Personal statements can be challenging to create – trying to fit an entire identity into a 1,000-word essay may be hard for many students. To combat this challenge, staff from around campus gathered to instruct and inform students on the do’s and don’ts of creating an effective personal statement.
At least three dozen students joined select staff members in the student center (building 12) for the annual personal statement workshop and free hot lunch.
Looking around, there were notepads being filled and fast fingers typing notes. “I am trying to get into graduate school and join a master’s program in social work,” said Liliana Agudo, a third-year transfer student majoring in social and behavioral science.
Although this event was for any personal statement inquiries, the primary focus was writing a statement for the 2024-2025 California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) scholarship. This scholarship is due on March 30, and requires a personal statement. In previous years, the application required a letter of recommendation but this requirement has since been removed.
I came for “lunch, but also I had been meaning to apply for the scholarship. Me and my classmate thought that this would be very helpful for us … my brain is already going crazy thinking about what I can put in my application,” said Jessica Hernandez, a third-year liberal studies student.
The event was a collaborative effort between the Cooperative Learning Center (CLC), University Research Opportunities Center, Otter Cross-Cultural Center, transfer center and career services.
At the CLC, located in the Tanimura & Antle Family Memorial Library on the second floor, students can stop by for writing support. Students may schedule one-on-one meetings, for whatever academic reason, in-person and on Zoom. There are also drop-in tutoring hours every Thursday from 5 to 5:50 p.m. – this is for in-person students and does not require an appointment.
Nanda Warren, the writing coordinator at the CLC, said “I don’t think that [faculty and staff] can just assume that people know how to pursue things like scholarships. It’s not enough just to say ‘we have scholarship money out there,’ we also have to help people figure out how to go for it.”
Warren shared that the purpose of this annual workshop is “to let people know what resources are available so that they don’t feel like they have to do this all on their own.”