Conclusion: Kind of a Love Letter for Our Class

When I first walked into our classroom at the end of the hall, I knew I had made the right choice. As the world slowly devolved into chaos around us (i.e. World War III, COVID-19, presidential primary campaigning, etc.), we kept our spirits up. We wished for a better world for ourselves and our peers, and our progress started our first day of class.

No one can deny that we have all grown as a result of this class. Some of us came out of the closet for either the first time or the hundredth time, but knowing our class was a safe space. Some of us recounted times they felt weak, unsafe, and scared.

I want to talk about what this class has done for me. I think that the works we have read, heard, and watch for class have helped me understand myself better, and this has contributed to my growth in self confidence in the past few months.

-       First, Fanny Fern taught me that sometimes the best way to revolt against a patriarchal system is to mislead the people in power until I have the ability to change things.

-       Gray and Barreca showed me that the separation between men and women starts at an early age, and they told me that these limitations aren’t what define me as a woman.

-       Tina Fey and Amy Poehler made me realize that being a career woman and a mother wasn’t impossible, and even though I don’t want a family of my own, I know that at any point I can change my mind without feeling guilty.

-       Mindy Kaling made me realize that letting loose and having fun isn’t a bad thing.

-       Phoebe Robinson taught me to stand for myself.

-       Wanda Sykes was the woman who made me realize that it’s okay to angry about a bad situation.

-       Hannah Gadsby taught me not to put myself down for the sake of others’ enjoyment.

-       Ali Wong made me realize that everyone’s situation is different and judging the lives of other people won’t help them; if you’re in someone’s life, you have to be willing to support them when things go wrong.

-       Sedaris made me understand that isolation and feeling different starts at a young age, and the only way to fix this is to raise the next generation differently.

-       Branum taught me to not to settle for a life other people have chosen for me, and instead seek out what I most enjoy.

-       Holmes made me see that even if you make choices in your life that you regret, you are not a bad person.

-       Amber Ruffin and Jenny Hagel helped me see that late night television is making big strides in including comedians of diverse backgrounds, and they aren’t done yet.

But most importantly, I learned from all of you. You taught me to be open about myself, which I taught I was; instead, I was hiding parts of myself that I didn’t even realize I was hiding. I thought I had done all of the growing I needed up until this semester, but now I see that none of us will ever be done with our continued evolutions.

Thank you all for a wonderful semester. You have all changed my life for the better.