Writing Proficiency 

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         The way language is used can truly influence the audience. As a writer one wants to convey a message and make the reader understand and feel connected to the work. Voice is a key way of doing this.  Throughout my academic career I have had to use many different voices to engage and capture the attention of my reader. For the purposes of this portfolio I would like to discuss five voices: professional, academic, advocacy, creative, and reflective.

         Professional voice should be used when working in the field. In my current position I find myself writing case notes frequently. Respecting client interaction and confidentiality while still reporting the proper information. Here is an example of a recent case note I have written. To keep confidentiality, I have removed his name and change the cities.

         “FC [field contact] with client. Gave them job posting from the past week. We also talked about how far 
          they would be willing to go. Mt. Vernon is the farthest north but they would really like to stay in Seattle 
          area. Client also mentioned that they have not turned in any applications that we have discussed and
          that they had received. Client said they would fill out and turn some in this week. I will try and contact
          HR at the City of Mt. Vernon, as I know a library page will be leaving at the end of this month.”

         This particular case note is important as the client admitted that they had not been following through on their portion of the process. This allows me to protect myself by keeping record that I am doing my job. If this pattern were to continue, we could decide to end this clients plan; however I would need all of this documentation to show that I was fulfilling my end of the professional relationship.

         Academic voice is one of the most common styles I have used throughout my Human Services education. When writing academically, citation of sources becomes very important because you are not presenting yourself as the expert. It conveys the opinions that you have which are built on facts you have discovered through your learning. In my final research paper at Western, I was able to explore the issue of child soldiers. After reading Children of War, I had formed many opinions and thoughts regarding the subject. I then searched articles for two peer-reviewed and scholarly writings to provide further support and also to bring up some conflicting points (See Appendix E). Academic voice is used to share information, though not necessarily to persuade the reader in a certain direction.

         When attempting to advocate for an issue, one is trying to change the reader’s opinion. Advocacy voice is something I’ve been familiar with since I was in high school. During my sophomore year, there was a program to attempting to unify the school and help those kids falling through the cracks; however this program was not really being used effectively (See Appendix O). Most teachers were just having students sit quietly or do homework, in a sense wasting the time of students and teachers. After reading an article in the local paper glorifying this program, I decided to respond in a letter. Within a few days it was printed in the Bellingham Herald. I got nervous that some of the faculty would be upset by what I had written and soon found out the principal was looking for me. She came into my class and told everyone that she was proud of me for stating my opinion. The following year the program was ended; although I don’t think my letter was the cause of this I do believe that it brought attention to the issue.

         More recently I had the opportunity to write another letter. This one was very different from the first. It was a recommendation for one of the woman at Womencare Shelter (See Appendix P). She was in desperate need of new glasses, and I was excited to help her by writing a letter explaining the issue and that she was a resident of our shelter. I am happy to say that the woman did receive the funding she needed and now has the proper prescription.

         Creative voice is very different for other voices: it can be less formal and more free flowing. I have to say my creative voice has become somewhat lost during school. Before I spent much of my time writing papers, I did enjoy writing poetry. Like most poetry it is very personal and for this reason it means I very rarely share it with others. I do have one poem that I feel not only fits for the Human Services major but also express my personal side. The poem is called “Hope in Potential” (See Appendix X). I wrote this poem to express my feelings regarding helping – not for any academic reason though. I felt and still feel that helping is an exchange, one person must offer and the other must accept. Using the creative voice can be in a way therapeutic; I’ve seen women share emotions through creative writing, things they couldn’t say any other way. I feel that is how I often use my creative voice as well.

         Creative voice is closely related to the reflective voice, as they both tend to be of a personal nature. Much of my junior year was spent reflecting on the knowledge I was gaining. At the end of each quarter I was asked to reflect on that quarter’s learning. During the final quarter of my junior year, I got a chance to reflect on the year as a whole (See Appendix M). I brought in pieces of my learning from throughout the year, reexamining it from a new perspective. When I entered the program I really did not have a full understanding of what I could do with this degree. After only a year in the program I had not only a new perspective on what I could do but also who I was. Reflecting allows me to take a step sideways and examine myself and what I have done as a whole.

         Although taking Research Methods gave me the credit for my writing proficiency according to Western many other assignments and work have helped me to achieve the full spectrum of voice.  This wide range of styles has developed my writing. I feel comfortable with each and know not only how to use them properly but in what situation they should be used. 


To see the full description of each voice please go to:
Western Washington University Human Services Program Capstone Manual (Specifically page 13)