Blog Post #1 due 2/12

2/10/2020

Who is one person you could write your profile essay on and why are you interested in writing about them? Be sure to respond to at least one classmate as well.

24 Comments

Renee Staude

2/11/2020 05:10:44 am

I plan on doing my profile on my best friend’s boyfriend. I feel he is a good person to choose because I have been best friends with this girl (Alex) since kindergarten and she moved to Miami about three years ago. She just started dating this boy (Angel) within the past year and I have only gotten the chance to meet him over a short period of time (two weeks when she brought him to Mass to visit). She and I are so similar, but she has gotten the chance to adapt to Florida life and he grew up in the keys. I am interested in learning more about the culture and how it differs from up here, along with seeing maybe how two different cultures could combine, learning more about him and his upbringing. I know events about his personal life mainly from Alex’s point of view, and her side of them, but I would consider that a biased view on her side, so I am interested to hear about what he has to say. He is a commercial fisher and I have heard many stories from her and she is very inexperienced in the matter whereas this is his career, so I will be able to write a lot about that as well. I also know some stuff going on in his family life, but not into great detail and with respect to him, I am curious to see how much, if any, he will share regarding the matter. I feel he is an appropriate person to choose since I have only met him over the course of a two week period and most of the information I know about him comes from his girlfriend, my best friend, so it is pretty raw because she’ll tell me everything, but since it comes from her perspective and she does share her opinion to me as well, I do feel he will have slightly different things to say. It will be easy to be unbiased because it will not pertain to me, and I have not been there to experience what he is talking about, and if er dive into his past, then I will also not have any prior knowledge provided by Alex.

Michaela Clarke

2/11/2020 09:14:59 am

Hey Renee, I think doing a profile on your best friend’s boyfriend is a great idea! You brought up a lot of good points, like how you only get stories of him in her perspective. I think it will be interesting to know more personal information about who your friend Alex is with. Another point I am excited to read about is how he grew up in the keys and the difference in culture. Will you be doing this interview over a FaceTime/ phone call or are they back in Massachusetts? I am excited to see what you come up with and the information you will talk about!

Michaela Clarke

2/11/2020 08:45:49 am

I am interested in writing a profile on an older lady named June. We work together at a bakery in Bridgewater center, called Just Desserts. I know little about her but I think she has had a lot of different experiences and I just want to know more. She talks here and there as we work together about her past, but never the full story. I really like the idea of getting to know someone older who has lived in different periods of time and has possibly had more life experience than someone my age. I do know a few things about June that make we curious about her. She has mentioned having a daughter who is in her 40s and her son has passed away. She has been married two times and is still married but has a boyfriend. I am interested in knowing about her past job experience because she has worked at the bakery for the last 6 years just to get out of the house. She mentions previously working at Comcast and being a relator. June is outgoing with the customers and has a great personality, she goes out to concerts and drinks at bars a couple times a week. June says that she wants grandchildren but her daughter Amanda is 40 and still single and does not like to go out. Knowing a couple things about somebody just makes you want to know the full story, I am confident that June from work will be a great person to profile.

Renee Staude

2/11/2020 10:36:19 am

Hey Michaela! I think this is the perfect person for you to profile! You have a great idea of who she is generally, but doesn't seem like there is much depth to what you know and I feel like you will do a great job elaborating with her on that. I think there is so much surface information she has provided to you that there are a significant amount of opportunity to get to know her on a different level. I also know that you have mentioned before brief interactions outside of work, so I feel like although June may be slightly closed off as an employee, she may feel comfortable opening up to you particularly and that will make you even more successful here since there is a sense of comfort and trust between the two of you.

Cody Piche

2/11/2020 09:11:28 pm

Hey Michaela! June seems like a great person to do a profile on. She seems as though she has an interesting story to tell with a lot of ups and downs. You can already tell she has a great personality because she still goes out to concerts and keeps her social life active. Getting the perspective of someone older in the community is always refreshing, especially if they are still trying to live their life and be active. Those stories tend to get lost in the busy everyday life. I think it would be great to hear about her family, which sounds like it is a big part of her life. I'd also be very interested to hear about her past careers and why she decided to become a baker to get out of the house over other jobs/hobbies. I'm excited to see what you do with her profile and wish you good luck with the writing process.

Collin Johnson

2/11/2020 10:21:13 pm

Hey Michaela! Your choice seems super interesting. June seems like your common older lady perhaps retiring or about to retire and like you said it would be interesting to go in depth and figure out more about the few stories you've already heard. It would be a great study into just how particular and unique someone like June is and overall how your average coworker or neighbor or whoever may have a truly incredible life story to tell. Getting to know her will also probably make work more fun, y'know getting all hyped up to spend a day at work with your ol' friend June.

Maranda Gray

2/12/2020 07:08:48 am

I also am writing my profile on an older woman. The older generation, now in their late nineties, has so much insight into the world. We can learn so much from a few words by an old woman, how the world used to operate, how people behaved, how people spoke, politics, the economy, everything was so different from what it is now and operated. Us as millennials do not take the opportunity to learn about our history due to the information being readily at our fingertips. By taking our view away from a screen and towards a living person, we can acquire more of the emotions and realness that people experienced during their times of tragedy. Textbooks and articles only do so much justice to these individuals, ink and paper cannot convey the surreal severity of their history.

Alex Kingman

2/11/2020 12:33:01 pm

I am interested in doing my profile on a trans health advocate I know named Jéan. He works in BAMSI as a trans health advocate and a network person to help trans people and teens/adults with mental health issues. I am interested in knowing it is being a trans person in the workforce outside of college and how it was coming out to people at work and where to look when finding a job and where it is safe to do so.

Marissa Merlino

2/11/2020 11:02:34 pm

Hey Alex! I think that this is a great choice, Jéan should have a lot of important things to say about being a part of the trans community and working with other trans people and those who are struggling with their mental health. Your profile will definitely have purpose and will be educational to readers. I'd be interested to hear about Jéan's experience coming out to his coworkers and if there were any changes to his work life after coming out. You could also ask him about how he deals with confronting people’s mental health issues and helping them work through their problems in a healthy way. I’d also be curious to know what he does outside of work and how his work affects his regular life. Awesome choice and I know you’ll be able to write a fascinating profile from this.

Sam Baker

2/12/2020 07:30:31 am

I really like this idea Alex. I think he could be a great person to interview. I think it could be a really wonderful opportunity to learn more about him, his life, and the journey he went through after college. Learning more about what that process is like could prove to be very helpful for many people who are in a similar setting to the one he went through. This can provide an opportunity to educate as well for those who do not know as much about the trans community.

Jonny Burke

2/11/2020 01:38:10 pm

I am thinking about doing a profile on a former cop, current mechanic, and a United States Marine – Hunter Ledford. I am interested in profiling this individual because of his unique story; there is no one on this earth that can match his personality and bearings as a man. He grew up in South Carolina where he first enlisted in The United States Marine Corps reservist and later commissioned the same year as a cop; however, tribulation, heartbreak, and stress from the day-to-day grind altered his long-term plans. On May 1st, 2019, Hunter had made a significant change in his life; he had moved from his hometown to Boston, Massachusetts. 18 hours away from the nearest family member, he wakes up and creates the person he wants to be – each and every day. Hunter is currently a mechanic but if his time as a law enforcement officer ever taught him anything, its that you should pursue what is meaningful not what makes you happy; he is currently mulling over another career change. An acquaintance he has made in Boston is attempting to provide a pathway to a new career that will allow for a better quality of life, more stable salary, and being able to further the bond between friends. Hunter currently resides in the Hyde Park sector in the city; he lives with another United States Marine that he had met during his time of service is February of 2012 (it’s probably their friendiversary to be honest), a friend of his that has become more so another family member, and arguably the best looking dog to ever live.

Cody Piche

2/11/2020 08:56:00 pm

I am going to do a profile on an older man in the area named Mikey D. He was on my friends radio show here at school for the past few years. He is a very funny guy with a lot of stories to tell. The closest thing I've met to a walking history book. I think what intrigues me most is that he was a very adventurous type person back when he was younger in the 1970's and 80's. He has even mentioned that he had been pulled over by dad back in the day when he was out one night with his friends. Other than a few off hand stories, I know very little about his life. I would like to learn what his past career experiences have been, including his current custodian job on campus. I'd also like to ask him about his family and what his future plans might be going forward. Mikey D has a great personality and seems like he has an unlimited amount of friends in this area. He is the kind of person that can talk to anyone about anything. He has the attitude that everyone is a friend, some are just ones he hasn't met yet. This is another aspect of him Id like to explore and see where he developed this friendly attitude to even complete strangers. I'm sure he has more stories to share that would illustrate the kind of person he is to everyone. I'm excited to find out more about his past life.

Jon Burke

2/11/2020 09:17:33 pm

I think its pretty cool that you would like to profile a custodian on campus. I hope it’s the same one that I know that presented a writing for the writing studio’s writers café because it was a glimpse into a stranger’s life that allowed me to get to know him better and see another familiar face around the school. Based off of what you have wrote about him it sounds like it would be a good read, I am interested in finding out how his dad pulled him over when he was younger, as well as, his journey that has brought him to Bridgewater. I find it fascinating that the biggest history buff you know doesn’t even work for the school, I wonder how that hobby came to be. It seems like your genuine interest in this individual is going to help deliver a paper that he would be proud of.

Collin Johnson

2/11/2020 10:07:35 pm

I will be doing my profile on either one of two professional musicians (Prof. Spencer Aston or Mike Tega) who have been performing and working in their field for 15+ years. Professor Aston is my second year seminar instructor who's played trumpet for various ensembles and occasionally tours. Mike Tega is a local percussionist who I play guitar alongside during evening church masses. He has played around the world during his service in the Air Force and taught percussion for numerous years. Currently he performs at local venues and bars within the South Shore and Greater Boston areas. Through profiling either one of these musicians, I look to gain better insight on what it's like being a professional instrumentalist in a musical environment dominated by the electronic sounds of hip-hop, and pop music where physical musicians aren't really necessary. I myself have been playing guitar for 10 or so years, and frequently wonder how practical it is to pursue music performance as a career. Both of these individuals have primary careers with music as a secondary form of income but personal experiences, words of advice, and thoughts on working in music today would be very interesting to hear in my opinion.

Marissa Merlino

2/11/2020 10:35:06 pm

I plan on writing a profile on my friend, Christina Hoffman. Christina is a nail tech and currently lives in New Jersey, so I will conduct the interview through a video call. Specifically, I want to write about her recently walking out of the salon she worked at and quitting. This particular salon was very unsanitary and some of the things she told me made me never want to get my nails done, which I think would make for an interesting topic in the profile. More importantly, Christina is new to her field and her job was clearly taking advantage of her by not paying her a wage. She only just got her certification last year, but she is talented and driven, and she was aware that she was stuck at a dead-end job that didn’t allow her to live up to her potential. Now, Christina is working towards building her own business, Clawed by Christina. She’s currently taking clients in-home by appointment and is also working at a new salon on Fridays and Saturdays (this one pays her a wage and is much nicer than the one she worked at before). I think this interview will be promising because I’ve met few people that are as passionate about their career path than Christina is about doing nails. Also, talking about the salon’s unsanitary practices, her opinions on rude coworkers, and the general drama of the story should hopefully make the profile interesting to read. Even though Christina is my friend, I’ll make sure the way I portray her is unbiased and that readers can get a sense of her personality without a blatant description of it.

Maranda Gray

2/12/2020 06:46:51 am

I would be interested in writing a profile on my neighbor Celeste. My mother and I have only recently become acquainted with her through small interactions. I don't know much about her other than her age, ninety-five. I think it would be intriguing to write a profile on her, in the life she’s probably seen more than my generation ever will see. In the past ninety-five years, her generation has lived through The Great Depression, Pearl Harbor, The Holocaust, September 11, 2001, Columbine, these catastrophic events that changed history and how the world operates as well as how we perceive others. Her perspective would allow for an unbiased view of what actually happened in the world before my time, a glimpse into what we have only read about in books. There are only so many members of that generation left to relay their story, that now has become our responsibility to make our story and share with others.

Julie Harrison

2/12/2020 10:00:30 am

Hi Maranda!

I think your neighbor would be a great person to profile. As you expressed in your response, your neighbor has been through some of the most impactful events in history. It would be so interesting to hear about our history from someone who genuinely experienced it. She can provide details and emotions that we will never be able to learn about from reading a textbook or taking a class. I think her insight will be very meaningful and she will have various stories to tell. It will also be a great profile because you have had very little interaction with her and therefore you don’t have any form of bias. This will definitely help when writing your final product. It may also be fascinating to ask her about her childhood and compare it to how children live today. In the last twenty years technology has had such an impact on our daily lives. It would be interesting to hear her opinion on this.

Sam Baker

2/12/2020 07:26:32 am

I am most interested in writing a profile about the president of our univeristy Fred Clark. I feel as if many students here at Bridgewater have had an interaction with Fred Clark, but many do not know that much about him. From the few interactions I have had with him I've been able to gain some insight about him, but it is all surface information. I know he is a Bridgewater graduate, he lived in Scott hall for a time while he was here, and he has served on the board of trustees. I think it would be really intriguing to learn more about him, his life, and who he really is.

Ariana Bishop

2/12/2020 10:46:14 am

I have only seen him one time on campus these past two years, besides commencement. It would be really interesting to get to know him and how he went from going to Bridgewater state to then running the university. I also feel as students we should know more about our community and building relationships, especially with the president who can help students if they need something changed.

Samuel Baldwin

2/12/2020 06:07:15 pm

Hello fellow Sam I like your idea about doing your profile on president Clark. Hes a tough man to read but with a lot of research and questions I'm sure he will be a lot of fun to do a profile on. Theres a lot to know about his story. For instance you could ask about previous jobs and how he ended up at BSU. THis will be interesting to read im excited to see what the results of your interview yield about President Clark.

Ariana Bishop

2/12/2020 08:40:05 am

I plan on getting to know my coworker Nadia because I wanna know why she does certain things. She recently ended a two year friendship and first apartment roommate. I want to know why she did what she did and why did it become so toxic because the only information that I surfaced upon is that she is the issue, so I wanna see her side and how is she dealing with this along with her motives. She comes off as someone who is hiding something and I wanna see how she truly is and if she is hiding something, what it is she hiding upon permission. She seems like a hard worker so I want to know if she has any other jobs. Also, she once trained in the army and is Lebanese, so it will be extra background and I can learn about their culture cause I have only met 2 Lebanese people, but I never spoke to them after.

Julie Harrison

2/12/2020 09:37:13 am

I plan to profile Dr. Montgomery for my project. Dr. Montgomery is a professor in the English department at Bridgewater State University. I took a course with her last semester, and it primarily focused on creative writing. In this class, she briefly mentioned the books she has published in the past, and the pieces she is currently working on. I think it would be very interesting to profile Dr. Montgomery because it is my dream to publish my own book one day. I would love to hear about the process and why she chose to become a writer. She was an editor at a magazine company as well. I know very little about this job, so I am eager to learn more. I also would like to learn more about her job as a professor. I was previously an Elementary Education major, but ultimately switched. I have recently been looking into the idea of becoming an English Professor at a college. Her interview will provide a sense of insight to her daily like as a professor and what her job is truly like. Lastly, Dr. Montgomery grew up in California. She recently just moved to Massachusetts to teach at Bridgewater State University. I would love to learn more about her life in California and compare it to the life she lives now. She also mentioned in class that her family adopted foster children. Therefore, she grew up with a very crowded household. I am very unfamiliar with the foster care system and would love to learn more about the role her family played in helping other children.

Samuel Baldwin

2/12/2020 05:33:42 pm

For my profile project id like to interview and do a profile on my girlfriend Julia. She is currently in the OT program at AIC in Springfield and is currently in grad school. I want to do a profile on her experience in the OT field and talk about her future plans in the field. I’m interested in exactly what being an OT entails and what kind of job opportunities that come about with that degree. I already know a bit about her goal in the field but I want to learn the inspiration behind her choice of pursuing that field. I plan on asking questions about all the different things that involve OT and what makes it an important aspect in the medical field.

Tiara Pina

3/2/2020 11:45:45 am

I plan on doing Christy Osborne. Christy is a program coordinator for the Sexual Violence and Advocacy Center. Christy is interesting to me because she does a job that I am very interested in learning more about. I think the center is amazing and I would love to know the person behind it all.

Blog Post #1 due 2/12

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