where I was from. I told her to guess. She said Mexico, and I said no, Colombia. She then proceeded to ask me what part of Mexico that was in.
Five years at this school really made their impact on me. My parents never declared attending mass on Sundays as a requirement and were not as conservative as the typical Catholic in Texas, the reason for this being that in Latin America people are not as conservative with religion as people living in the United States typically are. Going to this school, I learned a lot about the genre of religious writing, particularly that of the bible. This became a key aspect in my life, and I pressured my parents to take me to church every Sunday. This was a unique concept as I was playing the role that the parent usually would, demonstrating that this was something I truly believed in and cared about.
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”, otherwise known as the golden rule, was expressed in the bible and became a huge concept in my life outside of church and Catholic school as well. I did not make much of the golden’s rule importance to me in regards to my career at that point in my life, but I would soon come to find that I would decide to use my life to serve others in a sense.
Date of Birth (mm/dd/yyyy) Country of Birth
08/30/1997 Colombia
Country of Citizenship/Nationality U.S. Social Security No. (if any)
Colombia ***-**-****
Date of Last Arrival (mm/dd/yyyy) I-94 Arrival-Departure Record Number
Current USCIS Status Expires on (mm/dd/yyyy)
When I was younger I explored various career options for myself: veterinarian, teacher, dentist, professional figure skater, but I remember reaching an age around 10 and having a conversation with my parents. My father told me I argued so much that I would make a great lawyer. As I kept growing, my parents would continue to tell me the same, and this dialogue truly impacted the decisions I would make about my future. I thought to myself, "Huh, maybe, but I don't know what kind of law I would practice... I'm not really into criminal law, and I'm not even sure if I want to go up in front of a jury."
Around this time, my parents and I were gaining our residency in the United States, leading me to ask them various questions about our situation and the whole immigration process. We had lived in this country for over ten years and still hadn't received our residency while my uncle in Florida had been living in this country for about half that amount of time and had already gained his citizenship. I would go to my parents' jobs with them at Dallas Independent School District's schools and was exposed to the population of children belonging to families with unstable economic situations. I saw the hope and drive this population had: the parents who wanted their children to have what they could not have, and the children willing to learn in order to provide for their families and contribute to this nation. It was around this time that I decided I would pursue immigration law and be the hope for these people.
Being exposed to the immigrant experience first-hand as well as knowing American-born citizens who disagree with allowing immigrants into this nation allowed much room for me to develop my beliefs on this issue. I have experienced subtle discrimination in my life and have heard rude, unjust comments made toward other Latinos in regards to their work ethic, abilities, or even their intentions. I have met many well-educated Latinos living in this country as well as those who are part of lower classes but still strive to obtain an education and good futures for themselves. Latinos and other immigrants contribute a great deal to this country: economic progress as well as culture. With my background and knowledge of cultures and languages around the globe as well as my empathy for people, I chose to use these gifts and skills I have to contribute to the immigration situation in this country.
As my essay progresses, I continue adding more parts of information about myself in order to show how my life story has developed, and which factors of it have influenced my desires for my future the most. I use lyrics from Shakira, a prominent Colombian artist, in order to reflect the impact it would have on a Colombian, especially one living in a first world country who still shares the Colombian heritage. I also added a bible verse, which is also a central idea of Catholicism and Christianity as a whole about how to lead one’s life; this demonstrates why I continued to develop the empathy I had as a child and my interest in serving others. Lastly, the genre of dialogue shared with my father, a key figure in my life, portrays that my cultural and familial values taught me to value his opinion and ultimately led me to make one of the biggest decisions if not the biggest in my life: what to do with it. These genres, at least for this specific part of my life in choosing who I want to become, influenced me the most, and that is why I chose to include them.
Click here for draft 2. The majority of the advice I received was about stylistic and design choices I should make to improve the piece's credibility. I also received some advice on making changes on specificity so that the audience can fully be aware about what I'm referencing. Honestly, this peer reveiw was really helpful because I otherwise would not have thought to make ceratin stylistic choices that would give my paper more authenticity. The most helpful comment was probably about the design of my main genre, the residency application, because I know how to make it even more accurate now. I viewed a lot of stylistic choices that gave me inspiration to take my paper up a notch with that aspect.
Draft 3
Family Name (Last Name) Given Name (First Name) Middle Name
Rueda Maria Pia
From a young age, we are asked what we want to be when we grow up, or ultimately what we want to do with our lives. When I was younger I explored many things and was very much a free spirit. I would engage in conversation with anyone-child or adult. Considering I was an only child, I quickly adapted to all kinds of interactions with people, including more advanced conversations with adults. My parents and I had emigrated from Colombia when I was almost two years old in search of a safer future filled with educational opportunities for me.
My culture was different from what I saw in American t.v. shows and movies and heard in American songs. I listened to Shakira, Carlos Vives, and Juanes. Shakira was the first artist I saw in concert, and she was my favorite Latin American artist; she could sing and dance and was oh-so talented. She was iconic: a success for Colombia and a success for Barranquilla, the city both she and my family are from. I remember her first albums; when Hips Don’t Lie first came out I was eight years old.
“Mira en Barranquilla se baila así, say it!
En Barranquilla se baila así”
This genre of words in music, or lyrics, impacted me because they express the idea that in the city I’m from people dance differently, implying its music and other cultural aspects are different, too from the tastier food to the “open-book” attitude people have. Shakira and her lyrics served as a reminder in my young age to preserve this culture because it was a part of me even though I was living in a different nation.
Address - Street Number and Name Apt. No.
1311 Crest Glen Dr.
C/O (in care of)
Bernardo Rueda and Gloria Bastidas
City State ZIP Code
Arlington TX 76002
Growing up, I was very aware of the differences that lied between me and my peers. I grew up in a good and safe neighborhood, and I attended a Catholic school beginning in the 4th grade, so I was around a majority white population, and the Latinos that did live in Texas were mostly from Mexico.
I remember my first day attending St. Maria Goretti Catholic Wchool, a girl asked me where I was from. I told her to guess. She said Mexico, and I said no, Colombia. She then proceeded to ask me what part of Mexico that was in.
Five years at this school really made their impact on me. My parents never declared attending mass on Sundays as a requirement and were not as conservative as the typical Catholic in Texas, the reason for this being that in Latin America people are not as conservative with religion as people living in the United States typically are. Going to this school, I learned a lot about the genre of religious writing, particularly that of the bible. This became a key aspect in my life, and I began to pressure my parents to take me to church every Sunday. This was a unique concept as I was playing the role that the parent usually would, demonstrating that this was something I truly believed in and cared about.
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
This was otherwise known as the golden rule and was expressed in the bible and became a huge concept in my life outside of church and Catholic school as well. I did not make much of the Golden Rule’s importance to me in regards to my career at that point in my life, but I would soon come to find that because my faith was such a central part of myself and because it taught me to be selfless, I would follow it diligently. The Golden Rule was the best embodiment of what my faith proclaimed. I would soon decide to use my life to serve others.
Date of Birth (mm/dd/yyyy) Country of Birth
08/30/1997 Colombia
Country of Citizenship/Nationality U.S. Social Security No. (if any)
Colombia ***-**-****
When I was younger I explored various career options for myself: veterinarian, teacher, dentist, professional figure skater, but I remember reaching an age around 10 and having a conversation with my parents. My father and I had an argument, which led to a conversation in which he told me what career I should pursue. Though in Spanish, the discussion went kind of like this:
“Mariapia, you really should read the news more.”
“I already watch the news on t.v. everyday, and I read that it’s been proven you retain it more if you watch it through a medium you prefer.”
“You know, you argue so much you should really consider becoming a lawyer.”
As I continued growing up, my parents would continue to tell me the same, and this dialogue truly impacted the decisions I would make about my future. I thought to myself:
"Huh, maybe, but I don't know what kind of law I would practice... I'm not really into criminal law, and I'm not even sure if I want to go up in front of a jury."
Around this time, my parents and I were gaining our residency in the United States, leading me to ask them various questions about our situation and the whole immigration process. We had lived in this country for over ten years and still hadn't received our residency while my uncle in Florida had been living in this country for about half that amount of time and had already gained his citizenship. I would go to my parents' jobs with them at Dallas Independent School District's schools and was exposed to the population of children belonging to families with unstable economic situations. I saw the hope and drive this population had: the parents who wanted their children to have what they could not have, and the children willing to learn in order to provide for their families and contribute to this nation. It was at this point in my life that I decided I would pursue immigration law and be the hope for these people.
Throughout my piece, I utilize the genre of an application for U.S. residency. I do this because my composition is about how my personal experiences drew me to want to become an immigration lawyer, and including the application before each section allows the reader insight on the process. I also addressed the genres of lyrics, scripture, and dialogue in each section.
The style of the essay follows the genre, and each sub section addresses one of the genres. The first sub section is about something that affected me personally, and it therefore leads with my name. The next section begins with my address from my childhood home, where I lived when I attended the Catholic school I mention that influenced me. Finally, the last section begins with more complex immigration requirements, and in this section I talk about the decision I made to become a lawyer. The design of the page is unique; I was looking for a creative touch. I decided to change the margins because of the immigration application style I chose.
My purpose of the piece was to demonstrate to my audience why I desire to become an immigration lawyer and that the immigrant population has a lot to offer. My audience, besides my professor and peers, is students discerning what career they want to follow, pro-immigration activists, and anti-immigration activists.
Being exposed to the immigrant experience first-hand as well as knowing American-born citizens who disagree with allowing immigrants into this nation allowed much room for me to develop my beliefs on this issue. I have experienced subtle discrimination in my life and have heard rude, unjust comments made toward other Latinos in regards to their work ethic, abilities, or even their intentions. I have met many well-educated Latinos living in this country as well as those who are part of lower classes but still strive to obtain an education and good futures for themselves. Latinos and other immigrants contribute a great deal to this country: economic progress as well as culture. With my background and knowledge of cultures and languages around the globe as well as my empathy for people, I chose to use these gifts and skills I have to improve to the immigration process in this country.
As my essay progresses, I continue adding more parts of information about myself in order to show how my life story has developed, and which factors of it have influenced my desires for my future the most. I use lyrics from Shakira, a prominent Colombian artist, in order to reflect the impact it would have on a Colombian, especially one living in a first world country who still shares the Colombian heritage. I also added a bible verse, which is also a central idea of Catholicism and Christianity as a whole about how to lead one’s life; this demonstrates why I continued to develop the empathy I had as a child and my interest in serving others. Lastly, the genre of dialogue shared with my father, a key figure in my life, portrays that my cultural and familial values taught me to value his opinion and ultimately led me to make one of the biggest decisions-if not the biggest-in my life: what to do with it. These genres, at least for this specific part of my life in choosing who I want to become, influenced me the most, and that is why I chose to include them.
Draft 3 Revised
Family Name (Last Name) Given Name (First Name) Middle Name
Rueda Maria Pia
From a young age, we are asked what we want to be when we grow up, or ultimately what we want to do with our lives. When I was younger I explored many things and was very much a free spirit. I would engage in conversation with anyone—child or adult. Considering I was an only child, I quickly adapted to all kinds of interactions with people, including more advanced conversations with adults. My parents and I had emigrated from Colombia when I was almost two years old in search of a safer future filled with educational opportunities for me.
My culture was different from what I saw in American TV shows and movies and heard in American songs. I listened to Shakira, Carlos Vives, and Juanes. Shakira was the first artist I saw in concert, and she was my favorite Latin American artist; she could sing and dance and was oh-so talented. She was iconic: a success for Colombia and a success for Barranquilla, the city both she and my family are from. I remember her first albums; when “Hips Don’t Lie” first came out I was eight years old.
“Mira en Barranquilla se baila así, say it!
En Barranquilla se baila así”
This genre of words in music, or lyrics, impacted me because they express the idea that in the city I’m from people dance differently, implying its music and other cultural aspects are different, too from the tastier food to the “open-book” attitude people have. Shakira and her lyrics served as a reminder in my young age to preserve this culture because it was a part of me even though I was living in a different nation.
Address - Street Number and Name Apt. No.
1311 Crest Glen Dr.
C/O (in care of)
Bernardo Rueda and Gloria Bastidas
City State ZIP Code
Arlington TX 76002
Growing up, I was very aware of the differences that lied between me and my peers. I grew up in a good and safe neighborhood, and I attended a Catholic school beginning in the 4th grade, so I was around a majority white population, and the Latinos that did live in Texas were mostly from Mexico.
I remember my first day attending St. Maria Goretti Catholic Wchool, a girl asked me where I was from. I told her to guess. She said Mexico, and I said no, Colombia. She then proceeded to ask me what part of Mexico that was in.
Five years at this school really made their impact on me. My parents never declared attending mass on Sundays as a requirement and were not as conservative as the typical Catholic in Texas, the reason for this being that in Latin America people are not as conservative with religion as people living in the United States typically are. Going to this school, I learned a lot about the genre of religious writing, particularly that of the bible. This became a key aspect in my life, and I began to pressure my parents to take me to church every Sunday. This was a unique concept as I was playing the role that the parent usually would, demonstrating that this was something I truly believed in and cared about.
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
This was otherwise known as the Golden Rule and was expressed in the bible and became a huge concept in my life outside of church and Catholic school as well. I did not make much of the Golden Rule’s importance to me in regards to my career at that point in my life, but I would soon come to find that because my faith was such a central part of myself and because it taught me to be selfless, I would follow it diligently. The Golden Rule was the best embodiment of what my faith proclaimed. I would soon decide to use my life to serve others.
Date of Birth (mm/dd/yyyy) Country of Birth
08/30/1997 Colombia
Country of Citizenship/Nationality U.S. Social Security No. (if any)
Colombia ***-**-****
When I was younger I explored various career options for myself: veterinarian, teacher, dentist, professional figure skater, but I remember reaching an age around 10 and having a conversation with my parents. My father and I had an argument, which led to a conversation in which he told me what career I should pursue. Though in Spanish, the discussion went kind of like this:
“Mariapia, you really should read the news more.”
“I already watch the news on TV everyday, and I read that it’s been proven you retain it more if you watch it through a medium you prefer.”
“You know, you argue so much you should really consider becoming a lawyer.”
As I continued growing up, my parents would continue to tell me the same, and this dialogue truly impacted the decisions I would make about my future. I thought to myself:
"Huh, maybe, but I don't know what kind of law I would practice... I'm not really into criminal law, and I'm not even sure if I want to go up in front of a jury."
Around this time, my parents and I were gaining our residency in the United States, leading me to ask them various questions about our situation and the whole immigration process. We had lived in this country for over ten years and still hadn't received our residency while my uncle in Florida had been living in this country for about half that amount of time and had already gained his citizenship. I would go to my parents' jobs with them at Dallas Independent School District's schools and was exposed to the population of children belonging to families with unstable economic situations. I saw the hope and drive this population had: the parents who wanted their children to have what they could not have, and the children willing to learn in order to provide for their families and contribute to this nation. It was at this point in my life that I decided I would pursue immigration law and be the hope for these people.
Throughout my piece, I utilize the genre of an application for U.S. residency. I do this because my composition is about how my personal experiences drew me to want to become an immigration lawyer, and including the application before each section allows the reader insight on the process. I also addressed the genres of lyrics, scripture, and dialogue in each section.
The style of the essay follows the genre, and each sub section addresses one of the genres. The first sub section is about something that affected me personally, and it therefore leads with my name. The next section begins with my address from my childhood home, where I lived when I attended the Catholic school I mention that influenced me. Finally, the last section begins with more complex immigration requirements, and in this section I talk about the decision I made to become a lawyer. The design of the page is unique; I was looking for a creative touch. I decided to change the margins because of the immigration application style I chose.
My purpose of the piece was to demonstrate to my audience why I desire to become an immigration lawyer and that the immigrant population has a lot to offer. My audience, besides my professor and peers, is students discerning what career they want to follow, pro-immigration activists, and anti-immigration activists. The personal account of my experience and therefore use of pathos should influence those in my audience interested in immigration because they would perceive a real person and not just a number. For students, my thought process after my conversation with my dad would probably be the most influential because I am sure they go through similar conversations with their parents.
Being exposed to the immigrant experience first-hand as well as knowing American-born citizens who disagree with allowing immigrants into this nation allowed much room for me to develop my beliefs on this issue. I have experienced subtle discrimination in my life and have heard rude, unjust comments made toward other Latinos in regards to their work ethic, abilities, or even their intentions.
As my essay progresses, I continue adding more parts of information about myself in order to show how my life story has developed, and which factors of it have influenced my desires for my future the most. I use lyrics from Shakira, a prominent Colombian artist, in order to reflect the impact it would have on a Colombian, especially one living in a first world country who still shares the Colombian heritage. I also added a bible verse, which is also a central idea of Catholicism and Christianity as a whole about how to lead one’s life; this demonstrates why I continued to develop the empathy I had as a child and my interest in serving others. Lastly, the genre of dialogue shared with my father, a key figure in my life, portrays that my cultural and familial values taught me to value his opinion and ultimately led me to make one of the biggest decisions-if not the biggest-in my life: what to do with it. These genres, at least for this specific part of my life in choosing who I want to become, influenced me the most, and that is why I chose to include them. I am not finished with this journey, but because what I recall in my piece were the most influential in my initial discerning of what I want to do with my life, they were the focus.