From Loathing to Loving Literature: Alyssa Rodriguez’s Literacy Journey
Written by Alex Lee & Abby Forsberg
Alyssa Rodriguez tells of her pivoting experiences with writing. As much as she liked receiving a good education and participating in many events throughout her grade school years, Alyssa was not always enthusiastic about reading and writing. She was the typical energetic teenager who loved hanging out with friends. Alyssa enjoyed her time as a student and describes herself as “one of those people who miss high school.” On the other hand, she would often overlook academic subjects such as literature as nothing more than just a part of the school district’s required curriculum. However, when Alyssa first found herself in a position to teach to other students, her views on writing changed.
In Deborah Brandt’s, “Sponsors of Literacy,” she explains how in literacy, there are, what she calls “sponsors.” Sponsors are any agent that supports or suppresses literacy and have an advantage over the those they are sponsoring. In our interview, we asked Alyssa who her sponsors were, and she explained how she considers her teachers from grade school to be her sponsors. Much of her passion for learning and helping others has been inspired by them. They would create a positive learning environment which helped her enjoy attending school. She aspires to become a literacy sponsor herself to the students she will be teaching in the future. Alyssa is going to make a difference through her job by helping students find interest in writing much like her teachers lead her to discover her passion for writing.
Alyssa’s experiences with writing in high school and her literacy sponsors shifted her outlook on writing and fast tracked her fascination on the subject. Originally at a young age, she wanted to become a flight attendant, but her experiences with her teachers changed her career aspirations. One day in seventh grade, students around the room in her math class were confused with the material being discussed. Since she understood the assignment and loves to help people, Alyssa decided to go around the room to help her classmates gain a better understanding on the questions. “One girl I was helping said, ‘You’re really good at this, you should become a teacher.’ I then thought, ‘hm maybe I will.’” This realization influenced Alyssa’s passion for teaching.
With the passion Alyssa holds now for reading and writing, it was surprising to hear how she used to not care much for it at all. Until Junior year of high school, after being introduced to The Help by Kathryn Stockett, Alyssa chose to never finish any of the assigned novels in her classes. She made the decision to get through her English classes by reading Spark Notes for the assigned novels, because of being busy with extracurricular activities and not wanting to put in the effort to gain knowledge from the books.
Reading The Help changed her whole perspective. “I really liked reading a story from different perspectives.” Alyssa states eagerly, “I enjoyed how the author intertwined historical events in with a good story.” She was instantly hooked by the historical fiction novel and finished the entire book, making her question what she was missing out on. She is now currently in the process of fully reading all the assigned novels she never finished from previous classes to see what she missed. With this new perspective, Alyssa took it upon herself to aspire to become a sponsor of literacy for other students. High school marked the turning point for Alyssa’s literacy journey. She transitioned from being indifferent to passionate for reading and writing.
Coming from a very well-educated background shows that Alyssa had access to plentiful resources, which affected her ability to gain literacy skills and career choices. The school district in her neighborhood provided many resources such as books, chrome books, and school supplies. This made it easier for Alyssa to enjoy her high school experience.
During the interview while discussing what her school environment was like, she stated, “I would say my school was pretty preppy. We always had all the required books and nobody in class had to go buy them.” Alyssa recognizes how there are less-fortunate schools that do not have the means to provide all students with electronic devices and enough books. She is passionate and open about wanting students to receive a proper and more fortunate education so much that when she becomes a teacher or principal, she will voluntarily spend her own pocket money to provide books to the school. Alyssa will generously go out of her way to ensure students have a smooth learning experience because she understands the value of a good education and how it influences people.
“I personally am a writer defined by my errors in the sense that I need to fail in order to produce work I am truly satisfied with”.
It is very normal for kids to grow up not enjoying grade school or the activities that come with it, but Alyssa was not one of those students. With her high-spirited personality and positive attitude, Alyssa made sure to make her grade school years enjoyable, so that in the future she can reflect on those years and remember all the good times she had.
Alyssa had the opportunity to participate in various extracurricular activities. “I was in ASB Leadership, cheerleading, and softball.” She would always keep a smile on her face and make the most out of spending time participating in these events with her friends. Being part of school activities also had her receive lenient treatment when it came to turning in schoolwork. “My teachers often let me turn in homework late because I was involved in many activities.” Much of the time spent on these extracurricular activities would get in the way of her completing schoolwork on time. The school afforded her the ability to focus on her schoolwork while partaking in her other interests. This upbringing gave her an advantage in obtaining literacy and allowed her more time to choose her career path as opposed to less fortunate students.
Alyssa sees herself as a writer who is always improving her craft. Alyssa believes that good writing can be achieved through trial and error and unconventional methods. Allsion D. Carr discusses how the idea in her work titled, “Failure Is Not an Option,” can limit a writer’s creative ability. Alyssa does not believe that failure necessarily translates into bad writing.
Experiencing failure is where she learns the most from. She originally was planning on becoming a high school biology teacher, but once she entered college, she discovered that majoring in a different study will be better for her. Alyssa explained during the interview why she switched majors; “I realized biology was not for me and switched over to English. This change of path can be a positive thing. Like looking out for oneself.” Changing majors and deciding to be an English teacher was not “failing” or “quitting” to her but an improvement for her own sake.
When we brought up Monique Dufour and Jennifer Ahern-Dodson’s English chapter, titled, “Good Writers Always Follow My Rules”, Alyssa explained why her writing style does not align with many of the ideas the authors brought up. Alyssa gave her personal take on their ideas, “I personally am a writer defined by my errors in the sense that I need to fail in order to produce work I am truly satisfied with.”
“She is passionate and cares about students receiving a proper education so much that when she becomes a teacher or principal, she will voluntarily spend money out of pocket to provide books and materials to the school.”
She believes that if writers are too strict with their rules, they will not be going far enough. Nothing is going to turn out perfect on the first try. Experiencing failure and learning from it is what has makes her grow stronger as a writer. Outdated guidelines will not hold Alyssa back from writing what she wants to convey. Much of Alyssa’s writing hinges on her willingness to display her thoughts to the best of her abilities even if it does not match up with standard English rules.
Alyssa is a competent writer who comes from a rich background of experiences with literacy. Her enthusiasm for the subject is shown through her upbeat attitude and bright demeanor. Alyssa’s writing style may not fit the mold for what is considered “Good Writing” by standard English rules but benefit her personal goals and serves her needs well. Alyssa plans on becoming a sponsor of literacy for other students which she is fit for and will no doubt be an asset to all the people she teaches. With her skills set and confidence in her identity as a writer, Alyssa can not only teach future students to enjoy and appreciate writing but also inspire them to express themselves through their unique writing and experience their own literacy journey.
