the personal history essay

Personal History

Essays and memoirs., catching the fire bug.

I set out to fight fires—then discovered that I loved them.

By M. R. O’Connor

February 29, 2024

His latex goddess.

I spent months in an all-consuming affair with a man who refused to meet me in person. How did this happen?

By Anna Holmes

February 23, 2024

Missing my dad’s funeral.

At thirteen, I went to sleepaway camp, consumed by crushes, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and my father’s worsening battle with AIDS .

By Emily Ziff Griffin

February 21, 2024

A question of legacy.

Some of my ancestors had money, and some held awful beliefs. I set out to investigate what I once stood to inherit.

By David Owen

January 2, 2024

The power of food for people with dementia.

At a dinner party designed to bring back memories, I found myself wishing that my father could have been there.

By Peggy Orenstein

September 5, 2023

My life in the aftermath of martin luther king’s assassination.

After my friend was killed, I considered taking up arms. But his legacy called me back to a different way of living.

By Clarence B. Jones and Stuart Connelly

July 18, 2023

Growing up in the house of freud.

My psychoanalyst father wanted to prove the existence of the unconscious in the lab—and at home.

By Gillian Silverman

July 15, 2023

Giving away my twin.

Twinship evokes deep anxieties about separation and selfhood. Marriage has a similar effect.

By Jean Garnett

July 10, 2023

From belfast to sana’a.

A childhood amid Northern Ireland’s Troubles made me desperate to see the wider world.

By Jane Ferguson

June 22, 2023

My adventures in deconstruction.

A college affair turns coming of age into coming apart.

By Lucinda Rosenfeld

June 9, 2023

• Books & Culture
• Fiction & Poetry
• Humor & Cartoons
• Puzzles & Games

Sample Personal History Statement

by Talha Omer, MBA, M.Eng., Harvard & Cornell Grad

In personal statement samples by field.

A personal history statement (PHS) provides an insight into your academic and professional endeavors. It should include your notable achievements as well as the challenges you have faced. The purpose of a PHS is to provide the admissions committee with a better understanding of your personality, your motivation, and how your prior experiences have prepared you for the future.

Here is a sample personal history statement of a student who applied to the anthropology program and got into several top schools like Columbia, Harvard, and Stanford.

Growing up in a family and society that strictly adhered to the traditional roles of a “proper conservative woman,” I have found pride in breaking free from these restrictive cultural expectations and in embracing my own identity and self-expression.

As the first female in my family to study arts, I remember feeling discouraged when, during a sixth-grade science class, I was lectured by my teacher on the importance of hard sciences and the perceived uselessness of arts. This came after she saw my notebook filled with a detailed sketch of the circulatory system of a frog. Her face betrayed her disdain. The muffled laughter of my classmates seemed to confirm her notions – as if to say that only the truly intelligent pursued careers in the hard sciences.

During my tenth-grade, my family pressured me to choose a science-based curriculum over one that focused on arts and humanities. But I refused to give in and instead found a way to combine my love of art with my disdain for science. When words failed me and I felt stifled by my circumstances, art became a reliable outlet for self-expression, full of vibrant colors and offering endless opportunities for creativity.

During my senior high school year, I finally took control of my own future and decided to study fine arts. This choice opened the doors to a whole new realm of possibilities, allowing me to pursue the future I had always dreamed of. In college, I approached my studies with a sense of exploration, as if I were an adventurer in uncharted territory. Each new topic and area of knowledge helped me to grow in objectivity, intellect, and wisdom.

My journey through the world of art and culture has been filled with magnificent pieces and spellbinding paintings, as well as the opportunity to learn about and appreciate the glorious civilizations that reached the pinnacle of trade, art, and culture. My coursework in the history of art piqued my interest in anthropology, and I was particularly fascinated by the ancient Egyptian civilization, whose artifacts, hieroglyphics, and art offered a window into its evolving languages, unique architecture, and transformative culture. Similarly, in Greek civilization, I discovered how art and politics intersected and shaped public opinion, and how philosophy and politics were intertwined.

Art is often thought of as an individual expression, but when considered as a collection, it can have a powerful impact on society. I am fascinated by the relationship between the arts and the evolution of social, political, cultural, and religious systems and constructs.

It has been difficult for me to come to terms with the fact that I have lived in two worlds that often seem incompatible. On a daily basis, I find myself immersed in a culture that imposes strict rules that limit my intellectual and expressive freedom. Whenever I had the opportunity, I immersed myself in the emotive world of curiosity, human expression, and perspective, where individuals create cultures that have outlasted even the most famous nations throughout history. Unfortunately, this parallel universe abruptly came to an end when I graduated.

Working as a professional graphic designer and photographer made it clear to me that I wanted to pursue a Master’s degree. Unfortunately, it took me over a year and a half to convince my family to allow me to do so, rather than simply getting engaged and becoming the first female in my family to pursue a graduate degree.

Attending the country’s premier National College of Arts allowed me to expand my education and skills across the fine arts. This broader exposure helped to refine my academic interests, and I was able to bring these interests together in my thesis on self-harm.

My experimental short film, “Pain of Disappointment,” and accompanying paper explored how the society cope with the expectations placed on them by their families to be successful. The film and paper highlighted the prevalence of self-harm in the society, and how it manifests itself physically, emotionally, and mentally. Through this project, I sought to educate people about self-harm and its impact on our society.

As the first woman in my family to pursue an advanced degree outside of the country, I hope to use the science of Anthropology to explore how individuals can transform negative energies into positive expressions that contribute to and benefit society. Additionally, as a woman growing up in a male-domindated society, I am interested in using Visual Anthropology to study suppressed issues and effectively inform all segments of society, including those who are illiterate, in order to empower everyone to reclaim their pride.

WANT MORE AMAZING ARTICLES ON GRAD SCHOOL PERSONAL STATEMENTS?

• 100+ Outstanding Examples of Personal Statements
• The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Winning Personal Statement
• Common Pitfalls to Avoid in Your Personal Statement
• Writing a Killer Opening Paragraph for Your Personal Statement
• Ideal Length for a Graduate School Personal Statement
• 100 Inspiring Quotes to Jumpstart Your Personal Statement

Sample Personal Statement for Masters in International Business

Sample Personal Statement for Masters in International Business My journey began amidst the kaleidoscope of Qatar's landscapes, setting the stage for a life attuned to cultural nuances. Transitioning to Riyadh in my teens, I absorbed a mosaic of traditions, sparking a...

Sample Personal Statement for Family Medicine Residency

Personal Statement Prompt: A personal letter is required. We are looking for mature, enthusiastic physicians who bring with them a broad range of life experiences, are committed to providing excellent patient care, and can embrace the depth and breadth of experiences...

[2024] 4 Law School Personal Statement Examples from Top Programs

In this article, I will discuss 4 law school personal statement samples. These statements have been written by successful applicants who gained admission to prestigious US Law schools like Yale, Harvard, and Stanford. The purpose of these examples is to demonstrate...

Sample Personal Statement Cybersecurity

In this article, I will be providing a sample grad school personal statement in the field of cybersecurity. This sample was written by an applicant who got admitted into George Mason, Northeastern and Arizona State University. This example aims to show how prospective...

100+ Grad School Personal Statement Examples

Introduction Importance of a Strong Personal Statement A personal statement is essential in the graduate school application process, as it plays a significant role in shaping the admissions committee's perception of you. In fact, a survey conducted by the Council of...

WANT AMAZING ARTICLES ON GRAD SCHOOL PERSONAL STATEMENTS?

• 100+ Personal Statement Templates

How to Write a Strong Personal Statement for Graduate School

• by Heidi Kerr and Paul David Terry
• November 10, 2020

You’ve made the exciting decision to pursue a graduate degree. Congratulations! There are a wide range of graduate programs to explore , and once you’ve selected the right program for you, it’s time to begin the graduate application process. 

The statement of purpose and personal history statement are key components of the UC Davis graduate school application . With fewer than 4,000 characters allowed for each essay, these statements can seem particularly daunting. However, each one has a specific purpose for showcasing your academic journey and creating a holistic application.

Below, we’ve analyzed the differences between the statement of purpose and personal history statement and provided tips for writing these graduate school admissions essays. 

Statement of Purpose and Personal History: What’s the Difference?

The statement of purpose shares your academic objectives with the admissions committee and explains why you want to obtain a graduate degree. The personal history statement provides background about who you are and how your experiences have shaped your interests and ability to overcome challenges. Each essay has specific goals to showcase your experience, passion and story. 

How to Write a Strong Statement of Purpose

The statement of purpose should highlight your academic preparation , motivation and interests, along with any specializations and career goals that contribute to your program of study. As you write your statement of purpose, it should encompass some of the following:

• Academic and research experiences - Include any relevant academic studies or research pursuits, internships or employment, presentations, publications, teaching, and travel or study abroad experiences that prepare you for this graduate program. Explain your motivation or passion for these experiences and how they can enrich your graduate study.
• Interests, specializations, and career goals - Highlight your research interests, disciplinary subfields, area(s) of specialization, and professional objectives.
• Fit - Explain how your preparation, experiences, and interests match the specific resources and characteristics of your graduate program at UC Davis. Identify specific faculty within your desired graduate program with whom you would like to work and how their interests match your own.

The statement of purpose should also address why you want to pursue the particular graduate degree program at the university and what your goals are in pursuing a degree. Remember, the statement of purpose should explain exactly that, your purpose for becoming a graduate student. This is the primary way it stands apart from your personal history statement. 

What to Include in Your Personal History Statement

The personal history statement helps the reader learn more about you as an individual and potential graduate student. Use this opportunity to describe how your personal background informs your decision to pursue a graduate degree. Tell a story that  includes any experiences, challenges or opportunities relevant to your academic journey. Consider how your life experiences contribute to the social, intellectual, or cultural diversity within a campus community and your chosen field.

A strong personal history statement begins with an authentic voice and personal narrative. This can reflect your journey to graduate school, any obstacles you’ve encountered, and how you've overcome challenges. Talk about your personal goals and dreams. Explain what motivates and drives you toward this degree. The more your personal statement tells your school about you as an individual, the more it will stand out. Don't write something to impress someone else. This includes language, style and tone. Authenticity is important and resonates well. Tell the truth, in your voice, from your perspective. Use your story to connect.

More Tips and Resources for Applying to Graduate School

Applying to graduate school may be daunting to some, but UC Davis has a variety of resources to help you create a strong graduate school application. Check out the Applying to Graduate School: A Guide and Handbook for ideas and worksheets on how to construct your essays. Or visit our Office of Educational Opportunity and Enrichment Services website for more graduate school prep resources. 

Paul David Terry is the assistant director of special interest and affinity networks and alumni diversity lead at the Cal Aggie Alumni Association. He oversees the UC Davis Health Improving OUTcomes blog and enjoys cycling and brewing ginger beer.

Heidi Kerr works as the content and media manager at UC Davis’ Graduate Studies. She has worked as a communications professional at multiple higher education institutions and is passionate about promoting student success.

The authors acknowledge current and former leaders from Pre-Graduate/Law Advising in Office of Educational Opportunity and Enrichment Services, especially Annalisa Teixeira, Ph.D. and Cloe Le Gall-Scoville, Ph.D., who granted us permission to reference Applying to Graduate School: A Guide and Workbook .

Subscribe to the Majors Blog

Primary Category

• PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
• EDIT Edit this Article
• EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
• Browse Articles
• Learn Something New
• Quizzes Hot
• This Or That Game New
• Train Your Brain
• Explore More
• Support wikiHow
• About wikiHow
• Log in / Sign up
• Education and Communications
• Autobiographies
• Personal Profiles

How to Write a Personal History

Last Updated: December 28, 2023 Approved

This article was co-authored by Pete Canalichio . Pete Canalichio is a Brand Strategist, Licensing Expert, and Founder of BrandAlive. With nearly 30 years of experience at companies such as Coca-Cola and Newell Brands, he specializes in helping brands find the most authentic parts of their story to build a brand strategy. Pete holds an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a BS in Physics from the United States Naval Academy. In 2006, he won an MVP Award from Newell Brands for his contributions to their Global Licensing department. He’s also penned the award-winning book, Expand, Grow, Thrive. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 90% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 176,841 times.

Writing your personal history is something that you may do either as part of an application or as a literary endeavor. In a personal statement for an application, you will need to provide information about history that proves you have the knowledge and experience necessary to perform certain tasks. A personal history, written for your own enjoyment or for publication, will relate your life’s story, requiring some research and a much larger time commitment. With some preparation and a little time management, you will be able to write a strong personal history that will impress an application committee or entertain readers.

Writing a Personal Statement for an Application

• For example, if you are applying to get into medical school and a graduate program in English somewhere else, you will want to avoid spending a lot of time highlighting your extensive medical knowledge in the English application or your remarkable writing skills in the medical school application. Although a review committee might be impressed that you have such diverse interests, they also want to make sure that you have the requisite knowledge to be in the program.

• However, this does not mean that your statement should be formulaic or bland. Follow the guidelines, but give your readers something exciting or memorable to take away from your letter.
• In general medical and law schools ask for a more open-ended personal statement. One the other hand, business and graduate schools tend to ask specific questions. However, each application is different and has it owns guidelines, so be sure to follow those.

• Avoid going off on tangents. Consider whether or not a certain topic fits in your overall theme. If it does not, do not include it.

• Briefly introduce yourself and then provide the framework that the rest of the essay will follow. Allude to things you will discuss later, but do not give it all away.
• Avoid clichés like “my names is Steve and I’m applying to join your program” or “Allow me to introduce myself…”

• For example, if you are applying for medical school, list any experience you have volunteering in a clinic or specific pre-med courses that you found particularly interesting.
• If you are applying for graduate school, be sure to discuss any relevant scholars you like or books you find particularly interesting.

• Avoid clichés like “thank you for taking the time to consider my application” or “It is my sincere hope that you will grant me the opportunity to attend your school.”

• You can also ask someone else to proofread your essay for you. It is often hard for most people to adequately proofread their own writing, so finding someone to read your statement will likely make it better.

Creating Your Own Personal History

• Some examples of important documents might be your birth certificate, photographs or videos of you, correspondence (letters and emails) with other people, and old social media posts.

• Many cellphones have a recording function that will help you save your interviews.

• Try creating a spreadsheet that lists all of the sources that you would like to use. This will help you find them quickly and not lose them.

• You can organize your story thematically to emphasize important interests or life lessons. For example, if you want to highlight your skills as an athlete, you may only mention the life events that are relevant to that subject.
• You can also chronologically format your history to tell a sequential story. Start with the earliest relevant event and move forward in time from there.
• Ultimately, it is up to you how you organize your story, find a style that makes sense and tells your history.

• Try setting a timer for 45 minutes and write until it goes off. Then, take a 15 minute break and start writing again once those 15 minutes are up. Repeat this process as long as you feel fresh and engaged in your writing.
• Find a writing schedule that works best for you.

• If you are publishing your personal history, you will have to work with an editor to get your manuscript ready for publishing. In this circumstance, the editor’s comments often need to be addressed in the manuscript.

Developing Good Writing Habits

• A journal might be useful for freewriting. It will allow you to jot ideas down if you are on the go.

• Keep your documents in a digital spreadsheet for quick reference. You could also organize them in folders if that is more convenient.

• Consider sharing your outline or timeline with someone who you believe will give you good feedback.

• Avoid loud and busy spaces. These can be audibly and visibly distracting. Although it might be cool to work in a coffee shop, it is not an ideal place to write.

Community Q&A

You Might Also Like

Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you'd like to learn more about writing a personal history, check out our in-depth interview with Pete Canalichio .

• ↑ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/owlprint/642/
• ↑ http://www.williamcronon.net/researching/documents.htm
• ↑ https://terpconnect.umd.edu/~jklumpp/comm712/narrative.html
• ↑ https://www.inc.com/glenn-leibowitz/8-simple-writing-strategies-that-helped-stephen-king-sell-350-million-books.html
• ↑ http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/pw-select/article/59767-why-all-self-publishers-need-a-good-editor.html
• ↑ https://www.grinnell.edu/sites/default/files/documents/Writing-Personal-Statements-for-Scholarship-Applications.pdf
• ↑ http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/outline.html
• ↑ https://lifehacker.com/how-to-stick-to-a-writing-schedule-1653234644

About This Article

• Send fan mail to authors

Reader Success Stories

Apr 5, 2016

Is this article up to date?

Nov 25, 2017

Mar 11, 2017

Joniecia Carter

Jun 6, 2016

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Watch Articles

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

wikiHow Tech Help Pro:

Level up your tech skills and stay ahead of the curve

How to Write a Personal Life History Essay

Christopher cascio, 26 sep 2017.

To write a personal history essay is to write a personal narrative, and to make your essay engaging and effective you'll need to treat it as more of a story than an academic paper. You still need to plan your thesis -- or theme -- and brainstorm ideas, and you'll need to revise and edit this essay just like any other. However, you will use narrative examples to communicate every one of your ideas.

Explore this article

• Start with Significance
• Let Scenes Do the Work
• Engage the Senses
• Conclude the Same Way You Open

1 Start with Significance

You need to grab the readers with your opening, and at the same time introduce them to the theme of your story. Instead of opening with information about when and where you were born, or telling readers about the general nature of your childhood, open with a scene that shows it. For example, if your theme is that your life has always been rough, you could open with the scene of how your mother couldn't even get to the hospital to give birth to you, that she had you right there on the bathroom floor. Furthermore, opening with a scene immerses readers in the world of your story, as opposed to just reading information.

2 Let Scenes Do the Work

Just like with your opening, you want to write scenes whenever possible throughout the essay. You can introduce topics as a way to transition from idea to idea, but scenes keep readers engaged with the story and help them forget that they're reading an essay. Furthermore, scenes allow your readers to witness the events of your life, and thereby make judgments about what they read, as opposed to you telling them how they're supposed to feel. This technique is called showing instead of telling, and is a crucial technique for effective storytelling. This is your life story; be a storyteller.

3 Engage the Senses

You need to provide details when writing scenes -- or writing any type of narrative example -- and details that appeal to the senses are always effective. Provide descriptions of how characters and objects look and smell. Describe the textures of surfaces and the sounds they make when things scrape across them. Essential details, those that express the nature of something, are details you should show instead. For example, if you want readers to understand that your brother is a thief, don't just state it; show him stealing something and describe the act with vivid, sensory details.

4 Conclude the Same Way You Open

You opened with a scene that was relevant to your theme, and you should close the essay in the same way. Using a scene to communicate your theme in this way relieves you of the burden of having to restate your thesis, which will draw your readers out of the story and into the mindset that they're being told how they should feel after reading your essay. Trust the scene to do the work once again, but you also have another job to accomplish with your closing: you need to show that you've changed, that you learned something significant and can apply that knowledge looking forward. So, if your theme has been that your life has been rough, your final scene could show how you now understand that a rough life was necessary for you to grow and become who you are, and who you will become.

• 1 Writing-World: Components of a Good Opening Scene; Joseph Bates
• 2 Wright State University: Creative Writing 101: Show vs. Tell; R. Michael Burns
• 3 Writer's Digest: Create Powerful Imagery In Your Writing

About the Author

Christopher Cascio is a memoirist and holds a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing and literature from Southampton Arts at Stony Brook Southampton, and a Bachelor of Arts in English with an emphasis in the rhetoric of fiction from Pennsylvania State University. His literary work has appeared in "The Southampton Review," "Feathertale," "Kalliope" and "The Rose and Thorn Journal."

Related Articles

How to Write an Introductory Paragraph for a Narrative

How to Enhance a Narrative Essay

Types of Introductions in Essays

Step-by-Step on How to Summarize a Narrative Essay

Concluding a Narrative Essay

How to Write Personal Narratives

Purpose of Writing an Essay

How to Write a Journalistic Essay

How to Write an Evaluation Essay on TV Shows

What Should the Conclusion Do in a Reflective Essay?

How to Write an Essay Synopsis

What Is the Goal of Writing a First-Person Essay?

How to Write a Biography Analysis

How to Write a College Narrative Essay

How to Write the Opening Paragraph of a Research Paper...

Narrative Essay Requirements

How Do I Structure a Reflective Essay?

How to Write an Autobiographical Synopsis

How to Make a Personal Narrative Introduction

How to Write the Intro Paragraph of a Literary Elements...

Regardless of how old we are, we never stop learning. Classroom is the educational resource for people of all ages. Whether you’re studying times tables or applying to college, Classroom has the answers.

• Accessibility
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Copyright Policy
• Manage Preferences

© 2020 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Based on the Word Net lexical database for the English Language. See disclaimer .

How to Write a Personal History

Have you been thinking about writing down your life story? In this post, learn about different styles, what to consider, and how to write your personal history.

A few years ago, I started a local writer’s group with a friend. During our first meeting, we took turns introducing ourselves and told the group the type of writing that we were currently working on and what we hoped to eventually write.

Overwhelmingly, our writer’s group was full of aspiring personal-history writers. It is a very popular idea, yet many people get stuck before they even write their first sentence.

My goal with this article to help you think about why it is important to you to document your personal history and inspire you to finally get started. Your story is important, and it needs to be told to the world.

Why is a Personal History Important

It is important for individual members of our civilization to write their own personal history in order to add their voice to the historical record of our time. On an individual level, writing one’s life story can be a fulfilling activity, providing an opportunity to see how we were able to overcome the obstacles and challenges that we faced.

The finished product, which is the document that we create through the process of writing our personal history, can be useful in the future for genealogy, treasured by our family members and friends, and used by historians decades or centuries from now to understand more about what life was like during our time.

What is most important to understand about the importance of documenting our own story is that when we write our own story, we get to control the narrative. We decide what is important to include and which details to leave out.

Most of us will not have stories written about us after we are gone. Even those individuals who have been notable in this life to a point to inspire someone to write a story about them will almost certainly take issue with the way that their life story is told.

So, why not write our own life story to leave for the future? There is no one more capable of telling your story than you .

Different types and styles of personal histories

There are different types of personal histories that anyone can create. They range from a handwritten document in the style of a journal to a complete autobiography or memoir bound and published in hardcover.

A simple life story can be written in Microsoft Word on a laptop and it can be as short as a few pages. Those who are feeling more inspired can write a lengthy memoir, which is more similar to a novel, or even a detailed autobiography that is hundreds of pages long.

What you decide to create is up to you. You are the author of your life and the story that you will write.

How to Write a Personal History About Yourself

There is no correct way to write your own personal history about yourself, but there are some important aspects to consider before you get started.

Decide your goals

One of the first things that you should think about before you decide which type of family history you will write is why you want to write your story. There are many reasons that people want to write their personal history:

• To write and sell a book
• To help others
• To explain their story to their immediate family members
• To document their story for future descendants, historians, and genealogists
• As a creative or cathartic release
• To build a writing career
• To leave as a gift for your family

As you know from the previous section, there is a wide variety of types of personal histories. The list of reasons that people want to write their story is even longer.

Before you get started, spend a bit of time thinking about why you want to write your history and what you hope will happen to it. Will it be published in a book or on a website somewhere, or will it sit in a manila envelope in your file cabinet?

The answer to this question will help you choose your style and method, as well as help you decide exactly how to tell your story.

Some people wonder when they should write their life story. Is it okay to write a story about your life when you are young, or should you wait until you are older and can tell a more complete story?

The answer to this question is in your goals for writing your story. If you are young and feel like you can tell a story today that can motivate, inspire, encourage, or heal, then you should write your story today.

Another great reason to start writing today, no matter your age, is that you will be able to document your life so far and add to it later.

Consider your family history

Many people don’t realize that their family history has influenced their personal journey. However, if you take the time to think about it, you will probably notice how your ancestors’ decisions affected your life even generations into the future.

Depending on the reasons that you are writing your personal history, you might want to include stories or details explaining how you came to live where you do, and how the people in your family tree helped shape the life that you have lived.

Think about who has been influential in your life

Almost everyone has a few people who were major influences, both positive and negative, in their life. When planning how you will write your story, you can think about who these people were in your own life and how you might illustrate their influence for your readers.

For many of us, an influential person might be a parent, grandparent, or other close relative. Other people may have had a very close relationship with a professional or academic mentor who helped guide them to their future goals.

Including details about how these influential people affected the decisions we made in our lives will help bring a greater understanding to future generations who might otherwise be left wondering. It is also a great way to pay tribute to those people who helped guide us in positive ways.

Choose which major life events or stories you would like to highlight

My great-grandfather wrote a lovely life history that began with his childhood and ended with details about the great-grandchildren that were born at the time of the writing of his history. Of course, this means that he did not go into very much detail about most events in his life.

I have found his story, and those written by other ancestors and relatives, to be very helpful in genealogy research . I’m grateful for their efforts, regardless of what they decided to include.

When considering your life story, decide whether you would like your history to be an overview of your entire life as you view it, or whether you would like to focus on some of the experiences that you have had that you feel are most important to document.

Naturally, with either of these options, you could always include a little bit of the other. For example, a “life overview” could include a bit of detail on a few events and a story about your important events could include an introduction or interspersed chapters with background details.

Begin your history with an exciting story

No matter who we anticipate our future readers might be (our children or grandchildren, or strangers), we want them to read our story from start to finish. Otherwise, why would we bother writing it?

This means that we must start our story in a way that catches our reader’s attention and keeps them interested in what we have to say. If we do a good job with this, we are likely to hold their attention throughout the entirety of our personal history.

The best way to start a story is by beginning with an exciting event that the reader will be sure to want to hear about. Sometimes, a great personal history begins with the start of an exciting story and tells bits and pieces of that story throughout, holding the reader’s attention until the very end.

One of the best personal histories that I have read in the past few years was written by a member of an R&B band that was famous during the 1970s – they even performed on Soul Train! He began his story with the description of an event that left the reader needing to learn more about.

The chapters of his book included background events and details of his life. Occasionally, there were important events that moved the first story forward.

The final chapter of his personal story was a “resolution” of that first story that he told to open the book. My friend’s particular story was sad, so I was not left feeling that there was a happy ending, but I was very impressed with how he was able to keep the reader’s attention throughout the entire book by holding back the resolution to that first story.

Don’t worry about telling stories in order

When we are writing our personal history, we can write it in any order that we want. This means that we can start with the present and discuss how events from the past are important today.

Or, we can mix-match stories from the past and present in any order that we want. It is our story, after all.

The only thing that we should take into consideration is that we want to tell the story in a way that is interesting to the reader and does not confuse them. If we do jump around, we should make sure that we include enough details and explanation to help our reader follow the story.

Leave anything out of the story that you want to

Our life story belongs to us and no one else, and it is not a confessional. We do not need to include details or stories that are embarrassing or uncomfortable to talk about, unless we specifically want to include those things.

In addition, it is important to note that we should not include these types of details about other people – especially living people – if we believe that we could cause harm or embarrassment to them. Our life story is about us, and not necessarily about anyone else.

Use descriptive words and details about places and events

During your writing, there is a good chance that you will be detailing people, places, and events that no one else will write about – ever. Your personal history is great opportunity to write describe your story in a visual way in order to provide the only documentation that will exist for the stories that you will tell.

You have the freedom and liberty of artistic expression to write your story in a way that will help your reader see and experience your story just as you remember it.

I truly hope that this post has helped you understand what you should take into account when considering how to write your persona history. In addition, I hope you are inspired to get started writing!

There is no better person to write your history than you, and so if this is something that you have been thinking about doing for a while, there is no better time to start than now.

If you have any questions about something that you have read in this post, or if you would like to include some of your own ideas and suggestions for writing your personal history, I would love for you to include them in the discussion below.

Thanks for reading today!

Share the knowledge!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Monday 2nd of May 2022

I have written my personal history and had it bound into a book for my family members. I was told I had cancer and had, at best, 3 to 5 years left to live. That was the motivation I needed to get busy writing my story, not for my sake, but for my children and grand children. I must say that it was the best theraputic activity I could have undertaken! I told my story in chronological order; breaking my timeline into sections according to major events in my life. I followed each section with stories of events which I wanted to pass on. A suggestion I received from someone else was to include a 'lesson learned' after each story. Every event should teach us something about ourselves or about life. I felt that suggestion was a valuable addition to my story and I want to pass that on. The second bit of advice I received, which has proven valuable to me, is to edit, edit, edit! I rushed my document a little too much because of a feared deadline: The printed result has numerous errors which I have since corrected. May of those mistakes were simple grammatical errors; others were detail changes. In addition to my story, I included a paper-trail of my life which included such things as awards received, school transcripts, diplomas, marriage certificate, baptism certificate and so on. I have written poetry for nearly 50 years and included a collection of my poems as an appendix. Writing a personal history has now become a 'soapbox' for me and I love trying to inspire others to consider doing the same. I appreciate your post and the effort you are making to inspire others as well. Keep up the good work! By the way, my cancer ordeal was in 2015 and I'm still going strong and still trying to get others to consider writing their stories.

Find Info For

• Current Students
• Prospective Students
• Alumni and Friends
• Engage with Purdue
• Research and Innovation

Quick Links

• Report a Concern
• Calendar of Events, Dates, and Deadlines
• Current Graduate Students
• Alumni and Giving
• Rankings and Recognition
• Information Management and Analysis
• Data Requests
• All Graduate Programs at Four Campuses
• Graduate Degree Programs
• Certificate Programs
• Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs (OIGP)
• University Academic Catalog
• Course Information
• Publications
• Graduate Programs Office
• Office of Graduate Assistance (OGA)
• Guidelines for Graduate Student Mentoring and Advising
• Preparing for Graduate School
• Graduate Program Requirements
• Why Choose Purdue?
• Tuition & Fees
• How to Apply
• Check Application Status
• Transcript Upload Tips
• Admitted Students
• Visit Campus
• Global Ambassadors
• Purdue Graduate Student Center
• International Students
• Request Information
• Fellowship Office
• Professional Development
• Thesis Office

• Personal History Statement

The Personal History Statement helps reviewers learn more about you as a whole person and as a potential graduate student. This may include relevant details on community service, leadership roles, participation in diverse teams, and significant barriers that you overcame to attend graduate school.

The Purdue University Graduate School application allows applicants to select up to three graduate campuses and/or majors per application.  If you are applying to a 2nd or 3rd choice program, you are only required to submit one personal history statement with your application. Be sure your personal history statement is is all-inclusive, and supports your suitability for your enrollment in all the graduate programs listed on your application. 

Required of all applicants:

• Describe how your background and life experiences contribute to your ability to be both persistent and resourceful in graduate school.
• Describe how your life experiences have prepared you to contribute to an academic community where scholars with diverse research interests, abilities, backgrounds, and experiences are supported, respected, and valued.
• Please address concerns that you may have that your academic record does not reflect your true capabilities and discuss mitigating factors that have affected your academic record. Reviewers will be interested in understanding your accomplishments relative to your opportunities.

The Academic Statement of Purpose and the Personal History Statement are two of the most important documents in your graduate school application. The documents should be concise, clear, and free of spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. You should have others review your document for content, organization, and to ensure that there are no errors. Information in the Personal History Statement should complement but not duplicate information in the Academic Statement of Purpose.

• Application Deadlines
• Application Fee
• Application Fee - Foreign Currency
• Documents Required by Country
• English Proficiency Requirements
• GRE Requirements
• Recommendation Letters
• Academic Statement of Purpose
• Submitting Transcripts
• Technical Help Questions
• Testing Information
• Third Choice Programs

Communication

• OneCampus Portal
• Brightspace
• BoilerConnect
• Faculty and Staff
• Human Resources
• Colleges and Schools
• Find Workshops
• Funding Support
• Purdue Graduate Student Government
• Graduate School Directory
• Graduate School Toolkit
• Catalogs, Manuals, Policies

Ernest C. Young Hall, Room 170 | 155  S. Grant Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2114 | 765-494-2600

If you have trouble accessing this page because of a disability, please contact The Purdue University Graduate School .

• UC Berkeley
• Sign Up to Volunteer
• I School Slack
• Alumni News
• Alumni Events
• Alumni Accounts
• Career Support
• Academic Mission
• Diversity & Inclusion Resources
• DEIBJ Leadership
• Featured Faculty
• Featured Alumni
• Work at the I School
• Subscribe to Email Announcements
• Logos & Style Guide
• Directions & Parking

The School of Information is UC Berkeley’s newest professional school. Located in the center of campus, the I School is a graduate research and education community committed to expanding access to information and to improving its usability, reliability, and credibility while preserving security and privacy.

• Career Outcomes
• Degree Requirements
• Paths Through the MIMS Degree
• Final Project
• Funding Your Education
• Admissions Events
• Request Information
• Capstone Project
• Jack Larson Data for Good Fellowship
• Tuition & Fees
• Women in MIDS
• MIDS Curriculum News
• MICS Student News
• Dissertations
• Applied Data Science Certificate
• ICTD Certificate
• Citizen Clinic

The School of Information offers four degrees:

The Master of Information Management and Systems (MIMS) program educates information professionals to provide leadership for an information-driven world.

The Master of Information and Data Science (MIDS) is an online degree preparing data science professionals to solve real-world problems. The 5th Year MIDS program is a streamlined path to a MIDS degree for Cal undergraduates.

The Master of Information and Cybersecurity (MICS) is an online degree preparing cybersecurity leaders for complex cybersecurity challenges.

Our Ph.D. in Information Science is a research program for next-generation scholars of the information age.

• Spring 2024 Course Schedule
• Summer 2024 Course Schedule

The School of Information's courses bridge the disciplines of information and computer science, design, social sciences, management, law, and policy. We welcome interest in our graduate-level Information classes from current UC Berkeley graduate and undergraduate students and community members.  More information about signing up for classes.

• Ladder & Adjunct Faculty
• MIMS Students
• MIDS Students
• 5th Year MIDS Students
• MICS Students
• Ph.D. Students

• Publications
• Centers & Labs
• Computer-mediated Communication
• Data Science
• Entrepreneurship
• Human-computer Interaction (HCI)
• Information Economics
• Information Organization
• Information Policy
• Information Retrieval & Search
• Information Visualization
• Social & Cultural Studies
• Technology for Developing Regions
• User Experience Research

Research by faculty members and doctoral students keeps the I School on the vanguard of contemporary information needs and solutions.

The I School is also home to several active centers and labs, including the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity (CLTC) , the Center for Technology, Society & Policy , and the BioSENSE Lab .

• Why Hire I School?
• Request a Resume Book
• Leadership Development Program
• Mailing List
• For Nonprofit and Government Employers
• Jobscan & Applicant Tracking Systems
• Resume & LinkedIn Review
• Resume Book

I School graduate students and alumni have expertise in data science, user experience design & research, product management, engineering, information policy, cybersecurity, and more — learn more about hiring I School students and alumni .

• Press Coverage
• I School Voices

The Goldman School of Public Policy, the CITRIS Policy Lab, and the School of Information hosted the inaugural UC...

Dr. Diag Davenport has been appointed as an assistant professor at UC Berkeley as part of a joint search in...

At the Women in Data Science conference held at UC Berkeley this past week, four educators affiliated with the...

At the UC Berkeley School of Information, two educators have taken the initiative to begin incorporating data...

• Distinguished Lecture Series
• I School Lectures
• Information Access Seminars
• CLTC Events
• Women in MIDS Events

MIMS Admissions: Essays

Crafting your essays can be challenging: What should I include? How do I craft a response that accurately describes me? How do I demonstrate that MIMS is the right program for me? If any of these questions make you nervous, don’t fear! The good news is that writing your essays is completely within your control. Regardless of your GPA, work experience, or what your recommenders say — your essays are a blank slate. This is your chance to add another dimension to your application and spark the admission committee’s interest. Who are you as an individual? What are you most passionate about? What will you bring to our community? How do your goals connect with the MIMS program and the I School?

Statement of Purpose

The Statement of Purpose is your opportunity to convince us that you belong uniquely in MIMS. This statement should focus on your preparation, experience, career goals, and reasons for choosing MIMS. The most successful statements convey strong motivation, competence, and potential as a graduate student.

Be specific. Make it clear, with examples, that you understand MIMS and that you are certain MIMS is the right program for you. Clearly define your goals and convey how MIMS will help you achieve them.

Your statement should be clear and concise. We recommend you aim for 1–2 pages with well-selected words rather than a longer essay with less clarity and poor organization.

Once you have a draft, ask for feedback from someone who knows you well.

Need more guidance? Check out Graduate Division’s Guide to Writing the Statement of Purpose , Preparing Your Application for Graduate School , and Getting into Graduate School recordings .

Personal History Essay

The Personal History Statement is a chance for you to connect with us on a more personal level. Although the content of this essay is a bit more open ended, we encourage you to address one or several of the prompts below:

• How you have overcome barriers to access higher education
• How you have come to understand the barriers faced by others
• Your academic service to advance equitable access to high education for women, racial minorities, and individuals from other groups that have been historically underrepresented in higher education
• Your research focusing on underserved populations or related issues of inequality
• Your leadership among such groups

The Personal History Essay is your opportunity to share any experiences that show your promise, initiative, and ability to persevere despite obstacles. It should complement, not duplicate, the content in your Statement of Purpose.

If there is something important that happened to you that affected your grades, such as poverty, illness, or excessive work, state it. Write it affirmatively, demonstrating your perseverance and determination.

If the creative juices just aren’t flowing, there’s no reason to waste your time running in place. Instead, use this time to start working on other parts of your application. Or, step away completely and take a breather.

Need more guidance? Check out the Graduate Division’s Guide to Writing the Personal Statement , Preparing Your Application for Graduate School , and Getting into Graduate School recordings .

Short Answer Essay

The Short Answer Essay is a short response to this question:

What is the most interesting information problem you have ever solved? Explain why it was interesting and how you solved it.

The most successful essays clearly illustrate candidates’ quantitative aptitude, problem solving abilities, and written communication skills.

Reflect on your professional and/or academic experiences to identify one specific, impactful example that showcases your analytical skills.

As you guessed from the essay name, this response is meant to be short! Limit your response to 300 words or less.

• Getting Started
• Letters of Recommendation
• Academic History
• Test Scores
• Programming Proficiency
• Application Fee Waivers
• 5th Year MIDS Program
• MIDS Program
• MICS Program
• Ph.D. Program
• Graduate Certificates

Last updated:

• Application

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Writing the Personal Statement

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

This handout provides information about writing personal statements for academic and other positions.

The personal statement, your opportunity to sell yourself in the application process, generally falls into one of two categories:

1. The general, comprehensive personal statement:

This allows you maximum freedom in terms of what you write and is the type of statement often prepared for standard medical or law school application forms.

2. The response to very specific questions:

Often, business and graduate school applications ask specific questions, and your statement should respond specifically to the question being asked. Some business school applications favor multiple essays, typically asking for responses to three or more questions.

Questions to ask yourself before you write:

• What's special, unique, distinctive, and/or impressive about you or your life story?
• What details of your life (personal or family problems, history, people or events that have shaped you or influenced your goals) might help the committee better understand you or help set you apart from other applicants?
• When did you become interested in this field and what have you learned about it (and about yourself) that has further stimulated your interest and reinforced your conviction that you are well suited to this field? What insights have you gained?
• How have you learned about this field—through classes, readings, seminars, work or other experiences, or conversations with people already in the field?
• If you have worked a lot during your college years, what have you learned (leadership or managerial skills, for example), and how has that work contributed to your growth?
• What are your career goals?
• Are there any gaps or discrepancies in your academic record that you should explain (great grades but mediocre LSAT or GRE scores, for example, or a distinct upward pattern to your GPA if it was only average in the beginning)?
• Have you had to overcome any unusual obstacles or hardships (for example, economic, familial, or physical) in your life?
• What personal characteristics (for example, integrity, compassion, and/or persistence) do you possess that would improve your prospects for success in the field or profession? Is there a way to demonstrate or document that you have these characteristics?
• What skills (for example, leadership, communicative, analytical) do you possess?
• Why might you be a stronger candidate for graduate school—and more successful and effective in the profession or field than other applicants?
• What are the most compelling reasons you can give for the admissions committee to be interested in you?

General advice

Answer the questions that are asked

• If you are applying to several schools, you may find questions in each application that are somewhat similar.
• Don't be tempted to use the same statement for all applications. It is important to answer each question being asked, and if slightly different answers are needed, you should write separate statements. In every case, be sure your answer fits the question being asked.

Tell a story

• Think in terms of showing or demonstrating through concrete experience. One of the worst things you can do is to bore the admissions committee. If your statement is fresh, lively, and different, you'll be putting yourself ahead of the pack. If you distinguish yourself through your story, you will make yourself memorable.

Be specific

• Don't, for example, state that you would make an excellent doctor unless you can back it up with specific reasons. Your desire to become a lawyer, engineer, or whatever should be logical, the result of specific experience that is described in your statement. Your application should emerge as the logical conclusion to your story.

Find an angle

• If you're like most people, your life story lacks drama, so figuring out a way to make it interesting becomes the big challenge. Finding an angle or a "hook" is vital.

Concentrate on your opening paragraph

• The lead or opening paragraph is generally the most important. It is here that you grab the reader's attention or lose it. This paragraph becomes the framework for the rest of the statement.

Tell what you know

• The middle section of your essay might detail your interest and experience in your particular field, as well as some of your knowledge of the field. Too many people graduate with little or no knowledge of the nuts and bolts of the profession or field they hope to enter. Be as specific as you can in relating what you know about the field and use the language professionals use in conveying this information. Refer to experiences (work, research, etc.), classes, conversations with people in the field, books you've read, seminars you've attended, or any other source of specific information about the career you want and why you're suited to it. Since you will have to select what you include in your statement, the choices you make are often an indication of your judgment.

Don't include some subjects

• There are certain things best left out of personal statements. For example, references to experiences or accomplishments in high school or earlier are generally not a good idea. Don't mention potentially controversial subjects (for example, controversial religious or political issues).

Do some research, if needed

• If a school wants to know why you're applying to it rather than another school, do some research to find out what sets your choice apart from other universities or programs. If the school setting would provide an important geographical or cultural change for you, this might be a factor to mention.

Write well and correctly

• Be meticulous. Type and proofread your essay very carefully. Many admissions officers say that good written skills and command of correct use of language are important to them as they read these statements. Express yourself clearly and concisely. Adhere to stated word limits.

Avoid clichés

• A medical school applicant who writes that he is good at science and wants to help other people is not exactly expressing an original thought. Stay away from often-repeated or tired statements.

For more information on writing a personal statement, see the personal statement vidcast .

How to write an introduction for a history essay

Every essay needs to begin with an introductory paragraph. It needs to be the first paragraph the marker reads.

While your introduction paragraph might be the first of the paragraphs you write, this is not the only way to do it.

You can choose to write your introduction after you have written the rest of your essay.

This way, you will know what you have argued, and this might make writing the introduction easier.

Either approach is fine. If you do write your introduction first, ensure that you go back and refine it once you have completed your essay. 

What is an ‘introduction paragraph’?

An introductory paragraph is a single paragraph at the start of your essay that prepares your reader for the argument you are going to make in your body paragraphs .

It should provide all of the necessary historical information about your topic and clearly state your argument so that by the end of the paragraph, the marker knows how you are going to structure the rest of your essay.

In general, you should never use quotes from sources in your introduction.

Introduction paragraph structure

While your introduction paragraph does not have to be as long as your body paragraphs , it does have a specific purpose, which you must fulfil.

A well-written introduction paragraph has the following four-part structure (summarised by the acronym BHES).

B – Background sentences

H – Hypothesis

E – Elaboration sentences

S - Signpost sentence

Each of these elements are explained in further detail, with examples, below:

1. Background sentences

The first two or three sentences of your introduction should provide a general introduction to the historical topic which your essay is about. This is done so that when you state your hypothesis , your reader understands the specific point you are arguing about.

Background sentences explain the important historical period, dates, people, places, events and concepts that will be mentioned later in your essay. This information should be drawn from your background research . 

Example background sentences:

Middle Ages (Year 8 Level)

Castles were an important component of Medieval Britain from the time of the Norman conquest in 1066 until they were phased out in the 15 th and 16 th centuries. Initially introduced as wooden motte and bailey structures on geographical strongpoints, they were rapidly replaced by stone fortresses which incorporated sophisticated defensive designs to improve the defenders’ chances of surviving prolonged sieges.

WWI (Year 9 Level)

The First World War began in 1914 following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The subsequent declarations of war from most of Europe drew other countries into the conflict, including Australia. The Australian Imperial Force joined the war as part of Britain’s armed forces and were dispatched to locations in the Middle East and Western Europe.

Civil Rights (Year 10 Level)

The 1967 Referendum sought to amend the Australian Constitution in order to change the legal standing of the indigenous people in Australia. The fact that 90% of Australians voted in favour of the proposed amendments has been attributed to a series of significant events and people who were dedicated to the referendum’s success.

Ancient Rome (Year 11/12 Level)  

In the late second century BC, the Roman novus homo Gaius Marius became one of the most influential men in the Roman Republic. Marius gained this authority through his victory in the Jugurthine War, with his defeat of Jugurtha in 106 BC, and his triumph over the invading Germanic tribes in 101 BC, when he crushed the Teutones at the Battle of Aquae Sextiae (102 BC) and the Cimbri at the Battle of Vercellae (101 BC). Marius also gained great fame through his election to the consulship seven times.

2. Hypothesis

Once you have provided historical context for your essay in your background sentences, you need to state your hypothesis .

A hypothesis is a single sentence that clearly states the argument that your essay will be proving in your body paragraphs .

A good hypothesis contains both the argument and the reasons in support of your argument. 

Example hypotheses:

Medieval castles were designed with features that nullified the superior numbers of besieging armies but were ultimately made obsolete by the development of gunpowder artillery.

Australian soldiers’ opinion of the First World War changed from naïve enthusiasm to pessimistic realism as a result of the harsh realities of modern industrial warfare.

The success of the 1967 Referendum was a direct result of the efforts of First Nations leaders such as Charles Perkins, Faith Bandler and the Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders.

Gaius Marius was the most one of the most significant personalities in the 1 st century BC due to his effect on the political, military and social structures of the Roman state.

3. Elaboration sentences

Once you have stated your argument in your hypothesis , you need to provide particular information about how you’re going to prove your argument.

Your elaboration sentences should be one or two sentences that provide specific details about how you’re going to cover the argument in your three body paragraphs.

You might also briefly summarise two or three of your main points.

Finally, explain any important key words, phrases or concepts that you’ve used in your hypothesis, you’ll need to do this in your elaboration sentences.

Example elaboration sentences:

By the height of the Middle Ages, feudal lords were investing significant sums of money by incorporating concentric walls and guard towers to maximise their defensive potential. These developments were so successful that many medieval armies avoided sieges in the late period.

Following Britain's official declaration of war on Germany, young Australian men voluntarily enlisted into the army, which was further encouraged by government propaganda about the moral justifications for the conflict. However, following the initial engagements on the Gallipoli peninsula, enthusiasm declined.

The political activity of key indigenous figures and the formation of activism organisations focused on indigenous resulted in a wider spread of messages to the general Australian public. The generation of powerful images and speeches has been frequently cited by modern historians as crucial to the referendum results.

While Marius is best known for his military reforms, it is the subsequent impacts of this reform on the way other Romans approached the attainment of magistracies and how public expectations of military leaders changed that had the longest impacts on the late republican period.

4. Signpost sentence

The final sentence of your introduction should prepare the reader for the topic of your first body paragraph. The main purpose of this sentence is to provide cohesion between your introductory paragraph and you first body paragraph .

Therefore, a signpost sentence indicates where you will begin proving the argument that you set out in your hypothesis and usually states the importance of the first point that you’re about to make. 

Example signpost sentences:

The early development of castles is best understood when examining their military purpose.

The naïve attitudes of those who volunteered in 1914 can be clearly seen in the personal letters and diaries that they themselves wrote.

The significance of these people is evident when examining the lack of political representation the indigenous people experience in the early half of the 20 th century.

The origin of Marius’ later achievements was his military reform in 107 BC, which occurred when he was first elected as consul.

Putting it all together

Once you have written all four parts of the BHES structure, you should have a completed introduction paragraph. In the examples above, we have shown each part separately. Below you will see the completed paragraphs so that you can appreciate what an introduction should look like.

Example introduction paragraphs: 

Castles were an important component of Medieval Britain from the time of the Norman conquest in 1066 until they were phased out in the 15th and 16th centuries. Initially introduced as wooden motte and bailey structures on geographical strongpoints, they were rapidly replaced by stone fortresses which incorporated sophisticated defensive designs to improve the defenders’ chances of surviving prolonged sieges. Medieval castles were designed with features that nullified the superior numbers of besieging armies, but were ultimately made obsolete by the development of gunpowder artillery. By the height of the Middle Ages, feudal lords were investing significant sums of money by incorporating concentric walls and guard towers to maximise their defensive potential. These developments were so successful that many medieval armies avoided sieges in the late period. The early development of castles is best understood when examining their military purpose.

The First World War began in 1914 following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The subsequent declarations of war from most of Europe drew other countries into the conflict, including Australia. The Australian Imperial Force joined the war as part of Britain’s armed forces and were dispatched to locations in the Middle East and Western Europe. Australian soldiers’ opinion of the First World War changed from naïve enthusiasm to pessimistic realism as a result of the harsh realities of modern industrial warfare. Following Britain's official declaration of war on Germany, young Australian men voluntarily enlisted into the army, which was further encouraged by government propaganda about the moral justifications for the conflict. However, following the initial engagements on the Gallipoli peninsula, enthusiasm declined. The naïve attitudes of those who volunteered in 1914 can be clearly seen in the personal letters and diaries that they themselves wrote.

The 1967 Referendum sought to amend the Australian Constitution in order to change the legal standing of the indigenous people in Australia. The fact that 90% of Australians voted in favour of the proposed amendments has been attributed to a series of significant events and people who were dedicated to the referendum’s success. The success of the 1967 Referendum was a direct result of the efforts of First Nations leaders such as Charles Perkins, Faith Bandler and the Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. The political activity of key indigenous figures and the formation of activism organisations focused on indigenous resulted in a wider spread of messages to the general Australian public. The generation of powerful images and speeches has been frequently cited by modern historians as crucial to the referendum results. The significance of these people is evident when examining the lack of political representation the indigenous people experience in the early half of the 20th century.

In the late second century BC, the Roman novus homo Gaius Marius became one of the most influential men in the Roman Republic. Marius gained this authority through his victory in the Jugurthine War, with his defeat of Jugurtha in 106 BC, and his triumph over the invading Germanic tribes in 101 BC, when he crushed the Teutones at the Battle of Aquae Sextiae (102 BC) and the Cimbri at the Battle of Vercellae (101 BC). Marius also gained great fame through his election to the consulship seven times. Gaius Marius was the most one of the most significant personalities in the 1st century BC due to his effect on the political, military and social structures of the Roman state. While Marius is best known for his military reforms, it is the subsequent impacts of this reform on the way other Romans approached the attainment of magistracies and how public expectations of military leaders changed that had the longest impacts on the late republican period. The origin of Marius’ later achievements was his military reform in 107 BC, which occurred when he was first elected as consul.

Additional resources

What do you need help with?

Download ready-to-use digital learning resources.

Copyright © History Skills 2014-2024.

Contact  via email

• Skip to main content
• Skip to footer

Additional menu

The Art of Applying®

MBA Admissions Consulting | MPP & MPA Admissions Consulting | Harvard Application Advice

Tips for Writing the Berkeley Goldman Personal History Statement

posted on October 6, 2016

Let’s first look at what the University of California – Berkeley, Goldman School of Public Policy’s website tells us about the Personal History Statement. This is a bit different from what other schools request.  

Personal History Statement (submitted with online application). Please describe how your personal background informs your decision to pursue a graduate degree . Please include information on how you have overcome barriers to access in higher education, evidence of how you have come to understand the barriers faced by others , evidence of your academic service to advance equitable access to higher education for women, racial minorities, and individuals from other groups that have been historically underrepresented in higher education, evidence of your research focusing on underserved populations or related issues of inequality, or evidence of your leadership among such groups. There is no page length requirement for the Personal History Statement. However, this essay is generally 1-2 pages, double-spaced. [ Source ]

Tackle the prompt:

The first part of the prompt is somewhat vague and standard, focusing on “your personal background” and how it “informs your decision to pursue a graduate degree”, so let’s first focus on the rest of the prompt. They very specifically want to hear about barriers you’ve overcome and your understanding of barriers for others. This is likely easier for some of you than others.

If your personal story includes being the first person in your family to go to college, for example, definitely go there. If you haven’t had such obvious barriers, you’ll need to think a bit harder. If you recognize yourself as coming from a high degree of privilege, especially with respect to your access to education, you’ll do better to acknowledge that and name it rather than reaching for imaginary barriers. The admissions committee will see right through that. In this case, focus on the next part of the prompt, about your understanding of barriers faced by others. If you can relate that back to a comparison of your experience, the Statement will read more personal, which is generally a good thing as this is a part of the application (along with your Policy Statement of Purpose)  where you get to establish yourself as a three-dimensional person.

Soul Search:

Before you start writing, do a bit of thinking–even soul-searching–about privilege, barriers, underrepresentation of some populations, etc. What is your personal relationship to these terms and what they represent? What have you done to work for change? The program has a clear focus, so you want to make sure you not only have the tools at the ready to write a compelling Personal History Statement, but also that you truly are a good fit, which is unlikely if you’re unable to write this Statement somewhat easily.

Essay Length: No more than 2 pages

While Goldman says there is not length requirement, since they say most are 1-2 pages, double-spaced this is an indication that they expect your Statement to be double-spaced, and you want to cut down your five-page essay to no more than three pages if 1-2 is the average. Shorter is generally better provided you’re not cutting out critical details or stories, but I’ve found most essays can be cut down by at least 20% to become stronger, more concise pieces. Remember the person reviewing your Statement reads many of these at a time, so the easier it is to skim and get the gist quickly, the more compelling your case to a tired, overworked admissions committee member.

Get an outside perspective:

As always with essays, get at least one outside, objective set of eyes on it to convey the main points they get from it and to assure you’re getting across what you intend.  The Art of Applying is glad to help with this! After content, we read for typos or grammatical errors you may have missed, since you never want an otherwise impressive essay to be tarnished by mistakes. Admissions committee members can easily interpret these mistakes as you being a sloppy candidate who doesn’t care enough to proofread. Start Early: Finally, the best advice I can give on this one is to start early. Don’t put this off until the last minute since this is one that isn’t a given for what you’ll write. Set aside time to think, to brainstorm with a friend, and leave plenty of time to review and edit. You’ve got this!

Let’s make your grad school dreams come true!

Get expert help with your application in The Art of Applying® Academy.

Reader Interactions

October 10, 2016 at 1:28 pm

l would love to study at your college please

January 9, 2017 at 3:26 pm

Hi Tawanda, The Art of Applying is not a college; it is a business that helps people apply to graduate schools. 🙂

December 5, 2016 at 8:50 pm

Thank you for the insight. Greatly appreciated.

August 27, 2017 at 8:12 am

Thank you for the advise! Although, I am not clear whether the essay HAS to be related to barriers to higher education or it can be broader. The last sentence of the prompt states the following: “…evidence of your research focusing on underserved populations or related issues of inequality, or evidence of your leadership among such groups.” Would you say that social volunteer work, unrelated to education would fit into de prompt scope? Thank you!

November 28, 2018 at 11:15 pm

Thank you, a few words more valuable than 10pages of a blog post!

October 7, 2019 at 4:13 am

Kaneisha, I would also love to study at your colege please

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me when my comment has been responded to

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Ready to take your next step?

Get admitted. Land a scholarship. Make an impact.

Learn More  --> Get Started Today

Claim your free Purpose Packet Now

We will not spam, rent, or sell your information.

Register Your Spot Now

Just enter your name & email to secure your spot.

Get Clear on your Goals Goalwork

• Full Name *
• Email Address *
• Yes, please add me to the list!
• No, I don’t want to be added to the mailing list.

ALMOST THERE! PLEASE COMPLETE THIS FORM TO GAIN INSTANT ACCESS

ENTER YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO GET STARTED

• First Name First
• Last Name Last

I consent to register for this webinar and receive information about products and services from this webinar presenter per The Art of Applying Privacy Policy.

Sample College Resume

• No, I don't want to be added to the mailing list.

Sample of an Essay Topic Inventory

• First Name *

• Meet Kaneisha
• Meet Our Team
• Testimonials
• Wall of Fame
• Client Interviews

• Corrections

Michel de Montaigne and the Art of the Personal Essay

Montaigne invented the essay genre after deciding he wanted to write a literary self-portrait of himself. This turned out to be an impossible task.

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) is one of France’s most celebrated literary giants . Born into a noble Catholic family from South West France, he spent many years sitting in Bordeaux’s parliament. But after 15 years working in the legal and political sphere, Montaigne retired to his country estate in Dordogne.

It was here, inside a small library within one of his chateau towers , that Montaigne began writing the Essays . He published the first two volumes of these essays in 1580, followed by a third in 1588. Within their pages he wrote chapters of varying lengths (sometimes only a few paragraphs, sometimes hundreds of pages long) on a wide array of topics ranging from architecture to child-rearing. His writing style was unusual in the 16th century for its complete honesty and informality.

The Essays: Michel de Montaigne’s Personal and Historical Context

Before we dive into the essays themselves, it’s helpful to understand Montaigne’s mindset when he first began writing in 1571. The nobleman had already suffered a series of personal tragedies by the time he put quill to parchment. His close friend Étienne de la Boétie passed away in 1563, followed by Montaigne’s beloved father Pierre only a few years later in 1568.

In fact, Montaigne was arguably surrounded by death throughout his life. He and his wife Françoise had several children, but only one daughter, Léonore, survived childhood. Furthermore, France was embroiled in a bloody civil war between Catholic and Protestant factions for much of the latter half of the 16th century. This violence reached the walls of Montaigne’s chateau on many occasions. Montaigne himself was twice accosted by spies and soldiers who wanted to kidnap or kill him, but in both cases he managed to talk his way out of trouble.

Get the latest articles delivered to your inbox

Please check your inbox to activate your subscription.

In this context of grief and bloody violence, Montaigne began to look inwardly to himself. After all, his external reality, which was filled with family tragedy and religious massacres, didn’t seem to be making much sense. It’s hardly surprising that in his famous preface to the Essays , the author expresses a belief that his own death will occur fairly soon. Therefore his writing will serve as a legacy, a reminder of his character and personality once he is dead.

This is where the unique nature of Montaigne’s writing comes into play.  In the Essays he wants to try and pin down his own thoughts and feelings on paper, amid the uncertainty and violence of the world around him. He accepts that there are plenty of things he knows very little about, which is why he often defers to other people by including direct quotations from ancient philosophers and historians in his writing. But what he can do is draw on his own experience, i.e. his memories, personal events etc. and combine it with the books and philosophies that have shaped him, in order to try and sketch a self-portrait of himself.

The Essays were printed and widely disseminated throughout Europe, bringing Michel de Montaigne a large degree of fame during his lifetime. He continued to write and rewrite previous editions of his work, resulting in several versions of the Essays in circulation. Eventually, after some brief periods of travel across France and Italy, ill health confined Montaigne to his chateau once again. He died of quinsy at the age of 59.

The Unique Composition of the Essays

As you may have guessed, the Essays (in French: Essais ) are an unusual collection of writing. The word ‘essay’ itself comes from the French verb ‘essayer’ i.e. ‘to attempt’. Each chapter is Montaigne’s attempt to explore a particular topic, whether it be child-rearing or suicide , by capturing the natural flow of his thoughts as they enter his mind. In a chapter on politeness, for example, he might begin by discussing a famous quote on being polite, then compare this with what various philosophers say on the matter, before finally reflecting on his own attitude towards politeness.

Despite being a member of the upper classes, Montaigne discusses historical events and philosophical questions alongside personal anecdotes and health issues (including his bowel movements and napping schedule!). Although it’s now a common literary genre, this free-flowing essay form was completely new to 16th century audiences. The Essays represented the origins of an entirely new way of writing.

What makes Michel de Montaigne’s writing even more unique was his insistence on constantly revising what he had already published. In later editions, he added hundreds of annotations (sometimes several paragraphs long) or hastily deleted sentences and quotes he no longer liked. In fact, this constant rewriting highlights just how difficult it is to paint a literary self-portrait. Our ideas and opinions on subjects are constantly changing over the course of our lifetime. The Essays are a record of how Montaigne’s own mindset evolved as he grew older, read more books and experienced even more of life.

Montaigne and the Act of (Re)writing

Indeed, the rewriting process feeds into this problem which Montaigne encounters during his writing. In a chapter entitled ‘On Repentance’, he ends up discussing how difficult he finds it to record himself through the medium of writing: “I can’t pin down my object. It is tumultuous, it flutters around” (Montaigne, 2007). Then he asserts one of his most famous dictums: “I don’t paint the being. I paint the passage” (Montaigne, 2007). Here he illustrates what he believes to be one of the key conditions of human existence: that all human beings are constantly in flux.

Michel de Montaigne can never truly give a single self-portrait of himself through his writing. Because he, like us, is constantly changing over time. His body is aging, his emotions change from day to day, his favorite authors and philosophers evolve as he reads more books. He cannot write the ‘being’ because it’s constantly in flux, so he can only record the ‘passage’ of himself as it changes from day to day, minute to minute.

The Philosophical Significance of the Essays

So if we’re constantly in flux, how can we ever do what a philosopher wants to do best and try to find truth? After all, Montaigne acknowledges that learning and attempting to find truth in the world is often portrayed as the most distinguished way to spend one’s time: “We are born to seek out truth…the world is nothing but a school of learning” (Montaigne, 2007).

Montaigne suggests that we humans possess a strong desire to fulfill our curiosity. Furthermore, when Michel de Montaigne discusses truth, he often uses verbs such as ‘to seek’ or ‘to search’ but never claims to have finally ‘found’ the truth. This suggests that he believes truth-seeking to be an open-ended journey, one which will never quite be fully realized. This is mirrored in the writing of the Essays themselves, which were edited and re-edited by their author, before subsequently spawning a long tradition of academic scholarship which still debates the meaning of Montaigne’s writing today.

In a temporal world , learning and accessing truth is challenging. Montaigne often uses the French word branle (which roughly translates as ‘inconstant movement’) to describe time. Time’s inconstancy affects us every single day. Montaigne points out that each new day brings new feelings and flights of imagination, leading us to flit between different opinions. Time’s inconstancy isn’t just reflected in the external world i.e. through the changing seasons, but it also affects the inner essence of our being. And we humans allow ourselves to drift along in this way, stating an opinion then changing it an hour later, for the entirety of our lives on earth: “It’s nothing but inconstancy” (Montaigne, 2007).

When it comes to pinning down a literary self-portrait, Montaigne struggles due to the impermanence of living in time: “If I speak of myself in different ways, it’s because I view myself differently” (Montaigne, 2007). However, his commitment to writing and rewriting his thoughts shows his determination to try and find truth in the world despite all of its uncertainty. Even though human beings exist in temporal flux, we still have a brain and rational tools which allow us to live in time. Truth-seeking means doing what Montaigne is doing with his writing: drawing on your own experience and writing down your thoughts to try and know yourself. After all, the one thing that humans can reliably claim to know about is themselves.

Michel de Montaigne’s Literary and Philosophical Legacy

The Essays are celebrated due to their inventive nature. In the end, Montaigne didn’t care that he would never be able to represent himself faithfully through writing. He accepts that this is the way of the world, and puts quill to parchment anyway. Scholar Terence Cave once described the Essays as “the richest and most productive thought-experiment ever committed to paper” (Cave, 2007). Furthermore, as stated above, the clue is in the name essay , which means ‘attempt’: as he reflects on the French civil war or the nature of custom, his thoughts shift and change. He is trying, and that’s all we can ever do.

Montaigne has also defied classification as a philosopher. Sometimes he favors Stoicism as a world view, at other times he prefers the Skeptics. And unlike many philosophers who are seeking a way to live in the world , Michel de Montaigne refuses to give a final judgment on whatever topic he is writing about. His personal anecdotes and moral reflections always lead towards open-ended conclusions. He doesn’t seek to provide his readers with absolute answers to life’s major questions. What he does do is attempt to record himself searching for those answers in vain.

Bibliography

Terence Cave, How to Read Montaigne (London: Granta, 2007)

Michel de Montaigne, Les Essais , ed. by Jean Balsamo, Michel Magnien & Catherine Magnien-Simonen (Paris: Gallimard, 2007)

10 Characteristics of Renaissance Architecture

By Rachel Ashcroft MSc Comparative Literature, PhD Renaissance Philosophy Rachel is a contributing writer and journalist with an academic background in European languages, literature and philosophy. She has an MA in French and Italian and an MSc in Comparative Literature from the University of Edinburgh. Rachel completed a PhD in Renaissance conceptions of time at Durham University. Now living back in Edinburgh, she regularly publishes articles and book reviews related to her specialty for a range of publications including The Economist.

Frequently Read Together

The Philosophy of Death: Is it Rational to Fear Death?

Classicism and The Renaissance: The Rebirth of Antiquity in Europe

Does Kantian Ethics Permit Euthanasia?

The Study Blog

Term Paper Writing Help

If you aren't sure whether you are good at expressing yourself through writing, then if you find it difficult to do so (e.g., when trying to write an english essay), we can help you overcome those obstacles by assisting you in improving your communication through writing. We help students compose essays or other types of papers for their courses. Now is the time to come visit us!

How to Overcome the Complexity of a Nursing Essay

There aren't many alternatives for professional translations. Before writing a good summary of something, you need to know your subject well enough to be able to write an accurate one. A research paper requires mastery of research language, a deep understanding of their subjects to be able to write about them clearly, and a careful consideration of possible problems before proposing solutions. Students often have trouble understanding medical terminology when they first encounter it, because they have never heard of these words before. When writing a cohesive psychology essay, students must be familiar with some psychological concepts. We have a wealth of experience under our belt, so we know where they need help. Although you may be able to find better deals elsewhere, there is no way to tell if these sites offer superior customer service and top-quality results. Read customer reviews before making any online purchases. If you don't think there's a market for them, it's perhaps best to skip them.

Professional Help from Copywriters

If you would like us to write anything from an essay in history to a term paper for you, we’d be happy to oblige. When writing something, there's a precise formula for choosing the best word. You can rest assured that you'll receive an expertly written paper from those who know exactly what they're doing. No need to write anything down today; there are no reasons why you shouldn't let others edit your document for you. Don't waste your time trying to convince them to do it for you, instead, invest it in something more productive! Order term papers online and go there! Founded in a simple belief that we are capable of delivering top-quality content to you, we offer a range of guarantees. Test it out yourself! The results must be presented after all the research has been completed.

Cheap Business Essay Writing Services

Before being accepted into our company, we underwent extensive background checks. Check their credentials to confirm that they have been writing professionally for some time. If they are members of professional associations, check, for instance.

Fun Tips to Spend Orthodox Easter Away from Home

In "Student Life"

Welcome to the New Bloggers

In "Degree Essentials"

Mastering Warwick as a Postgraduate

In "Looking After You"

Comments are closed.

Copyright, 2023

As a first generation Indian in America, my upbringing shaped my view of diversity

• My upbringing played a key role in the launch of Nations in Our Neighborhood, an initiative that was designed to connect our diverse communities through cuisine.

As we commemorate another heritage month , Women’s History Month, let’s remember why it was established. It is to honor the achievements of women, ensure gender parity and address biases in the community and in the workplace.

Among the greatest ways to stretch personal growth is putting ourselves in situations out of our comfort zone and embracing vulnerability.

As Brené Brown states, vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.

I was fortunate to have an upbringing where I was exposed to many diverse cultures through my father’s position at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, which included academic advising to international students.

I am first generation Indian and watched my empathetic parents nurture homesick students with my mom’s authentic Indian homecooked meals. I was unknowingly taught empathy and accept those who were very different from me as we broke bread together.

Let’s invite our neighbors into spaces outside their comfort zones

My upbringing played a key role in the launch of Nations in Our Neighborhood , an initiative that was designed to connect our diverse communities through cuisine.

The deeper goal of the program was to defy prejudice, racism, and bigotry. I partnered with dedicated students from   Vanderbilt’s Owen Graduate School to help launch the program.

The self-guided tours consisted of a kickoff party, where attendees picked up their “passport,” which listed all the participating restaurants. I would hear of new friendships formed as groups trekked through Music City together, discovering the ethnic cuisine in our own backyard.

Huseyin Ustunkaya, owner of Anatolia and Chateau West , shared how it is good for Nashville to invite neighbors into places they may not have otherwise heard of. Through the tour, guests were taken to places other than Nashville’s globally renowned hot chicken and BBQ joints and marginalized groups felt the warmth and acceptance of engaging “passport” holders.

How we can help bridge diverse groups through better approaches

The entire program was a remarkable demonstration of communities embracing different cultures. While this can be a bit more challenging in the workplace, it can be done.

Common tools include the traditional unconscious bias workshops, which have been proven to not be as effective. However, companies as Microsoft and Starbucks are leading the way with innovative techniques that are working.

Within Harvard Business Review’s “ Unconscious Bias Training That Works ,”these companies  guide employees toovercome denial; increase awareness; develop the empathy that combats bias; and diversify their networks in order to help team members overcome biases .

Through ongoing outreach and engagement strategies in the community and in the workplace, we can bridge diverse groups. By learning to recognize our biases through a spirit of vulnerability, we can cultivate a healthy environment and celebrate our differences.

Renuka Christoph is founder of Nations in Our Neighborhood and chief marketing and communications officer for WeGo.

My Family’s United Farm Workers History Comes Alive in University Library Archives

Here at CSUN, the community has a unique opportunity to explore the history of the United Farm Workers and the Chicano Rights Movement with the archives at the University Library and the Tom and Ethel Bradley Center , which has the Farmworker Movement Collection.

CSUN graduate student (mass communication) and CSUN Today contributor Analisa Venolia’s grandparents were founding members of the United Farm Workers union, and their personal recollections are part of the Tom and Ethel Bradley Center’s archives and the University Library’s archives. The following first-person essay on her efforts to learn more about their work was written for CSUN Newsroom.

Growing up, I heard many stories about my grandparents, Irene Ramos Chandler and Bill Chandler, and their work to help establish the United Farm Workers. I heard about their arrests in Texas for organizing strikes and protests, their meetings with politicians, like Ted Kennedy, Tom Hayden and former President Lyndon B. Johnson, and their experiences with Chicana/o labor activist legends, like Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez.

My grandfather had worked as an orderly in a hospital before joining the UFW with my grandmother. She was a farmworker, who had labored in fields picking everything from lettuce to strawberries. Grapes were the worst to pick, she said, because the vines were so “mean” due to their thorns. I’ve spent many hours talking with my grandfather, who currently lives in Mississippi and heads a nonprofit that advocates for immigrant rights , about his time with the UFW. My grandmother passed away when I was in the first grade, so I was not able to hear many stories directly from her and instead heard them from my mother, who made sure to honor her memory.

I knew that my grandparents’ records of their involvement with the UFW were stored in the University Library, but it wasn’t until I began pursuing a graduate degree here at CSUN that I truly understood what that meant. For some reason, as silly as it sounds, I had an image in my head of the records locked away in boxes in the basement of the library, unable to be accessed by the public.

After a recent class about research methods, during which my professor used my family archives as an example of how to access archival records, I realized that the public– and I– can easily explore this material.

I went to the Special Collections room on the second floor of the library and requested to see both my grandparents’ collections. Due to some technical issues, I wasn’t able to view my grandfather’s collection but I received multiple boxes from my grandmother’s. I saw my grandmother’s union earrings with the UFW eagle— which were much larger than the pendant that was passed down to me. I leafed through photos I had never seen, and various union paraphernalia, including a songbook of UFW tunes sung during marches and meetings. I noticed that I had only received five of the six boxes in my grandmother’s collection, and when I asked about the missing box, I was informed that the shawl my grandmother made for Dolores Huerta was in the University Library Exhibit Gallery. It is currently displayed as part of the “Eating the Archives” exhibit about the complexities of food.

Seeing my grandmother’s collection was bittersweet. I was both proud of her and sorry that I didn’t have the opportunity to get to know her well. I would have loved to speak to her about the items in the collection and her memories of working as an activist across the United States. Overwhelmingly, however, I was thankful that her contributions to history were being preserved.

Viewing the items in my family’s archives has sparked new conversations for me and my mother about our family history. I asked questions about the items in the archives and she shared stories from her childhood that I hadn’t heard before, like that my grandmother couldn’t sew well and that she made the shawl for Delores Huerta out of produce sacks that she had on hand. We’re also planning a family visit to the archives with my aunts, uncles, and cousins so they can see what is there.

To know that the records of my family’s contributions to the Chicano Movement and labor history will be used to further understand and appreciate the powerful historical moment that was UFW activism in the 1960s and 70s makes me deeply proud.

To me, my grandmother is the woman I hear about from my mother’s and aunt’s stories and my grandfather is the man who talks for hours about politics. There are people involved with the  la causa  who are more famous than my grandparents, but when I saw my grandparents’ archives, it reminded me that my grandparents made valuable contributions to history and influenced the lives of people outside of my family, and will continue to do so, thanks to the Bradley Center and the University Library.

Cesar Chavez Day, which celebrates the birth of the first President of the United Farm Workers takes place this year on Monday, April 1. The day is also about recognizing the work of the UFW members and their supporters to create better working conditions for the people who harvest our food. Californians are encouraged to spend the day in acts of service and education about past and present issues facing farm workers, including health, safety, pay and immigration.

GradFest Marks the Next Step to Graduation

Veteran DJ Matt Pinfield Joins The SoCal Sound

Related posts, photo essay: work is underway on mural that shows ‘the continuum of time’, celebrating women’s history month 2024, write a comment cancel reply.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.