#doctoralapplications

[pablo-emmanuel-otaola]

Gulp. #doctoralapplications #otaolafamily (at Denver, Colorado)

[amandamarie105]

Personal Statement (or: why I Struggle with Writing a Personal Statement)

Personal Statement (or why I struggle with writing a Personal Statement)

  Who am I?

These words

float through my head

as I try

to write

a personal statement.

  PICKME! PICKME!

I return to 2nd grade

physical education class

  I know what I want,

I know where I want to go,

where I have been,

and where I am,

but how can I actually tell you?

  PICKME! PICKME!

I return to 2nd grade

physical education class

  The words coming out

of my pen

bore even me

  PICKME! PICKME!

I return to 2nd grade

physical education class

  I can’t imagine you

want to know why

Cameroon

was a game

changer

  PICKME! PICKME!

I return to 2nd grade

physical education class

  I am: hardworkingcompassionaterelentlessanaboveaveragewritercuriousresourcefulbilingualrefusetoacceptsimpleanswersandamalwayslookingforsilencedvoices

I am also: imperfectimpatientobnosiouslyextrovertedsomewhatneedyandhorribleatacceptingcompliments

  PICKME! PICKME!

I return to 2nd grade

physical education class

  What part

of me

do you

want

to know?