Lindsey Valenti
Hi! I'm Lindsey, and I am a current Writing and Rhetoric student at the University of Central Florida. During my time at UCF, I have written and edited for multiple publications, including lifestyle for college-aged women. I am consistently seeking opportunities to grow and improve skills and contribute to meaningful causes. To read my classwork and research, navigate to UCF Portfolio. To read some of my published Her Campus articles, see Her Campus. To read more about my stylings and experience, see About.
This is a bit of a startling piece to start with, as I open with “Writing has proved itself to be an eternal nuisance in my life.” The assignment was to write about our own experience with digital literacy, and it ended up becoming one of my favorites due to the kind of humor it ended up having.
Digital Literacy Narrative
Two of my favorite learning outcomes from the Department of Writing and Rhetoric’s BA program include “identify and make responsive choices concerning the cultural and ethical dimensions of writing, including the forms writing takes, the values it promotes, and the effects it enables;” and “be prepared to apply and flexibly adapt rhetorical and writing knowledge to the changing dynamics of the workplace and civic environments.” Here, I sought to exemplify these two values through experimenting with style, tone, and audience. These are papers that I felt most personally connected to and I felt best demonstrated my ability to apply my background and interests into my studies.
UCF Highlights
Short Fiction Article
In Writing for Publication, we learned to write for all kinds of publications and learned how to utilize style guides. Here, I was (hypothetically) submitting to a noir fiction magazine, I do not dive into fiction writing much, but I was very proud of how this turned out.
Research Prospectus
I really do not love research papers, so this never went past the prospectus. But, I love this topic. If there is anything I can talk about for hours, it is Marvel. I think the subject of discrimination in fandom needs to be covered more sincerely,
Leadership Narrative
For two years, I was part of the LEAD program at UCF, an acceptance-only program for first and second years to cultivate leadership through service-learning and community building. This was my final paper in the program to summarize how I planned to take what I learned into my future endeavors.
Rob Zombie Article
This is definitely not something I would have ever predicted would make it onto my personal portfolio, and yet, here we are. In ENC 3375, aka “the Gaga class,” we were assigned blog posts throughout the semester, some made to read like Wikipedia articles, that just had to tie back to rhetorical theories and Lady Gaga in some way. After watching the music video for “John Wayne,” I was stunned to see so many nods to Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses, and yet so few commentators pointing it out when I researched it. So, this blog post was born.
Gaga Style Blog
If there is another thing I can talk about for hours, it is musical theatre. So, Lady Gaga nodding to Judy Garland in her style was something I absolutely had to talk about in a Gaga blog post assignment. Our job here was to take a piece of Gaga style and dissect its rhetorical properties. Maybe they meant the meat dress, but I was in love with the Judy dress.
Her Campus
As the Senior Editor of Her Campus at UCF, I was tasked with not only studying the style guide but becoming it and enforcing it. Here, you can see my progression from some of my earlier articles to later on with an understanding of AP style and magazine writing as a whole. The Her Campus freedom of writing whatever I wanted to helped me develop my personal style and grow confidence as a writer.
“I sat down with her at a Panera Bread a few miles from the theater. I had done interviews before, but I was still anxious. I had never interviewed a princess before.”
“Hollywood has its share of industry “heroes,” or those leading the way for others like them to follow. However, one trailblazer is often missing from the ranks and is criminally underrated: Halloween producer Debra Hill.”
“If the genre of the sitcom were to actually die one day, it wouldn’t mean the end of laughter in media entirely. However, it’s a bit sad to think about. Sitcoms were a large part of my formative years, and even still I look to them for comfort and nostalgia.”
These are just some of my favorites. Click here to see my whole profile.
There, historically, has never been a fantastic time to be a woman. Every noted period documents some sort of discrimination, violence or general disdain towards women. The 21st century United States may be void of witch trials or stoning, but we’re still not perfect. Today, girls still have to carry pepper spray, are taught how to politely turn down an advance without being harmed, and cannot go out alone after dark.
Design Work
My work with nonprofits and magazines has led me to become very familiar with design principles and software. Here are some projects I am particularly proud of.
Poster redesign
Make-a-wish sponsor sheet
Redesign Project
Make-A-wish qr codes
Make-A-Wish Social Post
Learning and Expertise map
Make-A-Wish Tent Signs
nOT JUST FOR INTERNS
About Me
My name is Lindsey, and I am someone with many interests trying to figure out where she belongs. As a soon-to-be graduate of UCF’s Writing and Rhetoric BA program, I am constantly working on my writing, editing, and light design skills to find my place in the world of content creation. I am fueled by my love of entertainment in the art of dissecting and participating in it.
Growing up, I related much to Wicked the Musical’s Elphaba Thropp. Since I was small, I have been known to march to the beat of my own drum and speak my mind, even if it was at the expense of popularity. I like to think that my work reflects this as I try to tackle subjects like media, advocacy, the achievements of women, and so on.
In this portfolio and beyond, I seek to participate in the ever-growing world of media in an entertaining, engaging, and informative way.
What I am Often Hired For
Copywriting | Copy editing | Blog writing | Event Management and Promotion
Where I Have Contributed So Far
