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Joseph Whitley
Professor Raymond
UWRT 1104
1 February, 2017

My First Research Paper

One event that helped shape my literacy narrative was back in tenth grade. In my tenth-

grade English class I was asked to write my first real research paper. It was very in depth and

required weeks of research. I remember working very hard on every detail and fact that I

collected. Prior to this research project I had never written a paper that required multiple

resources, which also required multiple formats, and a hand full of facts from each resource.

I decided to do my research on the Holocaust and the concentration camps that were

included. I thought it was very interesting to read about the history of the Holocaust because it is

something everyone should be educated on. When writing the paper, I looked at research on

many different camps such as Auschwitz and Buchenwald. Learning about the awful things that

happened over that period shaped my perspective on humanity in a much different way. I

realized how dangerous and twisted a group of people could become and how it can lead to

human rights being greatly violated.

One person who positively affected my work ethic was my mom, Catherine. She helped

proof read my paper multiple times. She also helped me find reliable resources to use. When I

think back she was definitely the most influential on my work when I needed support. After I

finished my research paper our teacher told our class about a woman who survived the Holocaust

and was coming to a school nearby as a guest speaker. I went to see her and it was cool to hear

her story. She had great perseverance and courage to make it through what might have been the

most human suffering by a group of people. Overall this experience changed my perspective in

life for the better. The paper and the speaker both shaped my literacy narrative.
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