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The 5-Step Personal Essay Writing Guide: “Role Models”
There’s no question that some people play a significant role in your life. Essays about how others have shaped who you are in positive ways can tell a lot about how you learn and how you relate to others. It’s important to remember that even though you are writing about an influential person; your essay must still be about you. Connect the lessons and influences from your role model back to your own life. The essay is always about you.
STEP 1: Identify Your Role Model’s Impact on You
To jump-start your essay, answer at least three of the following questions to figure out how you can write about your role model’s influence on your own life.
1. Who has been an influential person or role model in your life? ___________________ 2. What do you admire the most about this person? Why? ________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ 3. What specific things have you learned from this person? _______________________ ______________________________________________________________________ 4. How have you used teachings from your role model in your own life? _____________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ 5. Which of your role model’s traits (e.g., special talents, skills, way of treating others) do you hope to one day have yourself? _________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ 6. Can you think of specific examples of what this person did or said that made a lasting impact? _______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ 7. How is your life different since meeting your role model? _______________________