Grace Davis, Student of Rhetoric
My name is Grace Davis, and with this portfolio, I complete my bachelor’s degree in English. I began my secondary education as a music education major in the fall of 2016. I stayed in the school of music until 2018, wherein with the guidance of my professors and academic advisors, I changed my major to English.
I have always held a wild fascination with the words we use, why we use them, and how our words can affect others. Even as a music major, I was more interested in how I could best interact with and influence my future students. Therefore, it was not much of a stretch for me to imagine a more thrilling education in Rhetoric and Composition. The concentration has molded me and challenged me; it has widened my preconceived ideas of what it means to be a rhetorician, as well as what I can do with my degree. An English degree is not reserved just for future English teachers – the methods taught in the concentration are universal.
When I first declared my major, I considered a few paths for myself: ministry, writing, and editing. I enrolled in courses that would test my strengths and widen my skillset, and through the process of elimination, I decided that I am best suited for a career in ministry. Georgia State University’s rhetorical pedagogy prepares me for a career in ministry through exercises in project management, persuasive writing, and informational writing. I will utilize my skills in rhetorical and literary analysis, as well as my skills in interpersonal communication of ideas. This portfolio incorporates such skills in the form of business, expository, and persuasive genres. Between my music education courses, my rhetoric concentration, and my experience as a children’s ministry intern at Buckhead Church, I feel prepared to step into the any role that ministry may have to offer.
As I face graduation and its challenges, I hold tight to the definition of rhetoric I found in English 3050’s textbook and look forward to the day that I apply what I have learned here in a long-lasting, intentional career in ministry.
“Rhetoric makes human unity possible.”
James Herrick, The History and Theory of Rhetoric: An Introduction
Grace's Portfolio 