I would like to introduce Aurion Cooper: he is currently at Georgia State University majoring in Film. He is 21 years old and with his parents graduated high school while his mother also has a bachelor’s in teaching. He has been in GSU for 2 years and had some setbacks which made him take a gap year and miss a few semesters. Despite having difficulties, he is completing his education in Film at GSU. He has a confident and friendly personality which makes him approachable and he is understanding. He enjoys beats, editing videos, streaming, working out, video games, and tv. He is outgoing and mature and watches football.
Aurion Cooper graduated from Columbia High school in Georgia. He is incredible in not giving up despite the difficulties in studying. He struggles academically but he makes up for it with hard work and perseverance. His major accomplishment in High school was graduating and passing in Geography. He had trouble with math in high school which plays important role in choosing a major of his choice in college. His biggest influence when it comes to education is money and knowing that he could get a good life. Having a good education motivates him to the point where he wants to strive for something more than just money, but bigger opportunities like meeting a CEO.
Aurion has mixed emotions about college. For example, he asks why does he have to go into debt for a future where he wants to be living well, but has to give money back at that time? But at the same time, he feels like college is a risk that they have to take if that is what they want. At first, he was majoring in Computer Engineering but soon he realized he does not have the aptitude for it and so he found something else that interested him. He is now majoring in Film at GSU he believes with the creativity and skills he will learn throughout his studies he will be successful.
Aurion Cooper describes his academic self as driven, balanced, and focused. He told me he is driven to achieve his education and be successful, he balances his social and academic life well and he is focused on what he has to do. He has trouble with writing papers. He makes grammatical errors, second guesses himself, repetitions while writing, and goes off-topic. Anne Lamott informs her readers that she would just write without any stops and her writing would be terrible but she says that’s what first drafts are supposed to be and they can improve as they add more or revise the first draft. To improve in writing, Aurion practices writing, does revision, proofreading, and uses Grammarly. He makes his first drafts which he can improve.
Aurion has a positive outlook on himself and the future. He feels like learning new things is something that is a part of growth. Without it, you just become stuck with the same mindset of what you’re used to. His struggles with learning are that sometimes he tends to comprehend things the wrong way, and it gets me to have circumstances where I get off topic to what it is. He believes grades are what defines a student in my opinion. In my eyes, it could mean you’re smart or somewhere in between.
In conclusion, the interview with Aurion Cooper was a great experience and motivating for me. He has his struggles but he does not let them bother him and keeps on moving. He is doing well in his studies right now but his past experiences and struggles gave me a new perspective on learning. He prefers in-person classes over online classes because it lets him focus on his studies. While I always thought that online class is much better since it gives you to work at your own pace and you have more time to yourself. The interview with Aurion Cooper made me question myself, what more can I do to improve myself academically and how can I balance my social and academic life?
Work Cited
Lamott, Anne. “Shitty First Drafts.” Language Awareness: Readings for College Writers. Ed. by Paul Eschholz, Alfred Rosa, and Virginia Clark. 9th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2005: 93-96.
