Katelyn is a senior at Miami University studying Emerging Technology in Business & Design, as well as Digital Marketing.

When I clicked the submission button on the final project of my senior year of high school, I wiped my hands clean and promptly pushed that assignment to the back of my mind like any other to-do list item. Then my composition professor approached me about the opportunity to publish this work in a textbook – I couldn’t believe it! While I wrote these pieces to fulfill my course credit and express my passion for skin health, the idea of seeing my writing in a textbook that I used for the class felt surreal.  

For context, my classmates and I were tasked with writing a research essay followed by a “remix” that presented the information in a new way. My mind sifted through topics I knew I could research to inform my stance. I didn’t want to end my time in high school writing another impersonal paper on plastic water bottles. So I reflected on a personal struggle that had thoroughly impacted my teenage years: acne. Despite trying every topical medicine on the market and being told the same thing by every dermatologist, I remained unsatisfied with the current solutions; I decided the connection between gut and skin health was something I wanted to investigate deeper.  

This topic was not just one that I was passionate about, but it also gave me hope of finding a solution that traditional medicine had not provided. During the research phases, I dug into countless studies where I found how substantial the gut-skin connection truly was. My writing was fueled by the discovery of something that I had never been told. I felt I had regained control of and confidence in my skin. This is where everything fell into place. 

I was stirred about not only the topic, but also the “remix” genre. Being a naturally visual person, I decided to take on the infographic option. This marked the first graphic I created for a professional setting, and I was introduced to Canva for the first time. I was challenged to think about visibility, reading patterns, symmetry, and other design elements that replaced textual content. This experience ultimately underlined my understanding of the ability of visuals to quickly communicate complex ideas, sparking my interest in visual rhetoric and digital marketing.  

When it became time for my pieces to be worked on with editors and then publishers, I felt a mix of excitement and nerves. Writing meant for the eyes of my professor and a few colleagues suddenly faced the scrutiny of professional writers, teachers, and thousands of students to come. This was the first time that my writing had been edited beyond my mom, Grammarly, or a friend. I had to shift from being worried about judgment to positively embracing feedback for the benefit of my paper and the benefit of future students.  

After weeks of revisions, we came to the polished version, ready to be published. I eagerly waited the months following to see the published text. The moment I received a copy of the new textbook in the mail was indescribable. The last time this textbook was in my hands was when I was using it for my course, and now I was seeing my face in it. My mom immediately bookmarked the page and left the textbook on the coffee table for about six months after, and one of my friends even borrowed the book for her class the following semester. 

As I pick up the book today, I reflect on three things that I have gained more than just this physical book: 

1. Working with professional editors has paralleled the critique I receive in my major and my internship. My course projects and internship work involve visual design for practical and aesthetic use. It is so important to rely on other sets of eyes, pull back any fear of judgment, and seek a diverse set of perspectives to improve your work. These steps are key to designing impactful pieces used by large audiences. 

2. The technology I used to create the “remix” infographic, Canva, became an integral part of my daily academic and professional endeavors. By using Canva for this course four years ago, I gained basic skills and knowledge that I was able to immediately apply to my college courses. Now, more than half of my major classes use Canva in some capacity, allowing my skills to flourish. In fact, I was able to show my professional internship last summer how much the integration of Canva could benefit their business. To this day, they are still using it, inspiring me to continue exploring new platforms and technology whenever the opportunity presents itself. 

3. Most importantly, I learned to pursue topics that you are deeply passionate about for any school assignment. I went through a lot of my schooling picking the easy route for projects or writing. From this experience, which took me far beyond the submission button, I learned that true magic begins with passion. In college, I have challenged myself to pick topics that are less talked about for capstones, business ideas, projects, and portfolios. This experience also skyrocketed my confidence. My professor saw something in my writing that I had not; with this encouragement, I have come to realize that you never know who will be reading your work, how it will impact them, or what new heights it will take you to. 

As I enter my senior year of college, I find myself driven to use my voice as a student. This endeavor has shown me that speaking on new topics, offering my unique perspective, and presenting information in alternate ways can have an impact far beyond the walls of the classroom. Next time, instead of taking a final project to a publication, maybe I can now turn a final project into a dream job! 

Instructors: Have your students written something for your course that you think would be a good fit for publication in a Norton text? Nominate your student for the Norton Writer’s Prize here—the contest recognizes outstanding original nonfiction by undergraduates, and all submissions are considered for publication. 

MEET THE AUTHOR