Donna Barrows

117 N. 9th St.

Blackwell, OK 74631
(580)-262-0789
12/2/2023

Mrs. Tamera Davis

English Professor
Northern Oklahoma College
615 N. Monroe
Stillwater, OK 74076

Dear Mrs. Davis,

I am excited to present to you a small collection of my personal literature showcasing my

progress in writing, and research. Each piece that I have selected has a purpose in my evolution
in composition. All of them are fundamental to my growth in my career. These writings have
shown me that my desire for explanation of human behavior is greater than I had imagined. I
have learned that taking my time to edit my piece is the most important step, as I always seem to
fall short in this area. These chosen writings illustrate who I am, what I am passionate about, and
how I strive to leave an impact on the world. My artifacts serve a purpose— they give my
readers insight into who they are and lead them to analyze their inner consciousness. My
intention is to unravel the influences that direct human behavior, on the understanding that
explanations, and supporting statistical research are the key to uncovering the roots of such
behaviors.
There is a significant connection between the pieces I chose to publish on my page. Not
only do each one represents a building block in the foundation of my success in my dream in
Behavioral Psychology, but they also show which areas of topic I am most passionate about. I
can’t resist the urge to find out how things work. I have always been the “Why?”, kid. I feel in
order to conquer something, you must know what makes it weak. In order to find a weakness,
you must know how it works. Studying, analyzing, and recording that object naturally is how
you learn its inner workings. This is how my brain breaks everything down. My writings will
reveal the order in which my brain puts information together to understand the object, or
behavior, as a whole.
Theories of the Self

My first selection is about Charles Cooley, and his theories about the self. This paper was
for Principles of Sociology. This class was led by Mr. Darrell Frost. Mr. Frost has a very
meticulous curriculum, and an even better system of discovery. The criteria for the homework
assignments, and what he expects to learn about you from the assignment, is how he pulls out the
realization one finds in themselves. I had mentioned Charles Cooley, he was an interesting man.
He quoted my favorite reference of all time. “ I am not who you think I am; I am not who I think
I am; I am who I think you think I am.” Cooley changed my understanding of life with just one
sentence. This paper from Mr. Frost’s insightful class opened my eyes to a process of thought
that I had not realized the reality of. When you really think of who you are, your thoughts
immediately analyze who you want to be seen as. How you want other people to see you. You
are who you want others to see you as. Human behavior hoovers around how the process of
thought is directly influenced by the behavior of other humans. No matter how you cut the pie,
every slice has a piece of the crust attached. This class was special to me, because I didn’t want
to take it initially. I wanted to learn about psychology, and I had no idea the extreme connection
it had with sociology. I took this course my first semester of my first year of college, and it
immediately changed my life.

Jonestown

Jonestown is a piece I wrote to show the break down of my analysis process. Although
this course is from my current semester, it is also an assignment for Mr. Frost. This time the class
is Social Psychology. I am currently in two classes that he instructs, and the other is Social
Problems. That is a Sociology course as well, so he has taught me to love a field I was reluctant
to in the beginning. I was so eager to learn more, and I can honestly attribute that to his methods
of instruction. The assignment for Jonestown was to explain the events that led up to the
massacre, and analyze why we believed one man could have convinced almost a thousand people
to take their own life. This assignment was the hardest I had ever worked on a paper in my entire
life. I threw my entirety into finding a reason, a belief, and explanation. I learned that the world
wanted a magical answer, I did also. There wasn’t one. The break down was a simple answer of
social standards. This directly correlates with my paper on the theories of self. “ I am who I think
you think I am.” (Charles Cooley) Bam! Another realization that this really happened because
people wanted to be seen by other people. We are all trying to find our place in the world, and
unfortunately some search in the wrong areas. These people changed their entire personality, and
some even acted out of character when in front of the masses. It was reported that mothers spat
on their children, and the crowed roared with cheer, because the child tired to run away from the
cult. I find it very hard to want to hurt your child publicly, even more so to publicly spit on them.
It brings forth a questioning of ourself internally. I wouldn’t do that, would I? It certainly makes
one think at what limit it would take for them to break. I did not fully understand the importance
of properly quoting your references with this paper. Thanks to your class this semester, I can now
distinguish how, and when to place a proper quote.

Letter to Governor Stitt

Stay with the theme, I chose to present my letter to our governor about the inclusion of
dispatchers in the first response criteria. This paper was one in which I struggled to properly
order my ideals. I felt confident with the information that I presented, but not with the order in
which I left it. I learned this semester that an outline is important for organization. I can now
reorder my thoughts in a more uniform manner. This letter was important to me because I love
the job I do. It has been my life for the last six years, and I have a deep respect for the field. It is
bittersweet for me to think of graduation because I must leave one passion for another. I love that
life teaches you lessons in the feeling you get at the bottom of your gut. I sent the letter to our
governor. As I suspected I have not received a response. I am sure he has gotten thousands of
these letters, as the entire country of dispatchers are on a mission. The big deal for this group of
emergency employees is that the mental health care benefits are unmatched. It is imperative that
upon hire employees are informed of the risk of mental health strain. If it is important enough to
warn someone about, I feel it is important enough to treat someone for. We must take care of
those who take care of us.

War on Drugs

The assignment for this essay was to illustrate how other countries deal with the drug use
epidemic. The difference in each place was mostly concerning laws, and ethics. Once again this
is showing that social influence dictates human behavior. Although every other country on the
globe has an uncontrollable drug use community, how they treat, and rehabilitate differs
immensely. I used what I had learned from English Composition 2 in this essay, and was very
careful about references, and order of information. I also made sure to find more credible
references, and to investigate the authors credentials. I believe when talking about a subject that
is politically profound, it should always have the most credible information, as readers will cross
examine. The war on drugs is an important issue for me. I am the only individual in my
immediate family to survive being trapped by addiction. I referred to the longing to understand
the behavior of families, and how they differ from other family units. This is because I wanted to
understand how I grew up in the same environment as both of my siblings, and they became
addicted to an illicit substance, but I never had the temptation to. They had the same influences
as I did, we were in the same social class, and we literally did the exact same things with each
other. I wanted them to beat the battle, and I have been beside them on the front line several
times. This war is one that will never end, however our plan of action to rehabilitate and prevent
must be effective to stay ahead of it. The greatest feeling in the world is now being able to sit at a
Thanksgiving table, with a completely sober family, and feel like my heart is whole again.

In closing, how we make others feel matter. We leave an imprint on every person we
encounter. Mrs. Davis, you have shown me a great kindness this semester. You have been patient,
and understanding, and you have shown me grace. Your passion for this class is infectious. Your
excitement motivated me to try harder and put more thought into my writings. I am very thankful
to have had the opportunity to take this course and get to know you. Your videos have been my
favorite to watch because you exude the best of vibes. Thanks to your class I will now be more
professional with documentation. The field of psychology depends on documentation; therefore,
I am going in more prepared. I can’t thank you enough for the many gifts you have blessed me
with this semester. I wish you all the happiness in your future.

With Humble Appreciation,

Donna Barrows