e-Portfolio

My name is Molly McDonald and I am an undergraduate at Pennsylvania State University expecting to graduate in 2015.  I was originally intending to pursue a degree in Asian Studies, but after a year at this university, I discovered my interests may lay elsewhere.  It was because of rhetoric that I was able to speak up and voice my discontent with the major I was intending to chase.  Often times, I have had trouble vocalizing my dissatisfaction to other people, but I have discovered that through the right approach and by being confident in yourself that I am able to get my thoughts across without seeming naïve or uniformed.  Because of that, I am now currently enrolled in the College of Undergraduate Studies and I am excited to learn more about the options that are available to me. 

With that being said, I have never taken the importance of language and rhetoric lightly.  I have studied abroad in South Korea and I have experienced first hand how debilitating it truly can be to only be able to express yourself through nonverbal communication. Yes, you are still understood, but there seems to still be feelings and expressions not exchanged. By becoming a better speaker and writer, the chances of your feelings not being understood decrease. By becoming a more efficient and confident speaker, your words hold more weight and strength in them.  Being able to communicate effectively is, unfortunately, not a strength held by many.  I was once terrified of speaking in front of an audience but after learning the tricks of the trade in public speaking, I feel my confidence growing in a more public setting. Understanding that your words have value and merit to them is the first step to being self-assured in your delivery. 

Through this e-Portfolio, I hope that my essays will show my skills as an effective communicator and that my opinions are conveyed properly in a formal arena. My blogs will give an insight towards my passions that are less education based and more geared to my interests.  My speech will show my new found confidence in speaking my mind.  Any suggestions to better my pieces are welcomed! Thank you!


Link to Molly McDonald's e-Portfolio