Ashley M WRIT 340 Blog

I have been reading America Ferrera's book American Like Me  which is a collection of 32 first-hand essays from close friends and acquaintances in the entertainment industry of Ferrera's who were somehow impacted by immigration. Each essay tackles the question of what it means to be American and although some essays are lighthearted and funny others are more gut-wrenching and dark. America who is a well-known actress and human rights activist and has appeared in hit television shows like Ugly Betty and films like Barbie , also writes her own essay in the book, talking about her tough experience growing up in the U.S. as a daughter of Honduran immigrants.  America's own personal essay that she wrote in the book talks about how she faced discrimination as a young child because of her Honduran background. She says that many use to make fun of  her name and it drew lots of attention from both kids in school and her teachers, especially during the pledge of allegiance as her n...

Job Description: Publicity and Events Intern  Since my arrival at USC in the fall of 2021, I have held various jobs from being a pet nanny to a casting intern to publicity and events intern and many more in-between. Some roles I loved (pet nanny was my definite favorite) and some I absolutely loathed, but I will always be grateful that I had paid work even if the very job made me decide to change career fields completely.  I would say my most intriguing job yet has been what they would call a “Publicity and Special Events Intern”. This term could mean a million different things depending on the agency or company you are working for but at the agency that I interned for and now do some freelance work at, it means you are taking on multiple roles as:  Personal Assistant  Talent Escort Peacekeeper The particular agency that I worked for is a small but mighty public relations agency that is known throughout Hollywood as one of the most powerful entertainment public relat...

I was born two days after 9/11, on September 13, 2001 in my fathers hometown of Melrose, Massachusetts, where I lived my entire life until I was 13. My family of four, my dad, mom, older brother and I all picked up and moved a few towns north to my mothers hometown of Lynnfield, where I am lucky to call home. Shortly after moving, my father died in a work-related accident. It was then that my maternal grandparents stepped in and really helped save my mom, brother and I and I am eternally grateful for them.  In a lot of ways, I feel very different from my parents. However, I am often told that I look just like my dad and that I have a little bit of my mothers personality. I picked up a lot of my moms values, likes, and dislikes. We both are very passionate about holistic health and healing, animals, coffee, and romance books and movies.  I feel that I set strong expectations for myself and I truly listen to myself more than anyone else, however, I have an uncontrollable fear of...