When I first met the Masters in Teaching cohort that I would be joining at USC that fall, a lingering hesitation materialized before me – one of these things doesn’t belong. It was me.
Author Archives: Kathy Tran
My USC Personal Statement
There were a total of three personal statements required for the USC Masters in Teaching program, and an optional section. Being the writer that I am, I filled all four sections to the word limit – lo and behold, I got in! I’d like to share with you one that I wrote THE NIGHT BEFOREContinue reading “My USC Personal Statement”
Six Months, Six Lessons
One day after my 22nd birthday, I stood under grotesque lights, center stage, gasping for air. The final kumbaya… four years of all-nighters, internships, and social networking culminating into a grand graduation called adulthood. I envisioned the future I desired to be a part of and made clear, methodological steps to get there. I hadContinue reading “Six Months, Six Lessons”
Before and After
Her silhouette bounces past the stained oak door, and a stunning figure in an olive-green dress slips in. Brown waves cascade down her shoulders; she tucks a loose strand behind her left ear as she hangs a set of jingling keys onto brass hooks. Next to mine. One foot off, then the next. Two bareContinue reading “Before and After”
Hotel Cecil: Beyond the Lobby Doors
The Cecil Hotel sits at 640 South Main Street in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. In a row of bland storefronts and graffiti-covered walls, this building stands out from the others. Its façade boasts a rich art-deco style—a luminescent bronze against today’s autumn sun. But to its left, a litter-filled parking lot provides aContinue reading “Hotel Cecil: Beyond the Lobby Doors”
