In Protest of the Status Quo

[ABSTRACT ONLY; NO FULL TEXT] In my early twenties, I dropped out of a Ph.D program at Columbia University in New York. The ghost of Ph.D past has haunted me ever since. As a result, when I reached my fifth decade, I decided to return to school to start the process of making up for that lost opportunity. I knew that if I didn't try again, it would always be the thing I couldn't do. Earning my MA in Literature is the first step toward completing this goal. At this point in my educational journey, I am eager to continue my exploration of late 20th and early 21st century literature, trends in modern language and the pedagogy of implementing both in the classroom. My final research paper examines the use of hip hop in Lin Manuel Miranda's Hamilton in light of the value of including alternatives to Standard Academic English in teaching. Since I have spent a large part of my adult life as an instructor of both English as a Second Language and developmental composition, I have included in my portfolio a statement of my teaching philosophy and some samples of assignments/paper topics that I have used in my classroom. Even though I am an "older" student, I have never lost my desire to shake things up, to challenge accepted norms, to protest the status quo. This portfolio hopefully gives a glimpse of my efforts and desire to continue to do just that.