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English 225: Academic Argumentation

A Standardized Mess:

An Analysis of Huffington Post's Todd Farley’s Critique of Current Educational Reform

One of my favorite essays I have written thus far was for my English 225 class – Academic Argumentation. For this paper, I was asked to thoroughly analyze a published argumentative piece and explain why it was or was not successful. I chose an article from the Huffington Post and analyzed the argument of author Todd Farley.

Communications 381: Mass Media & Individual Uses

The Effect of Facebook Usage on Self-Esteem

For this class, I was responsible for completing a semester long term paper on a topic of my choosing. This paper was designed to be scientific in nature and resemble a highly-researched journal article on a way in which media use affects attitudes, values or behaviors. I chose to use this assignment as an opportunity to explore the aspect of media I am most intrigued by – social media. My study aimed to determined specifically how Facebook usage among varying age demographics affected self-esteem. The assignment allowed me to sharpen my academic researching skills and practice the very useful skill of narrowing down an abundance of information into key findings.

Marketing 407: Persuasive Communication

Roku Advertising Plansbook

For this class, my group was assigned the task of creating an advertising strategy for the client of our choosing. We decided to implement a re-branding campaign for the streaming device, Roku. The plansbook included a wide assortment of writing such as background description of the product, analysis of research and trends, and creative slogans/video content.

Below are selected writing samples from my past four years at the University of Michigan. Please click on the pictures to access the respective essays.

Writing Samples

Communications 351: Media Industries

Forces of Change: Magazine Industry

This paper - broken up into two parts - creatively captures various forces of change in the magazine industry, such as globalization and the technology revolution. For the first part, I assumed the role of a creative worker trying to enter the magazine industry. For the second part, I assumed the role of a industry leader guiding other magazine professionals on the future of the business.

Communications 404: Media Events

The OJ Simpson Trial: The Discourse Component of Media Events

In this paper, I argued how news stories transform into large-scale, memorable media events only when their narration represents larger, universal ideals in question. Through a case study of the OJ Simpson Trial, I explained how media-provoked discourse surrounding universal subjects such as race, gender, and class is the driving force behind the creation and prolongation of media events.

Ogilvy Public Relations

Summer Internship Project: Ford Fiesta 2014 PR Plan

My summer internship project at Ogilvy consisted of two assignments. First, we were responsible for creating a PR program that emphasized the Ford Fiesta's customizable features and differentiated the product from its competitiors. Second, we were asked to create 6 different enterprising angles that the team would use for future pitching efforts. Clicking on the bigger picture to your left will direct you to my team's final Prezi that we presented to the Ford Motor Company client.