Exceptional
First-Year Writing
The Rutgers Writing Centers’ Exceptional First-Year Writing initiative spotlights outstanding reflective essays written for College Writing, the University’s first-year writing course. Essays are developed in response to the first project of the course, which asks students to read as writers - to demonstrate an understanding of the form and rhetorical strategies of an assigned text, Jhumpa Lahiri’s “Why Italian?” - then apply these strategies toward their own personal reflection.
2023-2024 Nominees
Samad Arastu
Ashley Arkais
Minahal Azhar
Vivian Cheng
Bailley Georgieva
Jose Jimenez Gratereaux
Charlie Heap
Ariel Ifrah
Sarah Jung
Matthew Kalender
Aileen Lim
Joshua Mariano
Peter Palles
Ruqayya Pervez
Amisha Raikar
Colin Scerbo
Brynn Sillick
Brandon Son
Amy Walejewsky
Sophia Wyllie
Adams Yakubu
Why Pharmacy?
In eighth grade, I was forced to live without my grandma after her sudden death. In eighth grade, I received my first pair of glasses.
Why Stay?
It took me years to realize that there was no such house with the qualities I wanted, at least not yet. I decided to adapt like I had always done and built my own house: one that is accepting of both my Egyptian culture and heritage and my American identity. One that I desired to live in.
Why Not Arabic?
I've plagiarized my life by losing my Arabic. It was something I once knew and something that once 'belonged' to me. After losing it, I can't say it is mine anymore. I became a burglar in my own language.
Past Nominees
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2022-2023
- Feb 26, 2024 Why Spanish?
- Feb 26, 2024 Why Christianity?
- Feb 26, 2024 Why Pharmacy?
- Feb 19, 2024 Why Stay?
- Feb 19, 2024 Why Not Arabic?
- Feb 19, 2024 Why Paper Books?
- Sep 28, 2023 Why Poetry?
- Sep 28, 2023 Why Oluwatomisin?
- Sep 27, 2023 Why Immigration Law?