College Composition & Research
Portfolio: Ayat Youssef
Our race is the story line, and our legs tell the story.
2015 MSHSAA Girls Cross Country Championships
Self Reflective Essay
As a part of the Dual Credit course through North Central Missouri College, I was required reveal my growth as a writer. I mentioned how I have learned as much by writing as by reading and that writing more does not simply better one's writing; writing also improves one's character.
Argumentative Essay
I also had the opportunity to write a powerful argumentative essay against blood-doping among long-distance runners. Being anemic made me very passionate about the topic, making this essay one of the strongest essays overall.
Interview Essay
The Switchback Kid's enthusiastic voices and bright smile made their interview one of the most interesting interviews this year. On a mission to visit all 59 National Parks in America, the couple must face mental as well as physical challenges around the way. However, their positivity make the journey seem worthwhile.
Half Marathon
They enjoy physical activities such as running half marathons.
Hiking
They also enjoy taking long hikes around beautiful scenery.
5K
Oh look, more running!
Summary/Response Essay
Writing about a black athlete combating racism by revealing her talents was a great experience; Copeland's empowering confidence makes many women believe that they are capable of perusing any goal they put their mind into.
Summary #2
Before writing about the black woman's journey of becoming a ballerina in a white-favored industry, I was required to write a summary about an article about Misty Copeland. The article implied that Misty Copeland was one of the most influential women in history.
Misty Copeland asserts that "she could what she wants" in an advertisement for Under Amour.
Summary #1
The first summary that I had to write this year dealt with women gaining the industry multi-billion dollars due to women's insecurity. The author stresses that women must never feel insecure.
Editorial Essay
For writing an editorial essay, I decided to write about efficient scheduling for Chillicothe High School. I argued that all-block schedule is excessively stressful for students and mentioned that they would not have good performance in their sports after school. Therefore, I urged Chillicothe High School to make an alternating block schedule in order for students to retain more information, receive more care from teachers, and improve their athletic performances.
Chillicothe High School XC runners getting ready for their 2nd race. Did they run their best performances with stressful all-block schedules?
Narration Essay
I had a wonderful opportunity to share my challenging journey of climbing Pike's Peak's summit in Colorado. I stated that to endure climbing a mountain is both proof of physical grit and symbolic of day-to-day challenges.
Route
I planned three months ahead before hiking the beautiful mountains.
Lower oxygen
Breathing and hiking became harder as the altitude got higher.
Stunning Scenery
The beautiful scenery made the journey easier.
Pre-Writing Essay Assignment/Post-Write Essay Assignment
This assignment showed me how much I have improved in all aspects as a writer in this semester. Because I wrote the Pre-Writing Essay in the beginning of the semester, I noticed how many attention-getting and grammatical errors that I have made. Correcting them almost gave me a sense of pride of how much knowledge I have gained throughout the course. The topic was about my horrific experience with Dictator Assad's brutal army during the beginning of the Syrian Revolution.
How to Become a Better Writer
Here's a video to help anyone to improve their writing skills.
Author: Ayat Youssef
Ayat Youssef is a determined Chillicothe High School student and athlete with PRs of 1:42:32 (Half-Marathon), 20:58 (5k), and mid-5mins (1600m).