Ashley M WRIT 340 Blog

I am always nervous to talk about my beliefs, my values, and my principles. So writing about how I can imagine our world to be a better place is not easy because it's uncomfortable; however, the multitude of ways that our world could be a better place rush easily through my mind like a waterfall. I am sure many people would agree with me on the ways in which our world could be a better place, however, many would disagree angrily, throw a fit, and even threaten to no longer be friends with me. It is why I believe tolerance needs to be more prevalent in today's society. Tolerance does not mean acceptance, but it means that we can respect that different people have different beliefs and opinions. Tolerance needs to be taught from a young age; that we should be respectful of all religions, not just some, and respect and understand that many people will have different opinions on controversial topics. In today's society, members of different religions and political parties are p...

I'll be graduating from the University of Southern California on May 10, 2024, just a few short weeks away, with a B.A. in Public Relations and a minor in the Entertainment Industry. When I first got to USC, I was 100% sure that I would be staying out in Southern California and that I would live in LA post-grad and work at Warner Bros or a top talent agency like the Creative Artists Agency or William Morris Endeavor. Over time though, my feelings towards both LA and the industry have changed. Although I am a little melancholy at the thought of no longer living in sunny Southern California to move back home to the East Coast, I am happy with my decision because I feel in my heart that it is the right one. I have gotten to experience my dreams that I have had since I was a child that not many people can say. I lived in Southern California, specifically LA, like I had always wanted to, attended my dream school in LA which just so happens to be the #1 school for entertainment and commu...

Reading  Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core  by Dr. Rick Hanson has given me so much insight into the psychology of fear and anxiety, which I tend to have a lot of. Hansen explains how the fight or flight response originated from our ancestor's needing to be alert for what danger might be lurking unknowingly, they needed to be prepared to run and fight if a lion was hiding in the bushes to attack them. Nowadays, humans don't need to worry about things like that but the fight or flight response still comes in handy for many situations humans may face, like escaping a building if theres a fire or dodging a bullet. However, many people today are in constant fight or flight mode as anxiety, fear of judgment, and bad things happening are consuming people now more than ever. I am just now finally starting to heal and remedy my mind and body from being in constant fight or flight mode for what seemed like 24/7 for the last 10 years or so. A lot of what Hansen talks about are t...

TO: Clark Hansen, CEO FROM: Ashley McKean, Research and Development Analyst DATE: March 5, 2024  SUBJECT: Erewhon Investment Proposal  ADMP STANDARDS:  AMDP emphasizes the values of the following:  Triple Bottom Line: A framework that measures a businesses social and environmental impact through profit (the financial return generated by an organization for shareholders), people (the organization's commitment to bettering society), and planet (an organization's effect on the environment) (Miller 2020).  Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): The idea and ethos that companies should adopt policies that positively support society and the planet (Reckmann 2023). Social Enterprise: Mission-driven enterprises who conduct entrepreneurial pursuits with public interest at the top of their priorities (OECD).  Carbon Footprint: The measurement of the total amount of greenhouse gas (GHGs) emitted by an organization or business and all of its activities that may have ...

  For my book 2, I have decided to read Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core by Dr. Rick Hanson which is about learning to develop inner strength so that you can be calm, confident, and happy no matter what life throws at you. After reading this one-sentence description of the book, I knew that this was the book that I both wanted and needed to read. I also read from a previous WRIT 340 student that the book was a mix of both spiritual and scientific practices and I usually really resonate with “self-help” books that combine both science and spirituality- for me, it just makes whatever is being said more believable to me. Having had a lot of traumatic experiences throughout my life and it having lasting negative impacts on me I have always strived to be resilient and find ways to cope. Specifically with my severe anxiety, I have always struggled to find effective ways to be resilient to the fears that are causing my anxiety. However, this book teaches you ways to rewire your ...

After my dad died suddenly when I was just thirteen years old, my world turned upside down. I ended up going to live with my grandparents who became like a second set of parents to me and living with them was truly the best time of my life because they were just so amazing, fun, and youthful. They were the prom king and queen in high school after all… but most importantly, they loved me and my family selflessly and would do anything for us no matter what. In my darkest times, they were the light. When moving across the country to go to USC, leaving them and my mom was the absolute hardest thing to do and almost made me choose a school closer to home which I now wish I had done. Leaving them for the start of college was particularly hard though because just a couple months prior to leaving, my grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. I immediately wanted to change my admission decision and try to convince Boston University that I would actually like to go there, but my grandp...