English 485: Expedition Adolescence

 My name is Kelsey Salerno but most people call me Kels. My favorite thing to do, besides raising three tiny humans, is writing. Writing has always been a passion of mine. Swimming competitively was a huge part of my life before I had my first son. I have a two month daughter so I am currently not working.  I have a hard time putting my thoughts onto paper which I know sounds odd since I love to write but I do suffer from ADD. I use a dictation software and basically ramble until I can put together what I actually want to say. I have a blog but I am learning about consistency before I put it back up. I need to read things at least twice to respond and I am that person who does not respond to a text without a well thought out response.  Books were always a huge part of my life. As a child I always enjoyed reading non-fiction, and still enjoy it. I enjoy learning about people, places, experiences, different view points. I like to know everything about anything. I never foun...

 Hello everyone! My name is Nalayna Hyatt (nuh-LAY-nuh). It's okay if you don't say it right the first few times; most people don't. As previously stated on flipgrid, I love reading. However, something I didn't mention is that I love archery! I mostly practice in the fall and winter because I don't get along with the heat that comes with summer. I also used to be in theatre and it still holds a special place in my heart. I currently don't work because I don't want to overload myself during school, but i go over to my grandma's house every week to help her clean her house. I also help out at my old vocal studio from time to time. As a learner, I learn best when I am actually with people learning about the topic and am able to talk about it with them. I tend to not do well when learning is simply assigned to me without any guidance. I also remember information through writing it down and having something physical attached to the lesson. I know that can be ...

 My name is Olivia Bennett. I am a secondary education English major. This is my second semester at Upstate. I have transferred around quite a bit. Before coming to Upstate I went to North Greenville University and Spartanburg Methodist College. I like to think that all the transferring around I have done gives me a unique perspective at education.  As far as hobbies go, I like to go to the gym. I started going to the gym in my first year of college and I've been going ever since. When I first started going to the gym it was just a way for me to avoid the famous "freshman fifteen." Four years later and now the gym is a place for me to challenge myself, learn new skills, and allow the stress of school to melt away for an hour or two. I definitely recommend going to the gym for any of my classmates who are feeling overwhelmed by school or are feeling overwhelmed in general. There is no better way to clear my mind then sticking some earbuds on and start climbing on the stair...

    Hey Y'all! My full name is Aniya Bernáe Hall. I was born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina. Most of my childhood, from what I can  remember, I lived in the country with my family. The "country" as in the Lugoff and Elgin areas of SC. I learned how to drive by riding my grandma's lawnmower around in the fields of our backyard; enjoyed butterbeans and neck bones every Sunday after church; and endured a 2-hour bus ride home after elementary school... yes, I was the very last stop on the route. So I would definitely classify myself as a country girl.     My major is Secondary Education with an English concentration.  I am a rising junior this year! 15th grade to be exact...Whoop Whoop! I'm the first in my generation to go to college, so I take a lot of pride in that. In my spare time, I love to dance and sing.. although I'm a terrible vocalist. However, I was in IB (International Baccalaureate) Dance for 4 years, and captain of my colorguard and dance ...

 Hello everyone! My name is Kristyn Mikayla Taylor, but I prefer Mikayla. I am a senior at USC Upstate this semester, and I am majoring in Middle Level Education with concentrations in both math and English. I know, it's a bit of a weird combination, but I love math and English equally and I have a hard decision to make when it comes to deciding which one I would rather teach; but, I hope to figure that out this semester.  Some of my hobbies include reading, painting, traveling, home decorating (especially during Christmas time), and spending time with my family. I am also obsessed with watching Law and Order: Special Victims Unit,  and more recently obsessed with watching Hamilton on Disney+.  I do work about 20 hours a week as a babysitter with kids who are currently on an A/B school schedule; watching them and helping them complete their school work until their parents get off work.  As a learner, I am trying my best to keep up with the amount of online work....

Hello everybody! My name is Candace. I am a senior here at Upstate and my major is Middle Level ELA and Social Studies education. I chose to go into education because I love to learn, pretty much about anything. But I especially love literature and history. Last semester, I just discovered my love of writing but it's very new and I still feel like a beginner. Trying a new skill is equally scary and exciting.  I spend the majority of my time at my church: in service, practicing music or being a part of a youth event. I use all of my spare time spending time with my friends and family. My friends and I like to do anything as long as we are together. We go to coffee shops, bookstores, parks, hiking, restaurants, etc. However, spending time with my family is a little bit more difficult. I have three brothers. One lives in Missouri, one in Florida, and one in Spain. They are all ministering around the globe. But they have given me the great joy of being an aunt. I have 3 nieces, 2 nephe...

     My name is A'Keriah Praylow (uh-keer-ee-uh). I believe in the power of a name, so I am learning to be more diligent in ensuring my name is pronounced correctly (respectfully and with love of course). Lately, I have been more passionate about practicing mindfulness. Through this practice, I have rediscovered my need and love of writing. During my free time, I am either journaling, listening to music, or enjoying time outside. Unfortunately, I work throughout the week. I work an average of 30 hours a week.      As a learner, I require patience. I am a fast learner, but whenever I do not grasp a concept I have a tendency to shut down. I am a visual and hands-on learner, so online courses are a bit of an adjustment for me.      Thinking back on my childhood, I loved dramatic stories. Stories that present an alternate society completely spark my interest. My favorite book series since I was a child is The Shadow Children. The Shadow Children ...

Hello everybody! My name is Emily Bridges, Emily, Em, E, whatever works for you! I am a junior here at Upstate and I will be graduating as a Middle Level Education teacher (someday) and will hopefully be teaching English or History.  My passion of course is the career I have chosen to pursue. Becoming a teacher is a lifelong goal of mine and is the only thing I can imagine myself doing for the rest of my life. Working with students and other teachers is one of my favorite things to do and I cannot wait to get to know all of you. Other elements that make up my passions are reading of course. Reading has been an element of my life for as long as I can remember. My first favorite book was my mother's college anatomy and physiology textbook, if you can believe it. I'm not so much of a sports person, although I wish I was. I ran track and field throughout high school and I look back on it fondly, as it was something out of my comfort zone and an activity that I had to actively push ...

     Hello, everyone! My full name is Tori Elizabeth Hicks, but you all can call me Tori. I am constantly asked if Victoria is my full name, but no, not me; I am just Tori. My father told my mother when I was born that Victoria was so common, and that he just wanted Tori, so he got his wishes. I like it though, filling out my name in the bubbles on state testing throughout grade school was so easy.      Okay, I got distracted. Hobbies. My favorite hobby is dancing and I have danced since I was two and a half years old. So, that means that I have been dancing for eighteen years. I am twenty years old, I will turn twenty one this November. I love to spend time with my friends and my boyfriend. Michael and I have been dating for five years as of August 22nd.      I work at the Starbucks on Main Street Spartanburg. So, if you want to see me, don't come to Pine Street. I would say that I generally work 2-3 days a week, about 15-20 hours a week....

     I am Callum John McLeod Carr, I go by Callum (and my pronouns are he/him/his). I was born on January 1, 2001 in Oxford, England. Like I mentioned in my Flipgrid Introduction, I have also lived in Upstate New York, Beijing, China, and Mexico City, Mexico. I moved around a lot because of my dad’s job (he worked for a French rail company as a Project Manager, so whenever the project he was assigned finished we had to relocate), but when we acquired our Green Cards—which made us Permanent U.S. Resident—he took a job down here in SC so we moved again. This past June marked the longest I have ever lived in one place—six years! And I am an English major, with a minor in Creative Writing.        One of my favorite things to do is read. I started reading voraciously in 4 th  grade with the Harry Potter series. There wasn’t really another book series that captured my attention like Harry Potter until I was in 7 th  grade. In my English class we we...

 Hey, guys! My name is Christopher Whittaker, and I go by my middle name, Todd.  I am an avid reader and I have been since I was a little kid. I have always considered books to be an escape. I needed the escape when I started reading. Now, I'm just so used to "traveling" that I can't stop, haha.  The cover of my Kindle actually says "Time to Travel." I like it because I like to get lost in the worlds of books, so it really suits how I view reading.   My love for reading began in about fourth or fifth grade. I was really into R. L. Stine's Goosebumps series back then. I owned the entire original collection of 62 books and read them all. I am actually making my way through the series again now as an adult and am blogging reviews for them at my book reviews blog, Shadyside . My goal is to reminisce, of course, but also to let parents and reluctant readers know what they can gain from reading those books. I focus a lot on literary analysis. I analyze the cr...

  Hi, my name is Chelsea Klingler. In the past, some have been tempted to call me “Chel.” So just don’t do that, and we can be friends. I’m an indoors girl and my hobbies reflect that. I enjoy watching documentaries and knitting. I do not currently have a job but my children, six and nine, are unwilling participants in distance learning this year. Their homework load, and mine, keep me just as busy as any form of employment. I get paid in indignation and bad attitudes. Occasionally, I'll get tipped a smile. For a millennial, I am embarrassingly bad with technology. So this semester should be… interesting. I’ve done online classes before but the introduction of new platforms (Flipgrid, in particular) has presented a bit of a learning curve. Books were an integral part of my life growing up. I was raised in the boonies of New York - no cable, no internet, and an extremely limited VHS selection. Books were really my only form of escape. As a tomboy, I preferred literature with male le...

     Hello! My name is Emily Logan Sandor, but I go by Logan . I am twenty years old. I am a Junior at USC Upstate majoring in Middle Level Education with a focus in English. When I am not stuck behind my computer I am most likely outside with my German Shepherd, Mabry. Mabry is still a puppy and keeps me on my toes, along with my set of triplets that I nanny.       Growing up I enjoyed reading, but it was challenging for me to keep up with my grade level and I often found myself reading "easy books." The last book I picked up for pleasure was The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. I was a rising freshman in high school...yes that long ago. Recently I was encouraged to read for pleasure again and I found myself falling back in love with reading. My entire 7th grade read The Hunger Games, and we did lots of activities; including going to see the movie in theatre.       Throughout high school we of course touched all of the boring book...