My parents instilled in me a passion for reading since I was a child; years later, an excellent and extremely motivating third grade teacher encouraged my writing in a way that all teachers should notice. At age eight I was a child who loved to read and write, and at age eighteen I was a first grader. State College student who decided to major in English. Now I'm a senior in college (thinking about this fact literally sends a strange mix of scared but excited chills through my body) and a very different person than the nervous first-year student I was. The whole idea seems almost trivial -I grew tremendously during my college days; However, as I have spent the last three months mulling over what to highlight in this reflective essay, I am completely honest when I say that I have matured into someone that Edna from three years ago might not even recognize. I wouldn't say my greatest strength as an English major is my ability to compose an "A" paper or my confidence in reading assigned work....