Chapter 16 in Lunsford et. al 2009

After reading Chapter 16 in Lunsford et. al 2009, the whole chapter talks about evidence. The different versions of evidence that is used to support arguments or to help us reach a decision. Arguments like the ones you have with your classmates about their opinion on something discussed in class or a decision that could change your life forever like a person accepting a heart transplant for their child's malfunctioned heart. There are many ways we can look at evidence, in the way that it is presented or in the manner that it is formed. The chapter itself showed many different ways to gather evidence. Some evidence can be found in interviews, surveys, questionnaires or personal experiences.

In the chapter, there was a section talking about an evidence based on an argument discussing about a general in the war using the same tactics George Washington used when he ran the country. The argument was the fact that the tactics were used against a small number of enemies, meanwhile now it can't be used in war because of the increasing number of enemies they're fighting against. I used this example to apply to my blog because I think that example was a great way to show how some evidence tends to work well and others don't. Theories and personal experiences can change overtime so how do we know that the evidence we use today still applies? Meanwhile, the world itself is constantly evolving, technology is improving. Everything in the world is advanced now, so how do we know whether the evidence we seek is outdated or not?

I have one of my own personal experience that applies to Chapter 16. One evening, I was working at the Crystal Bay Special Education Center for Developmentally Delayed Children. A student that I worked with required a therapeutic riding program at the Nepean Equestrian Park, but after reading reviews on the website, I was not interested in placing the student in one of Ottawa's most-hated riding program. So I began to look around, determined to find the right one for this unique, special student until I ran into a parent of a former student, and she explained how her daughter was in the Nepean Equestrian Park Riding Program and loved it! I asked her about the reviews displayed on the website I looked into, and she said that too often people judge a book by its cover, and I felt ashamed because I know that I was one of those people. After that discussion, she managed to convince me with strong evidence that this program was best for my student. The week after we met up, she brought me and my student to her daughter's riding program and almost instantly, I knew that this was the right decision for my student.  Not even a week later, her and I were both attending regular therapeutic riding sessions twice a week and she was responding well. After seeing the evidence, I changed my views on how I see things and learning from the experience firsthand showed me that if the evidence itself has credibility, then it really can be solidified as strong evidence.

This is a recent picture of my student Keigan, a former student from Crystal Bay Special Education Center who was not able to walk before he started his therapeutic riding program. I am proud to say that after six months, he is now walking on his own two legs without support! He often says to me, "Twyla... I am more faster than Terry Fox on wheels!" Hilarious guy... I say...

In conclusion to that, I often see evidence that is presented through research because as we know, research itself cannot be false. If people like myself believe certain evidence, then the evidence we should be seeing is what we research. These information comes from finding the right tpe of information and in the way that we choose to research it, we will have a strong evidence to use.

Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

"Pan's Labyrinth" is an adult fairy-tale in which was directed by Guillermo Del Toro. The story is about a young girl named Ofelia who has lost touch with reality, she set her mind somewhere in a fantasy world. This movie is one of Del Toro's best directed movies,  aside from his latest movie, "The Hobbit," he has also filmed "Hellboy I and II", "Blade" and "The Devil's Backbone." Del Toro put his heart and soul into "Pan's Labyrinth" which took two years to make, he was willingly giving up his salary just to make sure that the finished product fit his vision of the movie. His efforts definitely paid off, it won critics over, and became one of the highest Spanish film ever in the U.S Box Office. The movie won three academy awards, each for Makeup, Art Direction and Cinematography.

Del Toro added a prologue in the beginning of the film which captivated the audience's attention, it explained how the movie was made. It also showed how it affected Del Toro both mentally and physically, the movie slowly killed him. It was emotionally disturbing for the audience who watched it, for it showed how he dedicated his time turning his visions into reality. It was a huge accomplishment to Del Toro, after two years of making the film and watching it go on to winning three academy awards.

"Pan's Labyrinth" is a film that you are guaranteed to have your eyes glued to the screen. Although you may want to look away at times because of the disturbing scenes, it is still a movie that you are automatically drawn to. The cast of the movies each uniquely fit the attitude and personality of the characters they play in the movie,  and each character makes the movie itself more realistic than the vivid colors, wonderful artistic background in the film.

In result of Del Toro's hard work, the movie "Pan's Labyrinth" was nominated several times, it won numerous of awards including the Academy Awards whereas Del Toro won two individual awards. Some of the cast were nominated as well for their acting skills. Iv"Pan's Labyrinth" is an adult fairy-tale in which was directed by Guillermo Del Toro. The story is about a young girl named Ofelia who has lost touch with reality, she set her mind somewhere in a fantasy world. This movie is one of Del Toro's best directed movies,  aside from his latest movie, "The Hobbit," he has also filmed "Hellboy I and II", "Blade" and "The Devil's Backbone." Del Toro put his heart and soul into "Pan's Labyrinth" which took two years to make, he was willingly giving up his salary just to make sure that the finished product fit his vision of the movie. His efforts definitely paid off, it won critics over, and became one of the highest Spanish film ever in the U.S Box Office. The movie won three academy awards, each for Makeup, Art Direction and Cinematography. Del Toro added a prologue in the beginning of the film which captivated the audience's attention, it explained how the movie was made. It also showed how it affected Del Toro both mentally and physically, the movie slowly killed him. It was emotionally disturbing for the audience who watched it, for it showed how he dedicated his time turning his visions into reality. It was a huge accomplishment to Del Toro, after two years of making the film and watching it go on to winning three academy awards. "Pan's Labyrinth" is a film that you are guaranteed to have your eyes glued to the screen. Although you may want to look away at times because of the disturbing scenes, it is still a movie that you are automatically drawn to. The cast of the movies each uniquely fit the attitude and personality of the characters they play in the movie,  and each character makes the movie itself more realistic than the vivid colors, wonderful artistic background in the film.

In result of Del Toro's hard work, the movie "Pan's Labyrinth" was nominated several times, it won numerous of awards including the Academy Awards whereas Del Toro won two individual awards. Some of the cast were nominated as well for their acting skills. Ivana Baguero who played the little girl, Ofelia in the movie won an award for being best young actress. That's quite an accomplishment coming from someone her age! I stated earlier that the movie won three academy awards- one for Best Makeup. Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography. Del Toro used vivid colors, graphic scenes and a eye-catching fantasy world filled with creatures that are so out of this world, as well as the descriptive Spanish violence portrayed with sadistic Captain Vidal. This film is highly recommended by those who have seen it, and for those who haven't. I know it seems scary looking at it but don't you judge a book by its cover, it is definetly worth seeing! Pan's Lanbryith took a lot of Del Toro's energy and time, and has now won approval that this is one of the most influential videos that have appeared in our society. Although some people crictized about his work, I believe that Del Toro has some wild imagination which can help us paint a picture in our minds about what it taking place. Del Toro's dedication to this movie really paid off, he's one of a kind. So what are you waiting for?! Trust us! Go watch it!

Purdue Owl

Purdue Owl

As I was looking through the Purdue OWL website that was designed for students like myself, who like to write. I noticed that the website is beneficial for anyone who wants to improve their writing skills. In some sections, I was able to point out some topics that we've already discussed in class with Dr. Wood. Although we have other reading materials such as the Lunsford et. al (2008) to help us, this is a great tool because it has a lot of necessary tools that we use on a daily basis. For example, one section explained about rhetorical analysis, thesis statements, and supporting evidence. Also they had an article for students who use English as a second-language, as for reading it, I felt that it would provide some assistance to some struggling students. The website itself was written in a clear manner, it provided a lot of instructions and examples which helped me see the message that was being sent out more easily. There was an article written specifically for professional writers, teachers fall under this category. The purpose of this article was to help these writers write persuasive, creative resumes, letters, memos, reports, etc. It outlined the concept of rhetorical awareness and self design, by supporting examples of individual ideas.

I really enjoyed checking out the OWL website especially when it comes to the examples. In this website, it showed how other people wrote their mistakes so that way we are able to look at it, and see for ourselves what is to be done and also prevent it from happening to us. It was very visual and helped me see what I could be doing wrong in terms of my writing. For example, I don't excel in writing essays that aren't personal. If I ever need help for the next essay I write, I wouldn't be surprised if I came back to the Purdue OWL website for some references. Even though I can't complain about Lunsford et. al 2008, it does a wonderful job at explanations but I feel that OWL is clear when it comes to explaining what to do, how to avoid making mistakes, etc.

Purdue OWL Website used various sources of evidence which was helpful to me because then it showed that they had enough research to have these accurate, helpful information in terms of writing. Evidence is always important to writers because we all need a reliable source, right? Well the OWL accomplished that very well. It also allows other viewers to compare their work with the OWL website. This section provides excellent readers' comments which could also be a wonderful way for the audience to use tips and apply it to their knowledge of writing.

As a student who loves to write, I have to say the OWL website would help many other students like myself to gain more skills in terms of writing, espescially Gallaudet University students. The rubric we use for our writing applies to this website, because both fall under the same categories- grammar, critical thinking, rhetorical analysis, organized thoughts and citations. Both sources share these important key points, I recommend this website to all writers out there in the world who could use a tip or two to improve their writing skills espescially my GSR-101 bloggers, this applies to you guys as well!

Guillermo Del Toro: Pan's Labyrinth (2007)

In the movie, "Pan's Labyrinth" (2007) directed by Award-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro comes an "adult" fairytale where a little girl named Ofelia tries to "escape" from Spain, her hometown that has a lot of facism issues occuring at the time. She creates this fantasy world, where she is the princess of an immortal kingdom.  As the movie starts, it shows Del Toro's prologue about the making of the movie followed by a scene where the little girl's lifeless body hangs by a well, nose with a single trail of blood dripping into the well. I believe that this was Del Toro's way of grabbing the audience's attention at the beginning of the movie, leaving us full of curiousity.

In the movie, the topic "Facism" was often present in the scenes. It also showed evidence of the Spanish Civil War that was taking place in the movie. The suffering of people whether they were poor or rich was shown to create a realistic view on the issue at hand. The movie itself portrays a lot of different emotions throughout the scenes, especially at the endng when Ofelia  is sad about losing her mom who she was very close to,  but she was also overjoyed because she has a new brother.  The excitement she felt as she was to become princess in the immortal kingdom, the confusion she felt as she was to go through obstacles that she felt unsure about. The nervous feeling as the faun tells her that she failed an obstacle and can no longer complete her task to become a princess. The movie is definitely not recommended for young children as some of the scenes contains \a lot of violence, inappropriate character features that might scare the young viewers.  Although Del Toro did a wonderful job setting up the scenes, using his vivid imagination and applying his creative ideas to his work,  the way the props seemed realistic because of the added detail to his film.

I believe that this movie was Del Toro's best pieces of work. It was a very interesting movie that managed to captivate the audience's attention well, the way he managed to draw the audience into the immortal world and allow us to get an insight inside the kingdom, as well as a spectacular view at the characters that he invented. The topic that he used, "the Spanish Civil War" was a good topic because it's a strong subject that almost everyone can understand and relate to.  Del Toro's purpose of this movie was to let us think beyond ourselves and look at others, and see how poorly they were treated and it should make us feel thankful for what we have because WE are very fortunate. In order to understand others, we have to understand ourselves. Although I believe that Del Toro did a good job, I have to agree with others that he could have improved in some ways. I feel that he could have done better when it came to explaining the audience about the Civil War. Perhaps he could have added a few more descriptions to make our understandings more clear.

Overall this was a good movie and I enjoyed watching it with the class. It was very interesting and I was too drawn into the movie to even glance away from the screen. A job well-done for Del Toro!

Milena Ateya in Lunsford et al. 2009: SPEAK up?

I believe that Milena Ateya (in Lunsford et. al 2007) is arguing in her piece, “A Curse And A Blessing.” She mainly argues about Derek Bok’s article about the freedom of speech. In the article, Ateya refers to the situation that took place at Harvard University between two students who hung confederate flags, which offended many students who went to Harvard because of what it symbolizes. Ateya showed her audience where she stood in terms with the passage by displaying short pieces of Bok's work. Although Ateya showed some of Bok's flaws, I feel that she wrote her piece in a way that she was able to make the readers aware of what was taking place. Ateya also showed that there is room for improvement in Bok's piece. In her piece, she shared her personal experiences as an escapee from a Communist Regime in Bulgaria and related it to Bok's passage. It demonstrated how strongly Milena feels about this particular topic.

                                                           Map of Bulgaria where Ateya escaped from.

    Ateya wrote this piece for one reason and one reason only: to recieve credibility from her readers. She analyzed Bok's story, in his views of a  former Harvard president and as a lawyer.  Although the readers were more engrossed about Bok's piece, and how the way Ateya criticized his work, would that give her a huge break as an author? Ateya targeted her piece to people who are learning how to be more persuasive in their speeches, by creating a message through the way Bok wrote his piece using the Supreme Court rulings. Bok was a respected member of Harvard University so therefore he had every intention of supporting his position, even as a lawyer who wanted to mention his opinion lightly. By doing so, Bok was able to show how he felt about this particular subject and Ateya is no different from Bok because they both share the same value and beliefs through their experience in their cultural background. Both authors used Pathos's proposition to encourage students to speak up and raise their voices, let it be heard.

                              Harvard University Students holding Confederate Flags which sparked the rivarly between cultures.

 
In the way that the piece is written, you can tell that Ateya put a lot of her time into criticizing Bok's passage. She came up with good key points about how Bok could improve his piece, having actual evidence to support his piece, or sharing his opinion about the issue at hand. In result of that, she was able to lure the audience with supporting evidence. I believe that although Bok could have done a better job on explaining descriptively about the topic at hand, Ateya points out that Bok didn't support his ideas well enough to persuade his audience-- he didn't seem too comfortable with the fact that one of the two sides of the situation that took place at Harvard.

As I read that statement, it brought me back to a time last September when I was to write a speech addressed to two hundred teachers educating them about "deafness." Throughout the presentation, I used my freedom of speech rights to explain what it is like in the deaf culture. Also to explain to them that the quote" deaf and dumb," needs to go! After my presentation, I knew that the teachers finally had a clear insight on their future perspetive students and how they are capable of succeeding like every other child out there. From that moment on, I am sure those teachers no longer discriminated against deaf children. Although I can't put myself in Ateya's shoes espescially after she went through, I understand the message that is being sent across using Bok's feedback. The situation that took place at Harvard was a mere twist of fate, if students didn't take the flag so offensively then Bok and Ateya would have to be writing about something else. In conclusion, I believe that the majority of us can relate to this story on a personal level, because too often we do forget to use our voices. We forget to speak up when we aren't being treated fairly, and we let people take advantage f us because we have a good heart. Deaf, Blind, Jewish, African-American, we are still one. So keep on mind Bloggers, that if you don't feel like your being treated fairly then speak up- use your freedom of speech rights. Think about it, why wouldn't you raise your voice, wouldn't you raise it for people out there in the world who aren't able to speak up?

Wouldn't you speak up for them? 

  Don't you think they deserve it more than any of us?

"List of I believe's."

I believe- the term: "You can bring a thirsty horse to the water but you cannot make it drink." In result of that quote, I believe that in the end, it's only possible to help people who help themselves. There is only one person who is responsible for you and that is yourself.

I believe-> there is always more than one way of seeing and doing things.

I believe- in love. Although it's incredibly messy, it's inconvenient and painful and wrong. We just can't live without it, even if it's the love for our family and friends. It's better than having no love at all.

I believe- there is no rights and wrongs. Everyone has their own opinion and everyone is RIGHT but in some situations, people are WRONG.

I believe- in second chances. We all make mistakes in our lives, no one is perfect so therefore we shouldn't correct other people's mistakes when we are no better at that too.

I believe- that if life gives you lemons, make lemonade. In other words, take life as it comes with curve balls and make the most of it.

I believe- in angels. After losing my best friend two years ago, I do believe in spiritual creatures only because I have someone special watching over me each and every day.

I believe- that some people need to practice what they preach- what use is it if you are scolding someone over something you've already done?

I believe- that RESPECT and HONESTY is important in every aspect of a relationship, friendship too. Without these two important things, nothing can last.

I believe- that in order to be successful, you have to choose a path that works for you and brings you closer to what you want.

"Mysterious Connection That Link Us Together." (Lunsford 2008)

The author, Azar Nafisi speculates that "empathy" is created through fantasy. According to the source: (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Empathy) Empathy is defined as "the intellectual idenfication with or vicarious experiencing of the feelings, thoughts or attitude of others." The author argues with strong emotions supported by her value and beliefs which shows the audience how strongly she feels about this particular subject. Also by the way she writes with a realistic approach, she is able to gain more attention to her work. For example: As she explains the story about Huckleberry Finn and his empathy towards Jim, a friend who suffers from slavery, she uses an example from her past as a reference to that story. She was able to relate to that story on a personal level. By doing so, she allowed the audience to have an insight on her imagination, in terms of the story (Mysterious Connections That Link Us Together p. 909). In result of that, Nafisi was able to connect her imagination to the story through her emotions. Although the story is written on a personal level, to teach us as a human some important lessons regarding our feelings and how we make choices. The author empathizes with other people in the story, by sharing the emotions in the story. In real-life, there's people who empathize with the world's issues, people such as: Lubna Hussein. A human activist now also an international media sensation in Darfur is trying to pass women's rights to prohibit women from wearing pants.

Although the issue itself shouldn't be a conflict, it is in Darfur because of how women view their rights. Hussein continues to use her influence on the media to expose the violation of human rights in Darfur, including the violation of the peace treaty. The purpose of that treaty was to guide the country through democratic transformations. She empathized with the women in Darfur and took advantage of her media influence to create awareness about the conflict that is taking place in Darfur. She is one of the most influential women out there who is trying to change the world by empathizing with people in need. From what i've learned through this, is empathizing with other people doesn't stop us from missing out from the important things in our world. When you understand something, you know where you stand in terms of your beliefs.However if there comes a time when you aren't sure of what you believe in anymore, then you have to open your mind up a little and accept the change you seek in the world.

Mother's Tongue (Lunsford, 2008)

The story "Mother Tongue," written by Amy Tan really hit home for me. In Ottawa, a varied group of deaf people don't excel in the English language because it's not their native tongue. However like the author in this story, I excel in both languages - English and American Sign Language. I grew up surrounded by hearing and deaf people, and so I was able to learn the proper grammar for speaking English as well as the rules for American Sign Language. Although I used English more often that I used American Sign Language, I was still able to change the rules in order to articulate clearly with my native tongue (ASL). I understand why it's a challenge for deaf people to communicate with the hearing world because their English is much more complex as opposed to the hearing world. I've seen various people communicate with each other, and sadly too many times, the message isn't being sent across appropriately. As that occurs, hearing people get frustrated and automatically label deaf people as: "stupid," "needy" or out of touch with the world. Although we know that isn't true, it's just the way we are stereotyped because of how we choose to express ourselves in a creative way through American Sign Language. Our native tongue.

In the beginning of Mother Tongue (Lunsford, 2009), Tan identifies herself and her family as Chinese which clearly shows that English is not their first language. She then explains that her mother is fluent in Chinese, her native tongue but struggles communicating in English. Although Amy's mother can understand written English, she is not able to respond back using proper English. In result of that, a few people showed prejudice against her. In conclusion to that statement, I feel that most people arbitrate depending on a person's ability or inability to speak and understand a language much different than their own. In the story, you witness various acts on discrimination against Tan's mother. Although Tan herself can speak English as her first language, she stands her ground as her mother is being attacked with racial discrimination. Some people just aren't willing to open their minds to different languages. For instance, on page 806. Her mother tried contacting the bank asking them what was the delay in sending her a check which was two week's late. Instead she got her daughter to talk on the phone for her, and almost immediately, the money was on its way. However in person, they were astonished of her English because it was limited as opposed to the woman speaking on the telephone. Hearing about that situation really disgusted me, it made me feel frustrated because even though Amy Tan's mother is not perfectly capable of speaking English, it doesn't mean that she is inhumane? That woman has every right to be treated with the same amount of respect as every other individual in this world. The possibility of speaking English or not doesn't mean that a person isn't capable of being smart.

Twylight's Response to Question #2.

"Write short paragraphs describing times in the recent past when you've used language to inform, to convince, to explore, to make decisions, and to meditiate or pray. Be sure to write at least one paragraph for each of these purposes. Then decide whether each paragraph describes an act of arguement, persuasion, or both, and offer some reasons in defense of your decisions."

Last September, I was asked to address a speech to Ottawa-Carleton District School Board in Canada. In that speech, I had to educate teachers for a change. I shared my story as "the deaf student" who enrolled in the mainstream. I informed them about who I am, the hardships I faced throughout my life in the hearing culture, reasons on why I became deaf. The type of support I receive at school. Some tips on how to make a deaf student feel like they belong in a classroom, the importance of using American Sign Language. I stood on the podium and told everyone about my life as a deaf woman. I explained to them that I was planning on moving to post-secondary school in Washington, DC. I explained to the teachers how important it is to have faith in their students, and to never give up. I also explained that if it wasn't for the support I received from my family, my friends and my peer system, I would never have made it through high school. I opened a lot of eyes that day, a large crowd of people were convinced that "deaf doesn't mean dumb." In result of that, a lot of teachers who were touched by my story will treat every deaf student they have with the same amount of respect they give their students. Knowing that they will receive that respect as well. A strong bond between a teacher and a student can open windows of opportunities from both of them because they can learn together, and work together to discover just exactly how much they are able to do.

In my senior year at SIr Robert Borden High School, I was struggling in a long-term relationship with my boyfriend of two years. One day, he just felt that the relationship between us was too "difficult" because we lived in seperate worlds. He felt like he just couldn't escape the fact that I come from five generations of a deaf family and he came from a hearing family. He felt that everyone who knew us labelled us as something "different." Although I didn't see the difference between us at all, I was in love. I tried to explain to him that it doesn't matter what other people think, there will always be people out there who think that we are different or that we both deserve better but at the end of the day, it was important that we had each other because we experience something that others don't- compatibality, acceptance of who one is. We discussed it and managed to work things out. I told him that if he ever had any doubts, to come and talk to me and together, we would get through it. I had to convince him that it doesn't matter the type of world we lived in, it only mattered that we were open to each other's world and were accepting of each other. Although we both had entirely different views on each other's worlds, our situation was an effort to convince and to capitvate the true meaning of our relationship because of how we both opened our thoughts to other people's views on our relationship.

In March of 2009, I went away on a trip to Cabarete, Dominican Republic for a week with a couple of my girlfriends. During my stay there, I was able to explore and see the difference in their lifestyle as opposed to the one I live in back in Canada. First of all, we spoke different languages. We all come from different backgrounds. American Sign Language (ASL) isn't used in the Dominican often as it is being used in Canada. So to teach them about the "deaf" culture, and learn about theirs as well. It was a rich learning experience and in return, we learned something very valuable. In result of that, my girlfriends and I came back from our trip open-minded about other cultures, willingly wanting to explore more cultures and learning new languages. Because of that eye-opening trip, my friends and I are going to travel around Europe in the Summer of 2010 to experience new cultures.

I grew up surrounded by hearing people, since I was in the mainstream for twelve years. I felt like I lost my identity as a deaf person. I no longer excelled in American Sign Language(ASL) and it worried me. I began researching on Gallaudet University because I heard from other people that it was a wonderful school to enroll in. My cousin, a previous Gallaudet Student said that it changed her life for the better, that it made her realize where she belonged in this world. After hearing her talk about her experience at Gallaudet University, I realized how badly I wanted to get into this school. I wanted to see the change in myself. So I took the Stanford Achievement Test (SATS) and waited four weeks to hear back from Gallaudet University. Once I found out that I was accepted, I was thrilled! I knew that soon enough, I would find the missing piece of my puzzle that i've been longing to find- my identity. I want to learn more about my deaf culture and experience it firsthand. I know that once I got accepted into Gallaudet University and entered the deaf world, I would no longer have to worry about the communication barriers. I would be able to speak freely and understand others, also have others understand me as well. I was destined to be here, because this is my world. This is my world now. I have no regrets about leaving the hearing world behind, because I will always carry the skill of communicating verbally. I experienced it for almost eighteen years, now it's time for me to break out and spread my wings into the unknown.

Often, I get myself in a difficult situation and I often seek an escape. I found my escape in mediation through writing. As i'm writing poetry, i'm in my own little world and I can't be disturbed. It's a form of mediation for me. Even though at times, it is only temporary. I do feel better once i'm done. My feelings of uncertainty, anger, shame are put into writing and soon enough they dissapear onto the page.

How The Story Began: "Life of The Twylight Tower."

"Twylight" Campbell was born in Ottawa, Canada on July of 1991. She continued to live in the suburbs of Ottawa, in Nepean, Ontario for eighteen years. Her mother, Sherry Turner from Stittsville, Ontario and her father, Allan Campbell from North Bay, Ontario both welcomed their miracle baby into the world. Twylight has no siblings due to her mother's inability to concieve children. Twylight's mother, Sherry works for the Canada Revenue Agency whereas her father works at the National Library of Archives in Ottawa. Sadly, her parents filed for divorce when she was just six years of age. Her mother eventually remarried, and her father moved to Massey, Canada after marrying his second wife, Bonnie Lou. They are now happily married, and are expecting their first child in May, a little boy. Twylight recently graduated from Sir Robert Borden High School with honors. She previously won a "Lifetime Achievement Award" from the Crystal Bay Special Education Center. She served 20 students with moderate to profound developmental disabilities. All students ranged in ages from 7 to 19. Many of the studies Twylight worked with had a developmental disability coupled with autism, deafnss, blindness, or a physical disabilty. She is currently obtaining her Bachelor's Degree in Education, a four year program at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC. She hopes to become a Teacher of Special Needs in the near future.

At sixteen years old, Twylight got her first job at Camp Misquah. Camp Misquah provided a location for a wide range of fun and stimulating activities. These are designed to develop the camper's recreation and living skills. Large grassy fields are available for sports of all kinds. The sand bottom lake and large beach allow for great swimming (with lesson), fishing, canoeing and pedal boating. The forests and hills are perfect for nature hikes. Other activities include music, dances, crafts and movie and talent nights. She worked there every year until eighteen years old. She had her fair share of volunteer work through recreational activities such as the "H.O.P.E Summerfest" in Ottawa, Ontario. Twylight faced a lot of challenges working in that field of work espescially with kids who were physically disabled. It was a difficult challenge to overcome when she had to work with kids in wheelchairs, only because Twylight was so overwhelmed with the emotions they carried with them, and the anger. Sometimes she walked in their shoes, she know what it's like to live with a disability but unlike them, her disability was the best thing that happened to her. Twylight was born hearing, and then lost her hearing at the age of three. For the longest time, she didn't accept myself as deaf. It took her almost ten years to accept it- and countless of hours stuck in a office, while teachers tried to explain to her that she was unique. Twylight had a disability that seperated herself from others, but also brought her closer to them. Also Twylight became closer to those people because she involved myself into the deaf community of Ottawa, she participated in Summer Day-Camps, March Break Camps, and other activities. Twylight became heavily involved in the deaf community back in Canada. Although Twylight keeps her family, studies, dreams and volunteer work close by, she enjoys her life and lives it as if it's an adventure. She's generally a loud person but she can be quiet and keep to myself too. She's an open-minded person and very opinionted about a lot of things.

Well now it's time to close the book and let the story write itself.