MOdule Content

How it works: Choose a particular identity, or several, then describe how it/they reveal(s) different sides of you.

You might choose to focus on one particular identity. Here are some ...

Single Identity Examples

• I Have a Natural "Mom Vibe"

• I'm Queer in a Few Different Ways

• It's Awesome Being Greek—Here Are Five Reasons Why

• I'm Small, but It's Kinda' Cool

• I'm Introverted, but It's Kinda' Cool

• My Nickname Says a Lot About Me

• I Have a Complex Relationship With My Name

• I'm Japanese but I Identify a Little More with Korean Culture and My Parents Don't Feel Great About It

• My Bahraini Identity Is a Big Part of What Defines Me

• How I'm Kinda' Like a Pirate (And How That'll Make Me a Great Filmmaker)

These aren't the actual titles of their essays, btw; I made them up for ease of reference.

Other students have chosen to describe how various identities combine to make up who they are.

Various Identity Examples:

• I play so many different roles—sister, mother, mover/shaker, navigator, chameleon, storyteller, explorer of the human condition—and each one is an essential part of me.

• I identify as an economist, technologist, teacher, philanthropist, entrepreneur, musician, global citizen ... and I can connect each one of those identities to a different object.

• My social media profile reads, "Angry brown girl, feminist, singer, meme-lover."

• People think of me as an African American athlete—but that's only part of my identity. I'm also an East-Asian influenced bibliophile and a Young Adult Fiction writer.

Again, these aren't actual essay titles; they're more like the unspoken theses of these essays. (Ha. Try saying that five times fast.)

Another Option: Weave Two Identities Using the "Braiding" Technique

Other students have chosen to weave back and forth between two identities in their essays. One student wove his "nerd" and "geek" identities—and yes, there's a difference, as it turns out. Another student wrote about being raised by a mother who identifies as Shia and a father who is Sunni. Weaving identities like this can open up opportunities for you to discuss two sides of yourself.

But let's take a look at an essay that describes multiple identities, as that approach offers you an opportunity to describe a wide range of values and, in my opinion, is a little easier to write:

This Is Me

I am Mexican.

The sound of frying empanadas and the smell of burning peppers. My mother calling me 'mi vida' and my relatives kissing my cheek. Running but never hiding from the dreaded chancla and always responding with, "Muy bien, y tu?" Childhood vacations to Puebla and Cancun, swimming in the ocean and playing in the sand. Feeling the need to be good at cross-country, feeling the need to be able to endure spicy.

Those are all me.

I am Chinese.

The utter preference for using chopsticks in every scenario and the unhealthy craving for rice with every meal. The sharing of every dish placed on the center turn table. Hotpot for celebration and tea eggs, of all things, as a favorite dish. My father's musical Cantonese conversations with my grandparents, and their constant inquiry asking, "How is school?" Being named after 龙, the dragon, for strength and living for three years in Shanghai. The constant pressure to get good grades, my father's desire for me to become a doctor, and the never-ending, "How are you so bad at math, you're Asian?"

Those are all me.

I am American.

A citizen with the freedom to vote. The freedom to speak my mind and the representation by all the cultures and countries of the world. Shopping sprees at Target and a constant diet of fast foods. Full acceptance of the consumer society and a rather unhealthy addiction to social media and technology. Going to football games on Friday nights and watching Netflix on Saturday nights. Always watching my weight. Always looking at others. Always wishing, always wanting for more.

Those are all me.

I am Catholic.

Sunday mornings always spent at church. The private Catholic middle and high schools each with masses for special occasions. Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation. Praying before each meal and saying, "Go away in the name of Jesus" to nighttime horrors. Theology classes and realizing there is so much more to religion than faith. Having something to believe in. Questioning what you believe in. Turning to God when I see the horrors in the world and getting no response.

Those are all me.

I am homosexual.

An unusual obsession with fashion and clothing. Watching Game of Thrones not for Daenerys or Cersei, but for Jon Snow and Jamie. Seeing Love Simon for the first time, and crying at least five times. Always conscious always thinking before talking. Going to an all-boys school. Dealing with gay being the go to expression for displeasure. Being called a faggot when I act gay. Fear of my parents finding out.

Those are all me.

I am Jonathan Kei-Lung Eng.

I love reading and am addicted to fanfiction. I have three siblings and love my two dogs more than anything in the world. I can't eat spicy food and I have the biggest sweet-tooth. I play League of Legends and soccer. I'm a Marvel geek and theater nerd. My friends call me Jenga. My teammates call me Jeng. My teachers call me Mr. Eng. I am Mexican. I am Chinese. I am American. I am Catholic. I am gay. I am all of this and more, and most of all, I am me. My identity is not a singular entity, but a conglomeration of experiences, believes, and origins. This is my identity.

This is me.

Four Qualities This Essay Demonstrates:

I believe most great essays illustrate four qualities: core values, insight (i.e., an illuminating answer to the question, "so what?"), vulnerability, and craft. Here's how this essay shows each of these:

1. Values: In this essay, I see so many values: culture, family, faith, intellectual curiosity, social justice, vulnerability, humor, sensitivity, fun, adventure, and more.

2. Insight: I also gain so much insight into who the author is through their careful choice of details. The phrases, "Full acceptance of the consumer society and a rather unhealthy addiction to social media and technology," show the author's awareness of being a product of American culture. The sentences, "Having something to believe in. Questioning what you believe in," demonstrate the author's awareness that it's possible for contrasting truths to exist simultaneously.

3. Vulnerability: This essay is vulnerable in many ways, including the lines, "Always watching my weight. Always looking at others. Always wishing, always wanting for more," and "Being called a faggot when I act gay. Fear of my parents finding out."

4. Craft: The quality and range of details lets us know these moments were carefully chosen and that this essay went through several rounds of revision.

Next, here's an essay that focuses on a single identity:

Pirate

There is nothing worse than waking up and realizing you were meant to be a Pirate.

I was around the age of nine when it dawned on me. For years my grandpa educated me on the ways of the pirate. We would pretend to sail the seven seas looking for the lost city of El Dorado and go on adventures through the Amazonian rainforest. He romanticized the stories of pirates, hiding me from the atrocities they committed. Yet in a way it allowed me to see the true nature of adventure and exploration that the sailors of the seven seas stood for. The word "pirate" meant to sail and explore the world and that is when I realized I was born in the wrong era: I was meant to live a life of adventure, I was meant to be a Pirate. Had the powerful overlords of the world been more inquisitive and precise with their calculations when they created me, I would have actually been one. Alas, there is not much else that can be done; unless the invention of time travel is just around the corner, the prophecy I was once meant to fulfill would vanish into oblivion.

Throughout the years since the epiphany first came to me, I have worked to balance my responsible and organized self with my rebellious and adventurous pirate spirit. When I'm not filming a movie, organizing events, or counseling my friends, I often let my imagination run free, even if for a few minutes, allowing my inner pirate to come out and play. I never owned a sextant, nor plan on doing so, yet, I commonly gaze at the stars and the constellations they form, attempting to track their patterns in the night sky during nightly walks with my dog. And when my family goes to the beach, I take my brothers on a crab searching adventure (our version of scouting for a crew), scouring the crowded San Francisco beaches and tide pools for little crustaceans to gaze at in wonder. Even a hike through the Santa Cruz Mountains will often be accompanied by a little treasure map that my father and I will use to locate "geocaches" along the trail.

Now, at the age of seventeen, I regard myself as the modern Captain Kidd. Although I don't embody the "pillage and burn" side of the Pirate life, the way I have embraced an adventurous lifestyle has compelled me to explore any activity, concept, or subject that attracts my attention. Historical accounts of pirates tell of hunts for treasure and booty—an insatiable thirst for gold—but while Pirates scoured the world for money, I long for knowledge. Where Sir Francis Drake sought to conquer Spanish treasure ships, I conquered the realm of musicianship teaching myself guitar and piano. Captain Henry Avery searched for the perfect congregation of Pirates to create a republic of misfits; I did the same as I helmed the mental health club to help those at my high school in need. The image of Captain Kidd researching the metaphysical explanation of the ten dimensions may be strange, but to me, it is a perfect representation of the pirate spirit.

I know that when people think of the word pirate they don't think of a teenager who likes to air guitar in his room and dream of making movies in Iceland (it's also a chance to confront my rivals: the vikings!). But my unmistakable sense of adventure and curiosity defines me. I've become an avid astronomer, an aspiring filmmaker, philosophical nerd, a music geek, and an unqualified therapist. Every quest takes me to uncharted territory, breaching the limits of my knowledge and expanding my potential. I am an unappeasable pirate on a quest for knowledge, never satisfied with the treasure under the beach.

Four Great Qualities This Essay Demonstrates:

1. Values. This essay shows a wide range of values, including adventure, exploration, storytelling, creativity, responsibility, organization, family, nature, knowledge, music, helping others, curiosity, and many more.

2. Insight. This essay is brimming with insights—my favorite is the sentence in which he names all the identities he has been hinting at so far in the essay: "I've become an avid astronomer, an aspiring filmmaker, philosophical nerd, a music geek, and an unqualified therapist.

3. Vulnerability. There are many personal moments, including the details about his family and his deep love for his many interests. I also find his choice of topic to be vulnerable, as the reader may find it to be somewhat superficial or juvenile. But he pulls it off, in large part, due to the variety of values, insights, and craft.

4. Craft. I find the level of detail to be impressive, as well as the way he deftly balances a kid's perspective with a young adult's perspective in moments like this one: "[My grandfather] romanticized the stories of pirates, hiding me from the atrocities they committed. Yet in a way it allowed me to see the true nature of adventure and exploration that the sailors of the seven seas stood for." I also appreciate the way he weaves in other interests, continually bringing the reader back to his central thread.

A Mini-Exercise to Get You Started on Your "Identity" Essay

1. Brainstorm at least 4-7 ways you identify.

Example from the "This is Me" essay above:

"I identify as

... Mexican."

... Chinese."

... American."

... Catholic."

... gay."

2. Brainstorm a detail or example for each identity using one of your five senses. What does each identity look/smell/taste/sound/feel like?

Examples from the "This is Me" essay above:

• Mexican → "The sound of frying empanadas and the smell of burning peppers."

• Chinese → "My father's musical Cantonese conversations with my grandparents, and their constant inquiry asking, 'How is school?'"

• American → "Full acceptance of the consumer society and a rather unhealthy addiction to social media and technology."

• Catholic → "Praying before each meal and saying, 'Go away in the name of Jesus,' to nighttime horrors."

• Gay → "Being called a faggot when I act gay. Fear of my parents finding out."

This will help you create a simple outline. You may end up choosing one identity or several for your personal statement, but for now, just brainstorm a list. I'll share more in the how-to guide coming up.

And, in case you're wondering ...

Why 4-7 examples?

Because you're likely working with a 500- to 650-word limit, you'll likely choose only 3-5 examples to describe in detail (assuming one main example and value per paragraph), so I'd recommend generating more examples than you'll need so that you can discover which ones work best. Then keep the best and cut the rest.

What if I can't think of examples for my identities?

Look at the "This Is Me" essay again. There are so many great details the author uses to describe his different identities. Remember, try using all five of your senses: What does that identity look/smell/taste/sound/feel like? Spend a few minutes trying, and if you still can't come up with a detail for each identity, don't worry. You can brainstorm more in the how-to lesson coming up.

Time to start.