A Shout-Out to English Mentors

Hello everyone! This is Grace McIntyre from the design team again! Jack's story about how he discovered his love for writing has inspired me to talk about how important it is to have support and encouragement when deciding who you want to be and what you want to do in the future.

I was homeschooled from K-12 and did not have much experience with writing until I took my first college-level English course during my Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) year as a junior in high school. I was a little nervous since I had heard only negative things about writing courses up to that point in my life. However, during my first English course, I was very fortunate to have a great professor who was genuinely interested in the work that I submitted. She gave me good advice and was very encouraging, telling me that she enjoyed reading my work and that I had a "writer's brain," which provided me with the confidence to pursue an English degree. Just a few meetings with this supportive professor changed my perspective on writing in a positive way and gave me hope for the future, so I thank all mentors for their work in helping to lead future generations in all disciplines!