Sonja Lovelace

Learning a different language, especially English, is no doubt necessary for international students in their academic studies, and the hardest part is to learn how to write. Since the first day I entered the elementary school, I took English classes four times per week until the high school, but even with these classes, they didn't teach us the noun, adjective, and adverb clauses, or how to write organized paragraphs. They didn't teach us how to write academic essays or how to prepare ideas and do brainstorming before writing. Actually, I have done less writing for 13 years. Can you imagine that?. No wonder that Saudi students face difficulties when they study abroad because they don't have required skills to compete with their classmates, and I can say that I wasn't an exception ^^.

Taking TOEFL track was my first step to write paragraphs and essays although my assignments were about films, but these essays still contain academic essay structures. However, the true beginning were in level 5 Reading & Writing class in Summer A session which was taught by Sonja Lovelace. I have to admit that in the first days I found the class requires skills more than what I had which led me to think that I am not going to pass or pass it with unsatisfying score, so I realized that I have to work hard to prove myself to the instructor. After days, we were asked to do free writing to prepare ourselves for writing an essay, and I couldn't write more than a half page. What was depressing was looking to your friends doing better than you, however, that feeling scattered away when Sonja said to me, "Aziz, write more and more. Keep writing and don't stop." After following her instructions, my writing improved tremendously, and my friends noticed that and the key was simply Sonja.

After having many classes with her, I gained confidence in my writing and I can say that I am ready for any type of writng I am asked to do. Believing in yourself is the first step toward success and Sonja put me on that step. No matter how much I express my appreciation, I won't be able to pay her back. She is a very skilled and knowledgeable teacher who has the ability to extract the best of her students even if their skills are poor. Beside her skills, her great personality and tolerant nature impressed me and led me to respect her greatly.

Thanks Sonja for your time that you spent in teaching me how to write advanced essays. Thank you for your contribution in classes that helped us to understand you and inhale your knowledge, and thank you for your gift ^^!