I love to encourage young people to read and write. I have a large platform of young people who are interested in my book, Quantum Leaps in Princeton’s Place, from the ages of 18-24. They are interested in the personal narratives created for each character.
I start talking about writing for a purpose with junior and senior students. The most meaningful narrative comes from creating their college essay. It will make a difference in the colleges they will be accepted to. I say, “Show, don’t tell.” That will create the strong narrative needed for colleges. Make us feel as if we are there in your presence. Make us as the audience understand your emotions and the place you want to take us.” Some students will post the narratives I edited with them before submission. And yes, they all were accepted to the colleges of their choice! Here are two examples:
My Favorite Power Ranger by Jared
I am spoiled. Power Rangers are my thing and I had them all. I had so many, that I was able to morph myself into one. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Power Ranger Time Force, Power Ranger Dino Thunder, to name a few. Not only did my parents treat me to toys, but I lived in a huge house ten minutes away from the beach. I could hear the sound of the surf, feel the heat of the sun, and play with my toys all day long. As a child, I felt like a billionaire.
My grandfather, my Poppy, used to play with me with my toys. I was always impressed by the way he moved the Power Rangers. He would move the action figures with such insight and power. As we played, he would also tell me stories. As I grew older, I learned through his stories that life was more than toys. There was one story that I will never forget.
As a young man, my Poppy and his family were placed in a working camp in Siberia. He had very little clothing. Sometimes he had no food at all. He told me of the many nights he had pain in his stomach from not eating. He told me that this was not a way to live and decided to plan an escape for himself and his family. He was far from spoiled.
By moonlight, they were able to get passed the guard. I was amazed by his story. I did not know that he had struggled for his life during his childhood. Listening to more of his stories helped me to grow up. He is my true Power Ranger. He had the strength, the patience, the power and endurance to survive one of the most horrific events of all time.
By the end of my grandpa’s story, I had not only been able to learn about his childhood, but I was able to feel his pain, his sadness, and ultimately his happiness that he had gone through growing up. I believe my grandpa’s story was a pivotal point in my life. It had changed me from a young, spoiled child to a young, humbled adult who asks his parents for only the things he needs instead of wants.
I have put my Power Rangers away for now. My most powerful Power Ranger will always be my grandfather. He has inspired me to evaluate my values in life. I hope to make a contribution to society like his someday.
Monster in the Mirror by Haley
“Mirrors are perpetually deceitful. They lie and steal your true self. They reveal only what your mind believes it sees” –Dee Remy.
The constant glares. The silence. The embarrassment. It was at the age of 10 when I started to realize the truth behind mirrors. They only showed me what I didn’t want to see; a girl with a large body and no self-control. I was never proud of who I was or how I looked. A lot of my conclusions were formed by the way other people looked at me. Being comfortable in my own skin was never my forte. I tried for years to lose the weight, but nothing seemed to work. I would lose it for a little while and then eventually gain it back. I felt claustrophobic. I thought I would be stuck in this body forever.
It wasn’t until summer going into junior year when I decided to make a drastic change. I joined a gym with my sister and took all of the bad foods out of my diet; sweets, bread, cheese, etc. At first, I thought it would be easy. Eat healthy, exercise, sounds easy enough. However, through the course of the summer, I started to become unhealthy. Barely putting food into my body and overworking myself at the gym. I wanted to do anything to lose the weight and I did. In a little over three months, I had lost almost 50 lbs. It was like the fat melted off my body, but not the way it should have. I became very reserved and didn’t talk to anyone. I isolated myself at home and at school to the point where my family and friends started to worry. I became a mute and kept to myself all the time. A couple months into school, I realized that the way I had become was not healthy. I had acquired many symptoms of a person suffering anorexia; absence of menstruation, social isolation, extreme weight loss, and others. This made me fear the monster that I had become. I was killing my body one day at a time.
It was the day that I had lost all 50 lbs. that I decided I needed to change. Now, I was happy with the way I looked and started incorporating more food into my body and not overwork myself at the gym. I maintained my weight and tried to tone it from here on out.
When I look in the mirror today, the monster has disappeared. I would have never thought I’d be where I am. I dreaded looking at myself before my weight loss because I never liked what I saw. A girl with no self-confidence or self-drive to make a change within herself. But now when I look in the mirror I see the person I’ve always wanted to be. I learned that it wasn’t the mirror that was lying to me all those years; I was lying to myself and not living up to my full potential to make the change that I wanted to see.
So thank you mirror, for showing me not only what my mind believes it sees, but also what I actually see today.
