Letter of Introduction

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Nicole Berrow-James. I was born Nicole Darcel Berrow, however I got married in August 2005, therefore I decided to hyphenate my name to Nicole Darcel Berrow-James. I am studying to become a doctor and I could not imagine all the hard work to use the last name of my spouse. I am very proud of my accomplishments and success, therefore I made the decision when I was younger to keep my last name no matter what.
I am 24 years old and I am a Senior here at U of H. I have 3 hours left after this semester to complete my bachelors in Biology with a minor in Chemistry and Spanish. My goals and inspirations are to become a doctor. Specifically my goal is to become a pediatric cardiovascular surgeon. I have always been interested in the human body, but my interest is set on the heart. I am not that interesting of a person, but I must say the most interesting aspect of my life is that I have been diagnosed with a genetic disorder called Marfans Syndrome. It is genetically inherited, however I am the first person in my family to have the disorder. There is a 15% chance of being the first person to originate the disorder. I happen to be part of that 15%. It is an interesting disorder in that it affects the heart, spine, bones, chest wall and eyes. I have had open heart surgery and I have another on the way in order to correct the problem caused by the disorder. I have scoliosis as well which is related to the disorder. I am extremely lengthy, in that I have long extremities (long fingers, long arms, long legs). I feel fortunate to have the disorder because I have started researching it and have written several papers about the disorder. My ultimate goal is to find a cure or a preventative measure that can be used for generations to come.
I have not taken many writing classes, however I have noticed that I feel an overwhelming sense of comfortability when I write freely or write what is on my mind. I have written some poetry on my own at times. It is not very often that I write because I am extremely busy going to school full time and working full time. I do enjoy reading poetry more so than writing it. One of my favorite writers of all time would have to be Mya Angelou. She was my inspiration when I was younger and began writing. I have taken a few English classes, but mostly just what I needed to take towards my major. I have enrolled in this class because I decided to take a class that would interest me and I think I would do well in.
In previous English classes I have taken, my grades were better with free writing papers or compositions I wrote regarding topics I was interested in. It is much easier and more enjoyable, in my opinion, to write when you are asked to write about a topic you feel passionate about. In writing, passion brings out a person's best work. Researching topics and writing about a topic I have no interest in tends to be difficult for me because I end up repeating myself throughout the essay.
In this class, I hope to learn the techniques of poetry in which I lack. When I write poetry I tend to write in my own style, however I believe if I had a more concrete structure to follow, I am capable of doing much better. I enjoy being a student and I enjoy learning. To me, there is no greater feeling than knowledge because it can be taken with you and used for the rest of your life. I look forward to learning techniques associated with poetry as well as improving my writing.