Samantha DeSantis

ERWC/Period 3
September 14th, 2016

Unit One Final Portfolio

I. Letter of Introduction/Personal Statement

Samantha DeSantis

Moorpark, CA, 93021

samantharae4@gmail.com

September 10, 2016

Ms. Frederick

Santa Susana High School

3570 Cochran St.

Simi Valley, CA, 93063

Dear Ms. Frederick:

My name is Samantha DeSantis and I am currently a student attending Santa Susana High

School. I am sixteen years old and my main focus is dance. I also plan on graduating as a dance

major. Outside of school I am usually dancing at Dance Creations studio or babysitting for

friends or for my church. I enjoy listening to music and reading in my spare time, usually about

dance or famous dancers.

 I have been dancing since I was three years old at Dance Creations studio in Simi Valley,

Ca, when my mom signed me up for a children's mommy and me class. Throughout the years I

tried other activities such as softball and gymnastics, but something always brought me back to

dance. I joined the competition team when I was 9 years old and have been on it since. Over the

most recent summer vacation I auditioned for a few summer dance intensives and ended up

attending a three week summer dance program with Backhaus dance at Chapman University in

Orange County. I also teach a private ballet session for an 11 year old member of my church

who is wanting to learn more about the art of dance. These are all good experiences for me to

have, because as a dancer, the more experience you have, the more likely someone might hire

you.

For my senior project I choreographed a dance for a few select students of Santa Susana

High to perform in the winter dance concert. This was a new experience for me because as a

dancer I am usually learning choreography from others and performing it for them but never

choreographing on my own. In my future I hope to pursue a career involving dancing and/or

choreographing so this project will help to prepare me and will also be a good learning

experience.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Samantha DeSantis

II. FAQ page

Thursday 9-1-16
 Frequently Asked Questions

College:

1. Is it okay to go to a junior college such as Moorpark first and then transfer?

It all depends on the type of experience you are looking for. The good thing about going to
community college first is that it saves money and there are smaller class sizes. The problem is
you won't be getting the same college experience.
http://college.usatoday.com/2013/01/02/transfer-later-or-go-straight-to-a-university/

2. Is that smart financially? How much money will that save?

It only costs about one-third of the national average.
Average Annual Cost $2,770
Graduation Rate 40%
Salary After Attending $38,500
https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?119137-Moorpark-College

3. Should I still take the SAT if I am going to a junior college? Will I need it to transfer?
For better or worse, you are never too old to take the SATs. If you plan to transfer to a 4-year
college, its possible that some of your target schools will need SAT results (or ACT results,
which are also accepted wherever the SAT is required). BUT many 4-year colleges do NOT
require test scores from transfers, especially those who have earned an Associates degree. And
even if you do submit scores, your community college course selection and grades will play the
starring role in your admission verdicts, not your test results (unless they are so bad or so
good that they wave a big red flag.
http://www.collegeconfidential.com/dean/sat-for-community-college-student/

4. If I want to go to a four-year, how can I find scholarships?

There are plenty of sites online and there are so many scholarships out there for so many
different things that no one knows about and if you find them you may be the only one applying.
https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/grants-scholarships/finding-scholarships

5. When is the appropriate time to transfer from a community college to a state school or
university?
The answer is up to you. You can wait the first two years or go a little bit more, but the goal is, is
to stay focus and strive for your dream career path.
www.bigfuture.collegeboard.org
 6. How do I apply to a community college such as Moorpark?
You must be of 18 years or age, or have graduated high school to apply to Moorpark.
Applications are accepted year round and you can apply online or at the admissions office, as
well as registering online.
http://www.moorparkcollege.edu/apply-and-enroll/apply-for-admission/frequently-asked-questio
ns

7. How much does my SAT score really matter for college?

GPA score is the most important grade to have especially when applying to a four year
university, but the SAT give an option to those trying to take the route to higher educational
success.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/nail-biting-standardized-testing-may-miss-mark-college-
students/

8. Will my credits from a community college transfer to a university?

It depends on the restrictive credit transfer policies and if your courses will or could be received
from a promising institution. Some places only accept certain credits while others are more
lenient.
http://www.collegeaffordabilityguide.org/transfer-credit/

9. How do I choose the appropriate major for my career path?

There are many websites where you can find many majors and accredited schools to go to for
your profession, as well as giving information about student associations for each major that are
available.
http://collegemajors101.com/

10. How much does a dancer/ teacher make?

A good salary comes with good experience. It depends on how well-known you are and how
often you get jobs. The national average is $43,000.
http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Dance_Teacher/Hourly_Rate
 -
III. Quick writes and Brainstorms

Quick Write #1: If you are going to college why did you make this decision and where will you

go?

I made this decision because I have been taught this and I believe that going to college opens up

more options in the work force. It is also good to be educated because you never know what

might happen. I would love to either go to Chapman University, or possibly Moorpark College.

What do you want to get from your college experience?

I want to be a highly educated and qualified woman. I want to be qualified for a career involving

dance and maybe a better idea of what I want to do with that.

Quick Write #2: Failure

Two years ago, sometime in August, the new dance teams at my studio had come out and

I had been placed in the lower level. This was upsetting to me because I wouldnt be learning

my dances with my friends, and it was also embarrassing because I was now with younger kids

also I wasn't good enough. I asked my dance instructor why she would put me at a lower level

like this and she responded by telling me that she didnt believe I was trying hard enough or

giving it my all. If I wanted to be placed up in the senior level, I would need to prove to her that

I really wanted it and was willing to work hard for it. I still had trouble comprehending this

because I felt like such a loser in this moment. I was devastated and seriously thought about

quitting. I have been dancing since I was three years old and this one thing almost ruined it for
me, I had almost ruined it for myself. I had a very emotional conversation with my mom about

why dance might not be my thing anymore. Even though dance has always meant so much to

me and I had always dreamed of having a career in dance one day. I was so close to quitting, but

something inside wouldnt let me. So, I took my dance teachers advice, and I worked harder

than I ever had before. I wanted this more than anything, more than anyone. I accepted the fact

that I was competing in the lower level that year and pushed through. The next year, all that hard

work paid off. I was so lucky to have had such supportive teachers and friends, and I am now in

the senior level. If I had never been placed in the lower level, I dont think I would have learned

all that I did and be where I am today. It made me realize what I am capable of and appreciate

dance so much more.

Brainstorm Reflection:

The idea that colleges actually want to see us fail is a tough concept to grasp considering

the fact that our whole lives we have been taught that colleges will only accept the most qualified

and excelling students with the best grades and SAT scores. When someone such as Angel B.

Perez comes along and tells us that what the college admissions are actually looking for is the

students who arent perfect, this is not necessarily a fair concept. Students have been working so

hard to be perfect and now colleges wont accept them because they are too perfect. This is

unfair for those students because they have worked so incredibly hard for those grades and gave

up so many outside activities but now their dream college wont accept them because they

DIDNT fail. But not just anyone can fail. They want students to fail in a perfect way where

they try again and do it perfectly the second time around.

 I like the ideas that the Hidden Intellectualism article has brought up. I think that all

students are intellectually, each in their own way. Just because a student may not excel in the

typical school cultured book smart way, this doesnt mean that they are dumb. In my opinion,

much of what we learn in high school will not be useful for the rest of our lives. Many times, the

test of intellectualism has become a test of being able to memorize useless information. When a

student puts their time into something that they enjoy, they wont feel so forced to do something

and

they will find it easy to get the task done. I think the part where the author says that if a student

enjoys reading a sports magazine rather than something such as shakespeare, then we should

encourage this because although it may not seem like the child is learning much, they are

learning more than they would if they are forced because they are accepting the knowledge that

they are reading and will learn more because reading anything increases your intellectualism.

The vocab words that I chose to describe me was an interesting task. Sometimes it may

be hard to describe yourself positively because you want to be modest or maybe you really dont

know what others see you as. When I asked my friends they mostly agreed with my words that I

chose because I tried to think positive when describing myself. I know that many times colleges

or a job application will ask you to describe yourself and obviously you want to be able to say

positive ideas about yourself because you want to be accepted or hired for the job. I think

finding more in depth words makes it easier to describe yourself rather than saying something
such as hard worker, nice, or smart. Those words are very common and dont seem as

though very much thought was put into them.