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Niya McCray-Brown
Dr. Craig Wynne
Adv. Writing: ENG 320
8 February 2015
Brandelyn Kemp: A Literacy Narrative
When something feels so ingrained into an individuals being that they feel that there is
no separating the two, purpose is discovered. For Brandelyn Kemp education has always been
that subtle entity that she has never been able to separate herself from, her purpose. Her life
experiences have continually reassured her that a career as a teacher is her destiny. From her
early childhood experiences to college dilemmas, Brandelyns passion for education has been
tested, and proven true over and over again.
Although currently a junior elementary education major at Hampton University, there
was a time in which Brandelyn Kemp-Godfreys interest in education, nevertheless strong,
lacked a label. Her earliest memory of literacy is of doing homework from her grade school class
in thin, paperback books with vivid colors. She remembers each of the cute animals on the front
of the alphabetized series (such as a piglet for the letter P) and how her mother would always
support her as she attempted to perfect her penmanship, sentence formation, and phonics. Her
mothers support is one of the most significant parts of Brandelyns life to which she attributes
her current passion for education.
Both of her parents are teachers, and for as long as she can remember Brandelyn has been
in classrooms playing, exploring, and most importantly learning. Teaching is literally in her
blood. Brandelyns mother worked in her elementary school and she would often visit her
classroom to absorb all of the magic that flowed through the classroom of this great teacher. She

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would watch her mom as she interacted with students and Brandelyn dreamed of mirroring that
same sincerity in her own teaching one day. Her mothers success as a teacher and sincere
relationships with students has always inspired Brandelyn to take her own education very
seriously, and always contribute in whatever way she could to the education of others.
Another grade school experience that cemented her dedication to education was when
author Megan McDonald came to her school to read one of the new Judy Moody books. While
the other children were less than impressed, young Brandelyn was fascinated by the authors
storytelling ability and aimed to replicate that in a classroom of her very own one day. Patterns of
literary greatness were apparent in many ways throughout her early childhood and they certainly
built the foundation upon which she has developed her educational intrigue.
Despite her early engagement in education, Brandelyn Kemps college experience
challenged her passion for teaching. While attending The University of South Carolina she
became interested in broadcast journalism because she knew that her upbeat personality and
interest in current events would be a perfect match for television. The fame and glamour of a
career as an anchor charmed Brandelyn, and for a while she was torn between the two majors.
One television commercial put things into perspective for her. A tired news anchor tip toeing past
his wife and children at 2:00 in the morning to go to work reminded Brandelyn that she wanted a
more family friendly career. She had always longed for a career in which she would have ample
time to spend with her family, just like her mother. She was also intimidated by the idea of
having to deal firsthand with tragic incidents such as the Boston Marathon bombing, and doubted
her ability to stay emotionally stable and objective when dealing with such controversial issues.
As time went on and a final decision had to be made Brandelyns spiritual alignment enabled her
to stay true to her true purpose. She states I knew that God clearly believed education was my

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calling, and now I know that I could not have picked a better major. The dilemma was
conquered as Brandelyn Kemps purpose as an educator was tested and prevailed, despite the
controversy.
Brandelyn Kemp undoubtedly has a bright future ahead of her as a teacher. The thing that
she looks forward to the most is that moment when her students finally grasp a concept, and the
look on their faces when they get it. She wants to teach middle school math because she knows
that is where the most challenge is, both socially and academically for students. She feels like
she can make the biggest impact there because that is where the most need is. The world could
use more teachers like Brandelyn, the type that boldly walks into the challenges of todays
educational system and makes a conscious effort to create change.
Brandelyn Kemp-Godfrey, a teacher, a mentor, and a listening ear. That is what she
aspires to be, and it is obvious that the universe has cosigned on her dreams. Her life experiences
have provided the constant reassurance necessary to have the level of commitment that
Brandelyn has to teaching. One day she will have a classroom of her own where she can channel
her mothers supportive spirit and watch her students get it as they gain the knowledge and
confidence necessary to tackle 7th grade math. Brandelyn Kemp-Godfrey has discovered her
inseparable purpose, to teach.

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Appendix B
Your Writing Process
Please make sure you submit this with your final draft. This sheet is to help you monitor
your writing process. Answer these questions honestly and as fully as possible:
1) How did you feel when you first received this assignment?
I felt like it would be fun to get to know someones unique story, but
that it may be hard working with partners because everyone has different
schedules.
2) If you felt anxious or fearful at the beginning of this assignment, what did you do
to overcome this fear?
I never felt anxious, especially because of the open page limit. I felt
like I wanted to do justice to her story, but the freedom to write as little or
much as I like eliminated the anxiety.
3) What did you do to avoid procrastination on this assignment?
Having a partner and wanting to be respectful of her time and
writing/review process helped me not to procrastinate. We also set up clear
deadlines for ourselves along the way so that we could hold each other
accountable for small pieces of the project at a time.
4) Describe the physical environment(s) in which you wrote. Did you need to
make any changes during the process (i.e., changing the music, changing
locations)?
I wrote the same way that I usually write, typically in my room, alone
with the TV on low volume for background noise because complete silence is its
own distraction for me. I would take kinesthetic breaks between writing like
walking to my friends room or cleaning up my own room, just to clear my mind
every once in a while. And I would also start the first sentence of the next
paragraph from where I left off so that I wouldnt lose my train of thought.
5) Did you have any feelings of anxiety or fear during the process? What
events triggered those feelings?
Sometimes I would get anxious while I was actually writing, just
because I wasnt sure if it was good or long enough. To get over it, I just made a
concrete decision to organize my paper with certain personal goals in mind and
to stop comparing myself to what the rest of the class may/may not be doing.
6) How did you feel after you completed the draft?
I felt like my draft was really good, and those feelings were reinforced by
Brandelyns praise, which made me feel like a really good writer especially
considering it was her story (which most people are really particular about).