My Name Is
Each summer, a group of select College Summit students attend summer workshops that provide them with the tools to navigate the college application process. A highlight of the four-day workshop is the personal statement component in which volunteer community members serve as Writing Coaches, helping our students realize that what they say matters and that their personal stories are meaningful. After receiving training on College Summit's Writing Team Methodology, the Writing Coach guides a team of four to six students through the writing process for producing personal statements to include in their college application portfolios.
The following is an excerpt from an Inglewood High School student's personal statement, crafted at a 2009 Southern California summer workshop.
My name is blank. I keep you clueless and unaware. At any time, situations or circumstances, I can make working thoughts stop, and stopped thoughts work again. I'm in a ten year old girl's mind and she accepts me with open arms. All of her time is consumed with me. I had her eating out the palm of my hand.
My name is enthusiasm. I'm always on the go and I never stop. I have a mindset of an all American runner that can race the fastest wind and win. I'm with her when she's around people and is shy and quiet and I help her shine out. She is alone but I'm with her as she sings, laughs, and escapes to another world.
My name is fear. I'm a portion of high death rates that can occur before, during, and after any situation or circumstance that you are going through. I'm the reason why this 10 year old girl is always alone. She's so afraid that it's easy for me to find her like a mom searching for her baby when her infant is actually right in front of her. She makes my job much quicker because I can pop up at any time and cause her to break down and lose her mind.
My name is abuse. I'm the stage appearance of fear, meaning I'm one of the reasons why fear is easy to appear in you and others. To a 12 year old I'm a word that explains hurt and pain. She has experienced me in many terms, verbal, physical, sexual abuse. I'm something that will always be in that 12 year old because it scarred her heart like a vessel being broken because of all the memories that kept replaying in her head as she walked to school.
My name is beginning. I'm a word that stands for new happenings. To you I'm used as good or bad beginning like how the first bit of your lunch tastes. To the 14 year old who's been abused half her life, I'm the way out of hell. Whenever she looks outside her window and sees the clouds moving and the sun rising, she thinks of me as she knows she would overcome her obstacles. I come and bring her tears of joy, and happiness. To that 14 year old girl, I'm a new beginning to her next stage in life.
My name is experience. I'm a past event that has an effect on your life as well as others. My comfort name is "lesson learned". That 14 year old girl had an experience and took it as a "lesson learned". She never regrets nor hates the horrible actions that took place yet instead she overcomes and shares that experience with other people.
My name is faith. I can be imagery. If someone believes of me, they can make it happen. In other words I'm married to determination. To a 15 year old girl I come from God and she uses me to her ability as strength and growth. To mature and know the positive things in life is way beyond that past experience.
My name is wisdom. I'm very special because I deliver the best of words for any circumstance and situations. I'm the most important part in this 16 year olds life. She always uses me when a change of new beginnings occur. I bring her knowledge, counsel, and uplifting words to hold on to.
My name is _________. I was once abused and it brought fear and it affected me so bad it suffocated my enthusiasm. What abuse gave to me was a new beginning from my experiences that gave me faith which caused me to have wisdom. I locked out the bad and accepted the outstanding, enthusiastic, unique person that has overcome those challenges in life. My name is _________.
