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A Turning Point: An Event That Changed My Life Forever

Table of contents, the event: volunteer mission abroad, shifting perspectives and values, forging lasting connections, charting a new path.

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An Important Event In Your Life (Essay Sample)

Table of Contents

Introduction

What experiences changed your life for the better (or worse)?

The sample paper below shares an author’s take on a memorable event (or two) that transpired in his own life. He describes how these experiences made him feel and what he took away from them. He emphasizes that even though these were brief moments from the past, he continues to apply the lessons he learned from them to this day.

Do you have a happy event from your own memory bank that you want to write about? Let us help you with your paper with our essay writing services .

An Important Event in Your Life Essay

We don’t really make it a point to remember every detail of our day. When the next day comes, the previous 24 hours become a blur. But if something unexpected or remarkable happens, it can be memorable for the rest of their lives.

I am sure that everyone has an event that is unforgettable, some so much so that they would rather forget the memory because it triggers old wounds. There are good memories that regularly make us happy when we talk about or share them with people. On a more positive note, there are events that teach a certain lesson and end up becoming a fundamental life conviction for someone.

Life has so many twists and turns. We don’t always know what’s around the corner. This paper seeks to narrate two important events that happened in my life, which continue to have a significant impact on me to this day.

Recalling a Significant Event in My Life

I remember spending 10 days in Missouri Relationship of Understudy Chamber’s late spring authority camp in 2005. I consider it one of my most life-shaping experiences. Those ten days were a series of the most helpful experiences of my journey.

The opportunity came through our Understudy Committee at school, which I joined during my senior year. When I first attended as a Level 1 camper, I was overpowered by other very dominant and outspoken campers. I didn’t know how I would fit in since I was slow to warm up around new individuals.

We were then assigned to one of 26 unique chambers. I was in Chamber ‘M’. That week transformed me from a new shy student board member to a person who was confident and assured, even in my first year in student council.

The most highly-awaited event that we mounted was the Olympics. Each chamber met up and took part in various recreations. This was the point at which our council first empowered me to step outside my comfort zone. I was able to discover, from that experience, how powerful collaboration can be, and how to best maximize people’s skill sets. A highlight of that day was also the show. Every committee performed their comedic version of a well-known song before the whole camp.

While I am, by nature, an intensely competitive person when motivated, I understood that night that it did not make a difference who won. All that mattered were the memories made and stories that would be told years from now.

Another Very Important Event

I also remember how I longed to ride a plane for the first time when I was in high school. I wanted to know how it felt to be suspended in mid-air and not have control over the trajectory. I also admired the structure of a plane. To me, it resembled an enormous hawk with its huge wings extended.

I finally got my chance one day. After entering the airport, purchasing a ticket, and checking in, I boarded the plane. The seats were very comfortable. We were taught how to put on our seatbelts and were instructed to do so before take-off. When the plane took off, several passengers shrieked in delight. A flight attendant distributed lemon juice to avoid nausea, which I eagerly accepted.

After an hour, it was announced that we were about the land. It was so exciting to see the landscape from up in the clouds. When we touched down, I was even more eager to tour my destination. I left the airport happy and grateful. It was indeed one of the most unforgettable firsts of my life.

I have many more cherished life experiences, but these two top the list. What’s in your top two?

Regardless of how long ago they happened, our fond moments will always be in our core memory bank. They will bring to mind joy, nostalgia, and happiness; and we’ll remember them as if they just happened yesterday. Take time to revisit the significant events in your life today. Such things will inspire you to make more beautiful memories that will make for grand anecdotes one day. May your memories bring you joy, life, and peace.

Interesting Event In My Life (Short Essay Sample)

While I can think of many events that I can remember and narrate by heart, one stands out to me as an experience that taught me a very crucial life lesson.

During my freshman year, I had to move to a new school. The thought of making new friends excited me, but the idea that some of the students may not find me likable also made me extremely nervous.

On my first day, I kept my head down and focused on my school work, out of fear that I might make a mistake. Surprisingly, over the next few days, several people from class made the effort to befriend me. It gave me the confidence boost I needed to be myself around them.

These people eventually became like family to me, and we spent our free time together all the way until senior year. Parting ways for college was heartbreaking because we didn’t know when we would see each other again.

I will always be grateful for the moment these people initiated a friendship with me. Most people wouldn’t spare the new kid a second glance, but they took the leap of faith.

What Are Examples Of Life-Changing Events?

An important event in your life can range from light and funny to deep and profound. It could be the day you meet your best friend or the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. It could also be the day you chose your university or when you figured out what you want to focus on for your future. It could also be that summer you finally learned how to bake or when your parents surprised you with a graduation trip as a gift. On the other end of the spectrum, it could also revolve around the death of someone you held dearly to your heart, or when you stopped talking to a close friend for two years after falling out.

What Are 3 Important Life Events?

• Getting that pivotal grade that will bring up your total average is a momentous occasion for students as it makes graduating a certainty. It also marks a valuable accomplishment in your season of being a learner.
• Finishing university is a feat that changes you for the better because it fuels you towards an exciting yet unknown future. The fact that you are about to enter the real world as a prepared person is thrilling and nerve-wracking.
• The death of a loved one is a bittersweet experience because it will make you miss the dearly departed terribly. It is a time of understanding and embracing grief.

Essays About Life-changing Experiences: 5 Examples

Discover our guide for writing essays about life-changing experiences that combine three different elements: narrative, description, and self-reflection. 

Each of us has gone through life-changing experiences that shaped us into the individuals we are today. Because of how powerful they are, these events make for fascinating topics in writing. This subject doesn’t only let us tell our life stories, and it also pushes us to evaluate our behavior and reflect on why an incident happened.

Attract your readers by creating an excellent introduction and choosing a unique or exciting encounter. Paint a picture of the events that describe your experience vividly and finish with a strong conclusion.

5 Essay Examples

1. long essay on experience that changed my life by prasanna, 2. life-changing events: personal experience by anonymous on studycorgi.com, 3. my example of a life-changing experience by anonymous on gradesfixer.com, 4. life-changing experience: death essay by writer annie, 5. a life-changing experience during the holiday season by anonymous on studymoose.com, 1. life-changing experience: defined, 2. the experience that changed my life, 3. life-changing events and how they impact lives, 4. everyday events that change a person’s life, 5. the person who change my life, 6. books or movies that changed my life, 7. a life-changing quote.

“Experiences can be good and sometimes terrible that results in a positive or negative impact on one’s life. Life is full of many unexpected challenges and unknown turning points that will come along any time. People must learn and grow from every experience that they go through in life rather than losing yourself.”

In this essay, Prasanna discusses her father’s death as her most challenging life-changing experience. She was cheerful, immature, and carefree when her father was still alive. However, when her father left, she became the decision-maker of their family because her mother was unable to.

Prasanna mentions that she lost not only a father but also a friend, motivator, and mentor. That sad and unexpected experience turned her into an introverted, mature, and responsible head of the family. Ultimately, she thanks her father for making her a better person, and because of the devastating incident, she realizes who she can trust and how she should handle the real world. You might also be interested in these essays about choice .

“In life, certain experiences present challenges that change the way people relate to themselves and their families. Certain life events mark life-changing moments that alter lives either positively or negatively. It matters how people handle their relationships at such critical moments.”

This essay contains two life events that helped the author become a better person. These events taught them to trust and appreciate people, be responsible, and value family. The first event is when their best friend passes away, leading to stress, loss of appetite, and depression. The second circumstance happened when the author postponed their studies because they were afraid to grow up and be accountable for their decisions and actions.

The writer’s family showed them love, support, and understanding through these events. These events changed their behavior, attitude, and perspective on life and guided them to strengthen family relationships.

For help picking your next essay topic, check out our 20 engaging essay topics about family .

“I thought it was awkward because he looked and acted very professional. In that moment I thought to myself, ‘this person is going to have a great impact in my life!’. I was very curious to meet him and get a chance to show him my personality.”

This essay proves that you should always believe in yourself and not be afraid to try something new. The author recalls when they had many problems and met an extraordinary person who changed their life. 

When they were in sixth grade, the writer had life issues that caused them to be anxious about any future endeavor. The author then says they don’t usually open up to teachers because they fear their reactions. Then they met Mr. Salazar, a mentor who respects and values them, and the writer considers him their best friend.

“When the funeral was over and he was laid to rest, I had a feeling I can’t even describe. It was almost an empty feeling. I knew I had lost someone that could never be replaced.”

Annie never thought that she’d go through a life-changing experience until the sudden death of her father. Her thoughts and feelings are all over the place, and she has many unanswered questions. She says that although she will never wish for anyone to experience the same. However, her father’s passing improved her life in some ways.

Her mother remarried and introduced a new father figure, who was very kind to her. Living with her stepdad allowed her to explore and do things she thought she couldn’t. Annie still mourns the loss of her birth father, but she is also grateful to have a stepdad she can lean on. She gradually accepts that she can’t bring her birth father back.

“This story as a whole has really changed me and made me an even better person in life, I’m so thankful that this happened to me because now I have a greater appreciation for the little things in life.”

The essay shows how a simple interaction on a cold day in December can completely change a person’s view on life. It starts with the writer being asked a small favor of an older man with Alzheimer’s disease to help him find his car. This experience teaches the writer to be more observant and appreciative of the things they have. The author was inspired to spend more time with loved ones, especially their grandfather, who also has Alzheimer’s disease, as they learned never to take anything for granted.

7 Prompts for Essays About Life-changing Experiences

Everyone has their definition of a life-changing experience. But in general, it is an event or series of events profoundly altering a person’s thinking, feelings, and behavior. Use this prompt to explain your understanding of the topic and discuss how a simple action, decision, or encounter can change someone’s life. You might also be interested in these essays about yourself .

For this prompt, choose a specific memory that made you re-evaluate your views, values, and morals. Then, discuss the impact of this event on your life. For example, you can discuss losing a loved one, moving to another country, or starting a new school. Your conclusion must contain the main lessons you learned from the experience and how it can help the readers.

Various positive and negative life-changing experiences happen anytime and anywhere. Sometimes, you don’t notice them until they substantially disturb your everyday life. 

To begin your essay, interview people and ask about a momentous event that happened to them and how it influenced their way of living. Then, pick the most potent life-changing experience shared. Talk about what you’d do if you were in the same situation.

Some life-changing events include common things such as marriage, parenthood, divorce, job loss, and death. Research and discuss the most common experiences that transform a person’s life. Include real-life situations and any personal encounters for an intriguing essay.

It’s normal to meet other people, but connecting with someone who will significantly impact your life is a blessing. Use this prompt to discuss that particular person, such as a parent, close friend, or romantic partner. Share who they are and how you met them, and discuss what they did or said that made a big difference in your life. 

Movies like “The Truman Show” help change your viewpoint in life. They open our minds and provide ideas for dealing with our struggles. Share how you reached an epiphany by reading a book or watching a movie. Include if it’s because of a particular dialogue, character action, or scenes you can relate to.

While others use inspirational quotes for comfort and to avoid negative thinking, some find a quote that gives them the courage to make drastic changes to better their lives. For this prompt, search for well-known personalities who discovered a quote that motivated them to turn their life around.  Essay Tip: When editing for grammar, we also recommend spending time and effort to improve the readability score of your essay before publishing or submitting it.

Maria Caballero is a freelance writer who has been writing since high school. She believes that to be a writer doesn't only refer to excellent syntax and semantics but also knowing how to weave words together to communicate to any reader effectively.

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The Best Day of My Life Essay

Essay on The Best Day of My Life - Life is full of events - both good and bad. Some things will be forgotten over time, and some will stay in your heart forever. Here are 100, 200 and 500 word essays on The Best Day Of My Life

Our life is full of many days and events. One day is happy, full of goodness and joy that brings joy to our hearts and stays firmly in our hearts forever. The memories of the gleeful days remain present in the heart and spirit. With each passing day, we make memories that make our life beautiful. These are the memories of what has been and will be more. Here are some sample essays on “The Best Day Of My Life”.

100 Words Essay on The Best Day of My Life

200 words essay on the best day of my life, 500 words essay on the best day of my life.

The best day of my life is my 16th birthday. It is a day I will never forget in my life. I consider it till now my best birthday. All my relatives and friends were present at my birthday party. The best part of the party was my grandmother was present there. For the last time, she prepared all the food items I loved eating. It is even more special as it was the last day that I spent with her, after which she passed away. I spent the most time with her and she also enjoyed herself a lot with me for the last time in her life. This birthday is even more special as it was my last birthday with my grandmother.

The best day of my life was when I went on a school outing with my friends. We ate delicious food and enjoyed the day to the fullest.

I woke up at 6 am and got ready for school. My mother dropped me to school. From there we went to a science park by bus. During the entire journey we danced, sang, played games, and did many more fun activities. We ate snacks and played games with our teacher also. When we arrived we visited the science city and enjoyed every bit of it.

Besides the science park, it was a water park, so we quickly changed our clothes and jumped into the pool. We enjoyed ourselves in the pool, and we kept on playing for an hour. After that, we took a bath and changed clothes. We had rice and chicken for our lunch. We loved the food. After the food, we returned by bus. During the whole bus journey, we sang and danced.

This day is memorable as I could spend it with my friends. The day was a day to be remembered. We had so much fun together. Everything is worth remembering from the beginning to the end of the journey.

Life is full of events - both good and bad. Some things will be forgotten over time, and some will stay in your heart forever. Life is full of surprises and shocks, good and bad news, and unexpected turns. Fortune can benefit some people in life, and help them to reach the pinnacle of glory and happiness.

The Best Day of My Life

Recently I received the best gift from my dad. Since childhood, I always wanted a dog, and recently he had brought me one. I was studying in my room, dad entered my room with a labrador in his hands. I jumped from my bed with happiness. I also started crying as I could not believe my eyes. My mom and dad were always against having a dog. But he brought it, and made it the best day of my life.

Significance of My Best Day

I still remember myself bursting into tears and happiness at the same time. That night I held Bruno the whole time. The next moment I saw myself buying stuff for the dog. I bought food, clothes, toys, and many more things which would make him happy. That night I held him tight and slept beside him. I could not sleep the whole night due to the excitement.

I looked at him throughout the entire night with utmost happiness and surprise. That day was the best day of my life as I got my best friend. A best friend who would never leave me. A best friend who will always be there for me whenever I need him.A best friend who will make me the happiest. A friend who will love me to the fullest. That dog gave me the ultimate happiness and, this is how the day became the best day of my life. I named the dog Bruno.

I am always looking for him whenever I come back from school. He always jumps, licks me, and wags his tail after seeing me. My friends come along with me to play with him. Bruno also became their friend.

What I Love about My Dog

The thing that I love about Bruno the most is that he can gel well with people. My sister was not that comfortable with dogs. But Bruno made her fall in love with him. They are now the best of friends. He would jump in happiness whenever he saw him. She would also run toward him and would pick him up. She feeds him food and always brings toys and treats for him. She loves her to the fullest and, at the same time he loves her to the fullest. This is how Bruno became everyone's favourite.

Every person has some happy days and some bad days in their life. Both help people learn different things from these different experiences. But the happy days are worth remembering. They help you cheer on your days of sadness and bring back all the memories that are worth cherishing. The best day has a great impact on our life.

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Mentor texts

Telling Short, Memorable Stories From Your Life: ‘My Secret Pepsi Plot’

An invitation to students to tell a meaningful story in a limited number of words, with an example from The Times’s Lives column to help.

By Katherine Schulten

Our new Mentor Text series spotlights writing from The Times that students can learn from and emulate.

This entry, like several others we are publishing, focuses on an essay from The Times’s long-running Lives column to consider skills prized in narrative writing. We are starting with this genre to help support students participating in our 2020 Personal Narrative Essay Contest .

Our Personal Narrative Essay Contest is inspired by The New York Times’s Lives column, which ran from 1996 to 2017 and featured “short, powerful stories about meaningful life experiences .”

The editor of the column once posted some advice on “How to Write a Lives Essay” to guide those who submitted to the column annually. Much of that advice applies to our contest as well.

For example, several points boil down to reminders to keep it simple, including tips like:

Don’t try to fit your whole life into one “Lives.”

Don’t try to tell the whole story.

Tell a small story — an evocative, particular moment.

Better to start from something very simple that you think is interesting (an incident, a person) and expand upon it, rather than a large idea that you then have to fit into a short essay. For example, start with “the day the Santa Claus in the mall asked me on a date” rather than “the state of affairs that is dating in an older age bracket.”

This advice is similar to advice often given to high school seniors writing college essays : You have only 650 words to show admissions officers something important, interesting or memorable about who you are and what matters to you. A list of awards you’ve won won’t do it, but an engaging story about making brownies with your stepbrother just might.

As you’ll see when you read the texts below, none of them try to tell the whole story of a life, but, instead, illuminate an important aspect of it through focus on one event or moment. Yet that one focus ripples out, and says so much more.

Before You Read

Use the sentence starter below to write for a few minutes about whatever comes to mind. You will return to this writing in the “Now Try This” section.

A moment I’ll never forget from my childhood is …

Mentor Text: ‘ My Secret Pepsi Plot ,’ a 2014 Essay From the Lives Column, by Boris Fishman

This essay describes a memory from when the writer was 10 years old and his family had just immigrated from the Soviet Union to Brooklyn. “In the Soviet Union, we were secretly wealthy, but we arrived in Brooklyn as paupers,” he writes.

Somehow, his family ends up with 24 Pepsi-Colas in their refrigerator. The story of what happens next is Mr. Fishman’s short, powerful story:

Around this time I learned that American supermarkets gave back 5 cents for every returned empty. (Some states, like Michigan, its very name like a granite monument, gave you 10 cents.) I decided I would return those cans and give the money to my parents. My secret — a surprise.

Read the essay, focusing on how Mr. Fishman anchors the whole story in this one goal he had at age 10 — to return the Pepsi cans and get money for them.

As you read, you might trace the structure of the story. What does each paragraph do? What does each add to the telling of this small story?

Then, consider these questions:

How do the first two paragraphs set the stage for the story and give some necessary background?

How does telling this story allow the writer to show readers a particular time and place through the eyes of a new immigrant?

How does he pull you into the action, minute by minute, in the three paragraphs that begin “On Saturday afternoon …”?

How is money a theme throughout, in both stated and implied ways? What other ideas recur?

What is the role of the last paragraph?

Now Try This: Find Your Own Short, Powerful Stories

Look back at the writing you did before reading the mentor text. What is strongest about it? Could it become a short essay like the one you just read? If so, what would you need to do to shape it?

What other small stories — or “evocative, particular moments” — from your life might make wonderful short essays?

In a 2010 lesson plan, “ Going Beyond Cliché: How to Write a Great College Essay ,” we suggest students first make a timeline of their lives, or of one period in their lives, brainstorming at least 20 events, big and small, that were significant to them for any reason.

You might try that, or you can brainstorm answers to this list of prompts — or both:

-A time I took a risk: -A time I learned something about myself: -A memory from childhood I think about often: -Something that happened to me that still makes me laugh: -Something very few people know about me: -Something I regret: -A time when I felt rejected: -Something I am really proud of: -Something that changed the way I think or look at the world: -How I am different from most people I know: -Some of my fears: -A time I felt truly satisfied: -A time I failed at something: -An object I own that tells a lot about me:

Once you’ve chosen a topic, you might try to free-write for 10 minutes or so, asking yourself as you go: What was most interesting or memorable about this? What images come to mind when you think about this topic? Do you picture a person, a scene, a place? Do you hear a conversation or a bit of music? Do you smell, taste or feel something?

Finally, if you are still stuck, we have a list of prompts from our site that can inspire narrative writing . Take a look and see if any of them spark ideas for you.

More Mentor Texts for Telling Short, Memorable Stories

While the entire Lives column is devoted to “short, powerful stories,” the pieces we chose below are especially student-friendly in terms of both their subject matter and the way the writers focus on “an evocative, particular moment.” Below each title, an excerpt from the piece.

“ How Ramen Got Me Through Adolescence ,” a 2014 Lives essay, by Veronique Greenwood

When I was in fifth grade, I developed an intense dislike of eating around other people. The cafeteria was a place of foul odors, gelatinous spills, horrific mixtures of chocolate pudding, fruit cocktail and ketchup consumed on dares, and I found myself fasting from breakfast, at about 6 in the morning, until 3:35, when I walked home through the woods from the bus stop. Each step up our hill, a narrow ridge in rural California, I fantasized about the big bowl of ramen I would make myself when I reached the top.

“ Charmed ," a 2015 Lives essay, by Laila Lalami

‘‘Wait,’’ I said. From my pocket I pulled out a brown suede pouch bearing the name of a little jeweler in Rabat, the kind of place you send your friends to and say, tell him I sent you. In the pouch was a necklace with a silver khamsa — a charm in the shape of an open palm.

“ Montana Soccer-Mom Moment ,” a 2010 essay from the Lives column, by Laura Munson

I live in northwest Montana, and I have a teenager, and my teenager plays sports. That means a lot of driving — over-the-Rocky-Mountains-and-back-in-one-day kind of driving. I think about Meriwether Lewis every time I cross the Continental Divide, usually with sleeping soccer players wearing headphones in the back of my Suburban. I want to say, “Can you imagine everything depending on your horse and your ability to dream of an ocean past the mountains?” But it isn’t worth the eye-rolling.

“ All the Single Ladies ," a 2014 essay from the Lives column, by Jen Doll

“Single ladies to the dance floor!” came the cry, a masculine voice urging us forward. Wedding guests parted, creating a narrow path for the train of unmarried women to parade through in their finery. But we single ladies no longer looked so fine as we had that morning. We were worn and tired, sweat beading down our necks, sand crunching unpleasantly in our shoes, which were wearing raw the backs of our heels. We should have been lying down in cool rooms elsewhere, but the wedding was not over. We were 28. We knew what was next.

“ Working the Reunion ,” a 2008 essay from the Lives column, by ZZ Packer

My residential college always hosted the 45th reunion, one of the most well attended, I suppose because you just might not be around for the 50th. To my eyes, these guys were the picture of old money. Although they may have mastered physics or appraised the sharp beauty of “King Lear” in school, at reunions they reminisced about football glories and practical jokes. I sometimes felt less like a Yale co-ed who happened to be black than a black waitress who happened to be bringing them an extra fork. But after their dinner we reunion workers would drink up all the leftover bottles of wine while cleaning the dining hall.

Related Questions for Any Short, Narrative Essay

What is the one small moment or event this piece focuses on? Why do you think the writer might have chosen it?

What do you learn about the writer and his or her world through this moment or event? How? What lines do this well? What is implied rather than stated?

How is the piece structured? What does each paragraph do? How does each contribute to the story?

Look closely at how the writer tells a complete story in a limited number of words. Where, in terms of time and place, does the story begin? Where does it end? How does the writer weave in necessary background even while keeping the action of the story moving forward?

What else do you notice or admire about this essay? What lessons might it have for your own writing?

• Essay on Memorable Day of My Life

500 Words Essay On Memorable Day of My Life

We have different types of days in our lives, some are ordinary while some are special. There are some days that get etched in our memories forever. Likewise, I also have a memorable day of my life that is very dear to me. The memories of this day are engraved in my heart and will remain so forever.

My Birthday- Memorable Day of My Life

My tenth birthday is the most memorable day of my life. It is a day I can never forget and I consider it to be the best birthday yet. The day started just like any other normal day. However, as it kept progressing, a lot of exciting things began to happen.

I woke up very early on my birthday because I had to dress up in casual clothes for school . The day before, all my candies were ready that I would distribute in the classroom.

My mother prepared my favourite breakfast and gave me a big chocolate bar for lunch as well. I went to school and the whole class sang for me and congratulated me. It was the turn to distribute sweets.

My best friend and I went to all the teachers to distribute toffees and we had a great time there. Moreover, it was an incredible feeling. My friends were all singing for me and eager to come to my birthday party later in the evening.

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My Birthday Party

The birthday at my school was memorable but the birthday party at my home made the day even more memorable. Also, my mother invited all my friends from school and the colony to the party.

I received so many presents and we played a lot of games. We played games like musical chairs, tag, egg-and-spoon races, and more. There were so many songs playing so everyone did a special dance too.

The highlight of my birthday party was definitely my huge birthday cake. As I love superheroes, my mother got the cake customized with the superhero theme. It was very tasty too and in my favourite flavour.

I spent a lot of time with my family and friends that day. Everyone liked the return gifts as well and went home with a big smile on their faces.

Conclusion of Essay on Memorable Day of My Life

Therefore, my tenth birthday is the most memorable day of my life. It has given me so many happy memories that will remain with me forever. That day makes me feel blessed and lucky to have all those things in my life.

FAQ on Essay on Memorable Day of My Life

Question 1: What is the meaning of a memorable day?

Answer 1:   When we say memorable, we refer to something that we cannot forget easily or something that left us excited. A memorable day is a day that one can recall easily as it is engraved in the memory.

Question 2: What can be an example of a memorable day?

Answer 2: Some people consider their birthday to be the most memorable day. While some consider it a family trip too. Similarly, some people may find their school picnic or fete to be the most memorable day.

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An Event That Had a Significant Influence on My Life Essay

Introduction.

A mother’s love has been proven throughout history and has been immortalized by sayings like “Nothing beats a mother’s love” and “No matter what a child does, a mother will always be a mother.” My mother is the epitome of these sayings and as I live and breathe, I will continue to attest to this. You see, I have not only felt my mother’s love but also seen it in action. I can remember everything that happened just this past June — June 18, 2003, to be exact, as if everything only happened a few hours ago.

That year, I was a carefree 11-year-old who had all the time in the world to enjoy the life ahead of me. Little did I know that everything in my life would change that night. The night that my 15-year-old brother was killed by a drowsy school bus driver as he stood outside my parent’s outdoor equipment business. That night, I came home from school to receive the bad news. News that changed my life literally from that very morning.

I had 15 special years with my brother and being in the 5th grade, he was my role model in everything that I did. He was my protector and guardian angel who was always there when I needed him. But now, I am 17 and 2 years older than him. I often find myself wondering as to how my night has turned out and what our relationship might be like at this point in our lives. Would we still be best friends and have each other’s backs? 6 years later my family and I have changed a lot and are still on the road towards a long and lonely grieving process.

Consequences of the accident

We were devastated by the accident. Our sense of security was crushed and we could barely function as individuals and as a family for the next couple of years after the accident. We each dealt with death in different ways. My father had to go back to work 2 weeks after my brother’s untimely demise. He had to go back to the place where my brother died to pay the bills. While my mother threw herself into investigative work trying to figure out how a drowsy bus driver from our school would have been allowing to drive a bus in his condition. She needed to understand why and how the accident happened to have some sort of closure. She refused to let my brother’s death be in vain. Something good had to come out of it and that she would make sure of that.

Everybody tried to dissuade my mother from finding out the truth. Everyone but me. You see, I know my mother, I knew she would not stop until she got some answers. Her investigation was not for naught. It may have taken her 4 years but, she discovered that the driver suffered from sleep apnea and would often sleep in the bus garage, was taking 5 different medications, had uncontrolled diabetes, and most importantly, was not certified to drive a bus due to his existing physical conditions.

Armed with this knowledge, she ran for the school board and won. Under her guidance, she revamped the entire transportation of our school district and started a chapter of the non – profit organization Victims of Irresponsible Drowsy Drivers (VOIDD). She has traveled extensively throughout New York to educate the public about the dangers of drowsy driving and what countermeasures can be implemented. Watching my mother’s determination and strength that pulled her through the most devastating experience of our lives was an experience for me. Although she had taught me never to give up on my passions and beliefs, I only took it to heart when I saw her practice what she preached.

My family crisis taught me how to be selfless and be there for others who need help and support. through my mother’s actions, I have learned that she will always be my mother no matter what mistakes I make and what changes happen in the family. She will forever be, the strongest lady I know.

I have come to learn that lives can change at the drop of a hat. Life has no guarantees and needs to be flexible. I learned how to accept things that I could not change, no matter how hard and painful it might be because of my brother’s death. His death taught me how to live and my family was eventually reborn after all the events that took place. We learned to laugh and be a family again even without my brother’s presence.

All my experiences in life have changed me as a person. I may only be in high school but I have been a long-term member of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) and a soccer player for 12 years. I also take part in 4-H Community Service projects in honor of my brother’s memory and to show my mother that I too can be as strong as she is and that I respect everything she has accomplished in life with or without the support of her friends and family.

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IvyPanda. (2021, September 29). An Event That Had a Significant Influence on My Life. https://ivypanda.com/essays/an-event-that-had-a-significant-influence-on-my-life/

"An Event That Had a Significant Influence on My Life." IvyPanda , 29 Sept. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/an-event-that-had-a-significant-influence-on-my-life/.

IvyPanda . (2021) 'An Event That Had a Significant Influence on My Life'. 29 September.

IvyPanda . 2021. "An Event That Had a Significant Influence on My Life." September 29, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/an-event-that-had-a-significant-influence-on-my-life/.

1. IvyPanda . "An Event That Had a Significant Influence on My Life." September 29, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/an-event-that-had-a-significant-influence-on-my-life/.

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IvyPanda . "An Event That Had a Significant Influence on My Life." September 29, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/an-event-that-had-a-significant-influence-on-my-life/.

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, how should i describe a life event in my essay that prepared me for college.

So I'm drafting my college essay and I've got this life event that really impacted me and I think it shows I'm ready for college. But how do I describe it in a way that's compelling and not just telling a story? Any advice from those who tackled something similar?

When you're describing a life event in your college essay, it's important to focus on reflection, rather than merely recounting the event. Think about how this experience has shaped your perspective, influenced your goals, or contributed to your character development.

Start by setting the scene to engage the reader, then swiftly move to express how this event was pivotal in your personal growth. Show rather than tell; for example, if you're writing about how you overcame a challenge, detail the steps you took and the resourcefulness or resilience you displayed with active descriptions and action rather than a passive explanation. You want to make it clear why this event makes you a strong candidate for college by connecting it to attributes like determination, leadership, or a passion for learning. Remember to close your essay by looking forward; explain how the event has prepared you for the challenges of college and beyond, and how it will inform your contributions to the college community.

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Narrative Essay Sample: The Events That Changed My Lifestyle

Everybody has certain events that change their lifestyle, but for me, it was two major events that really changed the course of my life.

Well, let's start at the very beginning. When I was little I always thought about everything, and my parents said that I had a very big vocabulary and that I always thought long and hard about things. But I thought about the most though was what I was going to get to become a big sister.  I would sit all day praying for God to bless me with a little sister.

Well, I remember coming home from school one day in  kindergarten, and my mom was in the bathtub when she said “ come here  Arlee I have to tell you something.”  I ran into the room full of excitement just knowing what she was going to tell me. So she sat me down and she showed me a little picture, and I looked at the picture and asked what it was, and she said said “see that little dot, that's going to be your new sibling”.” we don't know if it is a boy or a girl yet but you're going to be a big sister”.

Most of my mom's pregnancy was very exciting, I was anticipating the birth of my sibling so badly and I couldn't wait to find out the gender, and when I finally did I was so happy. We contemplated over tons of names, the most popular being Ruby Kate, but in the end, we ended up just naming her Addee Claire.

I remember that day she was born like the back of my hand. We had to wake up at 4:30  And I remember the nanny being on TV And then having to rush off to the hospital. My mom had to stay in the hospital for a few days so I got to stay with my grandma and grandpa. On the first night, my cousin Peyton spent the night too and we went and had furs for dinner.  The next day we went up to the hospital and saw my little sister and we both got to hold her. She was beautiful. She was just the most pretty baby I  had ever seen, with a cute little pink bow right at the top of her head. That same night my cousin Gracie came over to spend the night with me and my grandma and grandpa are to keep me company.  The next day after that my grandma took me home.  

After addee was born everything was really good until one day it wasn't. My mom began to lose her hair and have body aches that were terrible. My dad took her to several doctors who all said the same thing, they didn't know what she had. They said it wasn't cancer but they didn't know what she had. They tested her for all sorts of things such as lupus, fibromyalgia, and other things too. They ended up saying that she did have fibromyalgia, and some other autoimmune disease but they still don't know exactly what it is yet.

A little bit after finding all of this out though, we got some pretty good news. My dad had a friend of his who knew a lady who couldn't quite take care of her little baby girl anymore. I was really excited to find out that we were going to have her stay with us for a while. Her name was Greenlee, she was very sweet. But I knew we couldn't keep her forever, and eventually, we had to give her to some of her relatives. My sister began going to all of the visitations my mom would get with Greenlee and they became pretty close.  But she doesn't quite remember her now. I actually remember once  Addee had told me she wanted a little sister just like Greenlee.  And after some discussion, we realized we wanted twins, so We immediately began to pray every day for twins. And it wasn't but five years later before I became pregnant again.  

I remember that day perfectly as well. I was sitting on the couch in our living room with my sister reading a book when I decided to go ask my mom what a word meant from the book that I didn't understand. When I walked in she called me over and told me the wonderful news. She said  I was going to be a big sister again. All I remember is just running in the living room crying because I was so excited to be a sister again. It was like the greatest moment of my life. 

We contemplated way more names this time considering we were waiting to find out the gender till the day of birth. Everyone said it was going to be a boy and my mom thought so too but I wanted another sister so I wasn't too happy about this idea at all. I  had told my mom I hoped she had twins, but she said because of her autoimmune stuff and the fact that she was 42 and had already had two cesexshons it was already going to be a high-risk pregnancy  .  and it was, she had to have the baby in Dallas instead of in sulfur springs where we were born.

I later found out that my mom wanted to have twins when she was a teenager but changed her mind, and  I also found out that I would have had another sibling before Addee but my mom had a miscarriage.   We went through the whole pregnancy just wondering the gender of the baby, me wanting a girl, everybody else wanting a boy. The day the baby was born my sister was sick and had to wear a mask so when we finally got to see the baby and found out it was a girl  (who we named Aynslee Grace) she kept tugging on my sister's mask and kept sticking her tongue out at her. 

Those events changed my life because they helped shape me into the person I am today and brought a lot of responsibility into my life. For example, becoming a big sister allowed me to learn skills such as patience, and many others that I can use when I become a parent myself.   Also, my mom having her autoimmune disease brought me different responsibilities, for both like having to watch my sisters on my mom’s really bad days and other things too. But those two events greatly changed my life for the better. And wouldn’t change any of it for the world.

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Your Life Is Golden: 50 Events You Could Explore in Your Own Memoir

October 16, 2017

Life is a wonderful gift, especially when you can look back on it! Do you have some memories that are truly joyous? Do they make you smile when you think of what happened? Or what about some memories that aren’t so pleasant? Do you also remember them and their effect on your life? Big and small, happy and sad, all the milestones and special events in your life have helped shape you into the wonderful person that you are today. And not only that, but the events in your life provide fertile ground for writing your own memoir. A memoir is a great way to preserve your stories and your legacy. However, if you’ve thought about writing your own memoir, chances are that you’ve also wondered what exactly you should write about. What should or could be included in your memoir?

Life Events

To get your creative juices flowing, here are 50 significant life events that you can use as inspiration for your own reflection and writing . I have grouped them into seven categories: school, family, work, life learning, hobbies, travel and history. For all of these life events, try to remember and think about what happened, who was involved, where it happened, when it happened, why it happened and how. Not every event on this list will be applicable to you, but a good number of them will. Just try to relax and enjoy your journey remembering many of the things you’ve done and experienced in this life. But take some notes if you can; it will help with your memoir writing later.

1. You attended school for the first time. 2. You made friends or a best friend at school. 3. You attended your favorite (or least favorite) class. 4. You got involved in a group or sport at school or after school. 5. You graduated from high school. 6. You graduated from college or university. 7. You took an important test.

Family, Friends and Relationships

8. You attended a significant family gathering. 9. You fought with a loved one or a family member. 10. You fell in love for the first time. 11. You met and fell in love with your future spouse. 12. You got engaged. 13. You got married. 14. You built a home life. 15. You had a baby, witnessed the birth of your child or adopted a child. 16. You added a pet to the family. 17. You got divorced. 18. You lost a loved one.

19. You got your first job and your first paycheck. 20. You got a promotion. 21. You achieved something significant at work. 22. You got fired or lost a job. 23. You opened a business or made an investment. 24. You retired.

Life Learning

25. You moved out of your family’s home. 26. You accomplished something that took a lot of effort. 27. You discovered something about yourself. 28. You earned an award. 29. You overcame an obstacle. 30. You dared to do something that others around you considered to be unconventional. 31. You learned to do certain things by yourself. 32. You experienced a big failure for the first time. 33. You did something that changed your perspective. 34. You did something important for someone else. 35. You experienced something that made you rethink what you were doing. 36. You met someone who had a big influence on you. 37. You experienced an important religious or philosophical moment. 38. You suffered from an illness or cared for someone with an illness.

39. You learned how to do your favorite hobby. 40. You discovered your life’s passions. 41. You attended an important event. 42. You got involved in a club or organization. 43. You discovered your favorite nature spot or a connection with nature.

44. You took a family vacation. 45. You moved to another house, city or country. 46. You took a road trip. 47. You took your first trip abroad. 48. You met someone on a trip who changed your perspective.

49. You became aware of what was happening in the world or your community. 50. You witnessed or participated in an important moment in American history, such as World War II or September 11.

Memoir Writing Made Easy 

Are you interested in writing your memoir, but don’t know where to start?  Our Memoir Writing Made Easy course is a step-by-step guide to help you generate story ideas and write with a style you can be proud of. Plus you can work at your own pace, whenever and wherever you want! The course is written for non-writers. Topics include: setting yourself up for writing success, writing styles and formats, editing, legal issues, publishing ideas and lots more!  Visit our Memoir Writing Made Easy webpage to learn more!

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Eight brilliant student essays on what matters most in life.

Read winning essays from our spring 2019 student writing contest.

For the spring 2019 student writing contest, we invited students to read the YES! article “Three Things That Matter Most in Youth and Old Age” by Nancy Hill. Like the author, students interviewed someone significantly older than them about the three things that matter most in life. Students then wrote about what they learned, and about how their interviewees’ answers compare to their own top priorities.

The Winners

From the hundreds of essays written, these eight were chosen as winners. Be sure to read the author’s response to the essay winners and the literary gems that caught our eye. Plus, we share an essay from teacher Charles Sanderson, who also responded to the writing prompt.

Middle School Winner: Rory Leyva

High School Winner:  Praethong Klomsum

University Winner:  Emily Greenbaum

Powerful Voice Winner: Amanda Schwaben

Powerful Voice Winner: Antonia Mills

Powerful Voice Winner:  Isaac Ziemba

Powerful Voice Winner: Lily Hersch

“Tell It Like It Is” Interview Winner: Jonas Buckner

From the Author: Response to Student Winners

Literary Gems

From A Teacher: Charles Sanderson

From the Author: Response to Charles Sanderson

Middle School Winner

Village Home Education Resource Center, Portland, Ore.

The Lessons Of Mortality 

“As I’ve aged, things that are more personal to me have become somewhat less important. Perhaps I’ve become less self-centered with the awareness of mortality, how short one person’s life is.” This is how my 72-year-old grandma believes her values have changed over the course of her life. Even though I am only 12 years old, I know my life won’t last forever, and someday I, too, will reflect on my past decisions. We were all born to exist and eventually die, so we have evolved to value things in the context of mortality.

One of the ways I feel most alive is when I play roller derby. I started playing for the Rose City Rollers Juniors two years ago, and this year, I made the Rosebud All-Stars travel team. Roller derby is a fast-paced, full-contact sport. The physicality and intense training make me feel in control of and present in my body.

My roller derby team is like a second family to me. Adolescence is complicated. We understand each other in ways no one else can. I love my friends more than I love almost anything else. My family would have been higher on my list a few years ago, but as I’ve aged it has been important to make my own social connections.

Music led me to roller derby.  I started out jam skating at the roller rink. Jam skating is all about feeling the music. It integrates gymnastics, breakdancing, figure skating, and modern dance with R & B and hip hop music. When I was younger, I once lay down in the DJ booth at the roller rink and was lulled to sleep by the drawl of wheels rolling in rhythm and people talking about the things they came there to escape. Sometimes, I go up on the roof of my house at night to listen to music and feel the wind rustle my hair. These unique sensations make me feel safe like nothing else ever has.

My grandma tells me, “Being close with family and friends is the most important thing because I haven’t

always had that.” When my grandma was two years old, her father died. Her mother became depressed and moved around a lot, which made it hard for my grandma to make friends. Once my grandma went to college, she made lots of friends. She met my grandfather, Joaquin Leyva when she was working as a park ranger and he was a surfer. They bought two acres of land on the edge of a redwood forest and had a son and a daughter. My grandma created a stable family that was missing throughout her early life.

My grandma is motivated to maintain good health so she can be there for her family. I can relate because I have to be fit and strong for my team. Since she lost my grandfather to cancer, she realizes how lucky she is to have a functional body and no life-threatening illnesses. My grandma tries to eat well and exercise, but she still struggles with depression. Over time, she has learned that reaching out to others is essential to her emotional wellbeing.  

Caring for the earth is also a priority for my grandma I’ve been lucky to learn from my grandma. She’s taught me how to hunt for fossils in the desert and find shells on the beach. Although my grandma grew up with no access to the wilderness, she admired the green open areas of urban cemeteries. In college, she studied geology and hiked in the High Sierras. For years, she’s been an advocate for conserving wildlife habitat and open spaces.

Our priorities may seem different, but it all comes down to basic human needs. We all desire a purpose, strive to be happy, and need to be loved. Like Nancy Hill says in the YES! Magazine article “Three Things That Matter Most in Youth and Old Age,” it can be hard to decipher what is important in life. I believe that the constant search for satisfaction and meaning is the only thing everyone has in common. We all want to know what matters, and we walk around this confusing world trying to find it. The lessons I’ve learned from my grandma about forging connections, caring for my body, and getting out in the world inspire me to live my life my way before it’s gone.

Rory Leyva is a seventh-grader from Portland, Oregon. Rory skates for the Rosebuds All-Stars roller derby team. She loves listening to music and hanging out with her friends.

High School Winner

Praethong Klomsum

  Santa Monica High School, Santa Monica, Calif.

Time Only Moves Forward

Sandra Hernandez gazed at the tiny house while her mother’s gentle hands caressed her shoulders. It wasn’t much, especially for a family of five. This was 1960, she was 17, and her family had just moved to Culver City.

Flash forward to 2019. Sandra sits in a rocking chair, knitting a blanket for her latest grandchild, in the same living room. Sandra remembers working hard to feed her eight children. She took many different jobs before settling behind the cash register at a Japanese restaurant called Magos. “It was a struggle, and my husband Augustine, was planning to join the military at that time, too.”

In the YES! Magazine article “Three Things That Matter Most in Youth and Old Age,” author Nancy Hill states that one of the most important things is “…connecting with others in general, but in particular with those who have lived long lives.” Sandra feels similarly. It’s been hard for Sandra to keep in contact with her family, which leaves her downhearted some days. “It’s important to maintain that connection you have with your family, not just next-door neighbors you talk to once a month.”

Despite her age, Sandra is a daring woman. Taking risks is important to her, and she’ll try anything—from skydiving to hiking. Sandra has some regrets from the past, but nowadays, she doesn’t wonder about the “would have, could have, should haves.” She just goes for it with a smile.

Sandra thought harder about her last important thing, the blue and green blanket now finished and covering

her lap. “I’ve definitely lived a longer life than most, and maybe this is just wishful thinking, but I hope I can see the day my great-grandchildren are born.” She’s laughing, but her eyes look beyond what’s in front of her. Maybe she is reminiscing about the day she held her son for the first time or thinking of her grandchildren becoming parents. I thank her for her time and she waves it off, offering me a styrofoam cup of lemonade before I head for the bus station.

The bus is sparsely filled. A voice in my head reminds me to finish my 10-page history research paper before spring break. I take a window seat and pull out my phone and earbuds. My playlist is already on shuffle, and I push away thoughts of that dreaded paper. Music has been a constant in my life—from singing my lungs out in kindergarten to Barbie’s “I Need To Know,” to jamming out to Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” in sixth grade, to BTS’s “Intro: Never Mind” comforting me when I’m at my lowest. Music is my magic shop, a place where I can trade away my fears for calm.

I’ve always been afraid of doing something wrong—not finishing my homework or getting a C when I can do better. When I was 8, I wanted to be like the big kids. As I got older, I realized that I had exchanged my childhood longing for the 48 pack of crayons for bigger problems, balancing grades, a social life, and mental stability—all at once. I’m going to get older whether I like it or not, so there’s no point forcing myself to grow up faster.  I’m learning to live in the moment.

The bus is approaching my apartment, where I know my comfy bed and a home-cooked meal from my mom are waiting. My mom is hard-working, confident, and very stubborn. I admire her strength of character. She always keeps me in line, even through my rebellious phases.

My best friend sends me a text—an update on how broken her laptop is. She is annoying. She says the stupidest things and loves to state the obvious. Despite this, she never fails to make me laugh until my cheeks feel numb. The rest of my friends are like that too—loud, talkative, and always brightening my day. Even friends I stopped talking to have a place in my heart. Recently, I’ve tried to reconnect with some of them. This interview was possible because a close friend from sixth grade offered to introduce me to Sandra, her grandmother.  

I’m decades younger than Sandra, so my view of what’s important isn’t as broad as hers, but we share similar values, with friends and family at the top. I have a feeling that when Sandra was my age, she used to love music, too. Maybe in a few decades, when I’m sitting in my rocking chair, drawing in my sketchbook, I’ll remember this article and think back fondly to the days when life was simple.

Praethong Klomsum is a tenth-grader at Santa Monica High School in Santa Monica, California.  Praethong has a strange affinity for rhyme games and is involved in her school’s dance team. She enjoys drawing and writing, hoping to impact people willing to listen to her thoughts and ideas.

University Winner

Emily Greenbaum

Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 

The Life-Long War

Every morning we open our eyes, ready for a new day. Some immediately turn to their phones and social media. Others work out or do yoga. For a certain person, a deep breath and the morning sun ground him. He hears the clink-clank of his wife cooking low sodium meat for breakfast—doctor’s orders! He sees that the other side of the bed is already made, the dogs are no longer in the room, and his clothes are set out nicely on the loveseat.

Today, though, this man wakes up to something different: faded cream walls and jello. This person, my hero, is Master Chief Petty Officer Roger James.

I pulled up my chair close to Roger’s vinyl recliner so I could hear him above the noise of the beeping dialysis machine. I noticed Roger would occasionally glance at his wife Susan with sparkly eyes when he would recall memories of the war or their grandkids. He looked at Susan like she walked on water.

Roger James served his country for thirty years. Now, he has enlisted in another type of war. He suffers from a rare blood cancer—the result of the wars he fought in. Roger has good and bad days. He says, “The good outweighs the bad, so I have to be grateful for what I have on those good days.”

When Roger retired, he never thought the effects of the war would reach him. The once shallow wrinkles upon his face become deeper, as he tells me, “It’s just cancer. Others are suffering from far worse. I know I’ll make it.”

Like Nancy Hill did in her article “Three Things that Matter Most in Youth and Old Age,” I asked Roger, “What are the three most important things to you?” James answered, “My wife Susan, my grandkids, and church.”

Roger and Susan served together in the Vietnam war. She was a nurse who treated his cuts and scrapes one day. I asked Roger why he chose Susan. He said, “Susan told me to look at her while she cleaned me up. ‘This may sting, but don’t be a baby.’ When I looked into her eyes, I felt like she was looking into my soul, and I didn’t want her to leave. She gave me this sense of home. Every day I wake up, she makes me feel the same way, and I fall in love with her all over again.”

Roger and Susan have two kids and four grandkids, with great-grandchildren on the way. He claims that his grandkids give him the youth that he feels slowly escaping from his body. This adoring grandfather is energized by coaching t-ball and playing evening card games with the grandkids.

The last thing on his list was church. His oldest daughter married a pastor. Together they founded a church. Roger said that the connection between his faith and family is important to him because it gave him a reason to want to live again. I learned from Roger that when you’re across the ocean, you tend to lose sight of why you are fighting. When Roger returned, he didn’t have the will to live. Most days were a struggle, adapting back into a society that lacked empathy for the injuries, pain, and psychological trauma carried by returning soldiers. Church changed that for Roger and gave him a sense of purpose.

When I began this project, my attitude was to just get the assignment done. I never thought I could view Master Chief Petty Officer Roger James as more than a role model, but he definitely changed my mind. It’s as if Roger magically lit a fire inside of me and showed me where one’s true passions should lie. I see our similarities and embrace our differences. We both value family and our own connections to home—his home being church and mine being where I can breathe the easiest.

Master Chief Petty Officer Roger James has shown me how to appreciate what I have around me and that every once in a while, I should step back and stop to smell the roses. As we concluded the interview, amidst squeaky clogs and the stale smell of bleach and bedpans, I looked to Roger, his kind, tired eyes, and weathered skin, with a deeper sense of admiration, knowing that his values still run true, no matter what he faces.

Emily Greenbaum is a senior at Kent State University, graduating with a major in Conflict Management and minor in Geography. Emily hopes to use her major to facilitate better conversations, while she works in the Washington, D.C. area.  

Powerful Voice Winner

Amanda Schwaben

Wise Words From Winnie the Pooh

As I read through Nancy Hill’s article “Three Things That Matter Most in Youth and Old Age,” I was comforted by the similar responses given by both children and older adults. The emphasis participants placed on family, social connections, and love was not only heartwarming but hopeful. While the messages in the article filled me with warmth, I felt a twinge of guilt building within me. As a twenty-one-year-old college student weeks from graduation, I honestly don’t think much about the most important things in life. But if I was asked, I would most likely say family, friendship, and love. As much as I hate to admit it, I often find myself obsessing over achieving a successful career and finding a way to “save the world.”

A few weeks ago, I was at my family home watching the new Winnie the Pooh movie Christopher Robin with my mom and younger sister. Well, I wasn’t really watching. I had my laptop in front of me, and I was aggressively typing up an assignment. Halfway through the movie, I realized I left my laptop charger in my car. I walked outside into the brisk March air. Instinctively, I looked up. The sky was perfectly clear, revealing a beautiful array of stars. When my twin sister and I were in high school, we would always take a moment to look up at the sparkling night sky before we came into the house after soccer practice.

I think that was the last time I stood in my driveway and gazed at the stars. I did not get the laptop charger from

my car; instead, I turned around and went back inside. I shut my laptop and watched the rest of the movie. My twin sister loves Winnie the Pooh. So much so that my parents got her a stuffed animal version of him for Christmas. While I thought he was adorable and a token of my childhood, I did not really understand her obsession. However, it was clear to me after watching the movie. Winnie the Pooh certainly had it figured out. He believed that the simple things in life were the most important: love, friendship, and having fun.

I thought about asking my mom right then what the three most important things were to her, but I decided not to. I just wanted to be in the moment. I didn’t want to be doing homework. It was a beautiful thing to just sit there and be present with my mom and sister.

I did ask her, though, a couple of weeks later. Her response was simple.  All she said was family, health, and happiness. When she told me this, I imagined Winnie the Pooh smiling. I think he would be proud of that answer.

I was not surprised by my mom’s reply. It suited her perfectly. I wonder if we relearn what is most important when we grow older—that the pressure to be successful subsides. Could it be that valuing family, health, and happiness is what ends up saving the world?

Amanda Schwaben is a graduating senior from Kent State University with a major in Applied Conflict Management. Amanda also has minors in Psychology and Interpersonal Communication. She hopes to further her education and focus on how museums not only preserve history but also promote peace.

Antonia Mills

Rachel Carson High School, Brooklyn, N.Y. 

Decoding The Butterfly

For a caterpillar to become a butterfly, it must first digest itself. The caterpillar, overwhelmed by accumulating tissue, splits its skin open to form its protective shell, the chrysalis, and later becomes the pretty butterfly we all know and love. There are approximately 20,000 species of butterflies, and just as every species is different, so is the life of every butterfly. No matter how long and hard a caterpillar has strived to become the colorful and vibrant butterfly that we marvel at on a warm spring day, it does not live a long life. A butterfly can live for a year, six months, two weeks, and even as little as twenty-four hours.

I have often wondered if butterflies live long enough to be blissful of blue skies. Do they take time to feast upon the sweet nectar they crave, midst their hustling life of pollinating pretty flowers? Do they ever take a lull in their itineraries, or are they always rushing towards completing their four-stage metamorphosis? Has anyone asked the butterfly, “Who are you?” instead of “What are you”? Or, How did you get here, on my windowsill?  How did you become ‘you’?

Humans are similar to butterflies. As a caterpillar

Suzanna Ruby/Getty Images

becomes a butterfly, a baby becomes an elder. As a butterfly soars through summer skies, an elder watches summer skies turn into cold winter nights and back toward summer skies yet again.  And as a butterfly flits slowly by the porch light, a passerby makes assumptions about the wrinkled, slow-moving elder, who is sturdier than he appears. These creatures are not seen for who they are—who they were—because people have “better things to do” or they are too busy to ask, “How are you”?

Our world can be a lonely place. Pressured by expectations, haunted by dreams, overpowered by weakness, and drowned out by lofty goals, we tend to forget ourselves—and others. Rather than hang onto the strands of our diminishing sanity, we might benefit from listening to our elders. Many elders have experienced setbacks in their young lives. Overcoming hardship and surviving to old age is wisdom that they carry.  We can learn from them—and can even make their day by taking the time to hear their stories.  

Nancy Hill, who wrote the YES! Magazine article “Three Things That Matter Most in Youth and Old Age,” was right: “We live among such remarkable people, yet few know their stories.” I know a lot about my grandmother’s life, and it isn’t as serene as my own. My grandmother, Liza, who cooks every day, bakes bread on holidays for our neighbors, brings gifts to her doctor out of the kindness of her heart, and makes conversation with neighbors even though she is isn’t fluent in English—Russian is her first language—has struggled all her life. Her mother, Anna, a single parent, had tuberculosis, and even though she had an inviolable spirit, she was too frail to care for four children. She passed away when my grandmother was sixteen, so my grandmother and her siblings spent most of their childhood in an orphanage. My grandmother got married at nineteen to my grandfather, Pinhas. He was a man who loved her more than he loved himself and was a godsend to every person he met. Liza was—and still is—always quick to do what was best for others, even if that person treated her poorly. My grandmother has lived with physical pain all her life, yet she pushed herself to climb heights that she wasn’t ready for. Against all odds, she has lived to tell her story to people who are willing to listen. And I always am.

I asked my grandmother, “What are three things most important to you?” Her answer was one that I already expected: One, for everyone to live long healthy lives. Two, for you to graduate from college. Three, for you to always remember that I love you.

What may be basic to you means the world to my grandmother. She just wants what she never had the chance to experience: a healthy life, an education, and the chance to express love to the people she values. The three things that matter most to her may be so simple and ordinary to outsiders, but to her, it is so much more. And who could take that away?

Antonia Mills was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and attends Rachel Carson High School.  Antonia enjoys creative activities, including writing, painting, reading, and baking. She hopes to pursue culinary arts professionally in the future. One of her favorite quotes is, “When you start seeing your worth, you’ll find it harder to stay around people who don’t.” -Emily S.P.  

  Powerful Voice Winner

   Isaac Ziemba

Odyssey Multiage Program, Bainbridge Island, Wash. 

This Former State Trooper Has His Priorities Straight: Family, Climate Change, and Integrity

I have a personal connection to people who served in the military and first responders. My uncle is a first responder on the island I live on, and my dad retired from the Navy. That was what made a man named Glen Tyrell, a state trooper for 25 years, 2 months and 9 days, my first choice to interview about what three things matter in life. In the YES! Magazine article “The Three Things That Matter Most in Youth and Old Age,” I learned that old and young people have a great deal in common. I know that’s true because Glen and I care about a lot of the same things.

For Glen, family is at the top of his list of important things. “My wife was, and is, always there for me. My daughters mean the world to me, too, but Penny is my partner,” Glen said. I can understand why Glen’s wife is so important to him. She’s family. Family will always be there for you.

Glen loves his family, and so do I with all my heart. My dad especially means the world to me. He is my top supporter and tells me that if I need help, just “say the word.” When we are fishing or crabbing, sometimes I

think, what if these times were erased from my memory? I wouldn’t be able to describe the horrible feeling that would rush through my mind, and I’m sure that Glen would feel the same about his wife.

My uncle once told me that the world is always going to change over time. It’s what the world has turned out to be that worries me. Both Glen and I are extremely concerned about climate change and the effect that rising temperatures have on animals and their habitats. We’re driving them to extinction. Some people might say, “So what? Animals don’t pay taxes or do any of the things we do.” What we are doing to them is like the Black Death times 100.

Glen is also frustrated by how much plastic we use and where it ends up. He would be shocked that an explorer recently dived to the deepest part of the Pacific Ocean—seven miles!— and discovered a plastic bag and candy wrappers. Glen told me that, unfortunately, his generation did the damage and my generation is here to fix it. We need to take better care of Earth because if we don’t, we, as a species, will have failed.

Both Glen and I care deeply for our families and the earth, but for our third important value, I chose education and Glen chose integrity. My education is super important to me because without it, I would be a blank slate. I wouldn’t know how to figure out problems. I wouldn’t be able to tell right from wrong. I wouldn’t understand the Bill of Rights. I would be stuck. Everyone should be able to go to school, no matter where they’re from or who they are.  It makes me angry and sad to think that some people, especially girls, get shot because they are trying to go to school. I understand how lucky I am.

Integrity is sacred to Glen—I could tell by the serious tone of Glen’s voice when he told me that integrity was the code he lived by as a former state trooper. He knew that he had the power to change a person’s life, and he was committed to not abusing that power.  When Glen put someone under arrest—and my uncle says the same—his judgment and integrity were paramount. “Either you’re right or you’re wrong.” You can’t judge a person by what you think, you can only judge a person from what you know.”

I learned many things about Glen and what’s important in life, but there is one thing that stands out—something Glen always does and does well. Glen helps people. He did it as a state trooper, and he does it in our school, where he works on construction projects. Glen told me that he believes that our most powerful tools are writing and listening to others. I think those tools are important, too, but I also believe there are other tools to help solve many of our problems and create a better future: to be compassionate, to create caring relationships, and to help others. Just like Glen Tyrell does each and every day.

Isaac Ziemba is in seventh grade at the Odyssey Multiage Program on a small island called Bainbridge near Seattle, Washington. Isaac’s favorite subject in school is history because he has always been interested in how the past affects the future. In his spare time, you can find Isaac hunting for crab with his Dad, looking for artifacts around his house with his metal detector, and having fun with his younger cousin, Conner.     

Lily Hersch

 The Crest Academy, Salida, Colo.

The Phone Call

Dear Grandpa,

In my short span of life—12 years so far—you’ve taught me a lot of important life lessons that I’ll always have with me. Some of the values I talk about in this writing I’ve learned from you.

Dedicated to my Gramps.

In the YES! Magazine article “Three Things That Matter Most in Youth and Old Age,” author and photographer Nancy Hill asked people to name the three things that mattered most to them. After reading the essay prompt for the article, I immediately knew who I wanted to interview: my grandpa Gil.      

My grandpa was born on January 25, 1942. He lived in a minuscule tenement in The Bronx with his mother,

father, and brother. His father wasn’t around much, and, when he was, he was reticent and would snap occasionally, revealing his constrained mental pain. My grandpa says this happened because my great grandfather did not have a father figure in his life. His mother was a classy, sharp lady who was the head secretary at a local police district station. My grandpa and his brother Larry did not care for each other. Gramps said he was very close to his mother, and Larry wasn’t. Perhaps Larry was envious for what he didn’t have.

Decades after little to no communication with his brother, my grandpa decided to spontaneously visit him in Florida, where he resided with his wife. Larry was taken aback at the sudden reappearance of his brother and told him to leave. Since then, the two brothers have not been in contact. My grandpa doesn’t even know if Larry is alive.         

My grandpa is now a retired lawyer, married to my wonderful grandma, and living in a pretty house with an ugly dog named BoBo.

So, what’s important to you, Gramps?

He paused a second, then replied, “Family, kindness, and empathy.”

“Family, because it’s my family. It’s important to stay connected with your family. My brother, father, and I never connected in the way I wished, and sometimes I contemplated what could’ve happened.  But you can’t change the past. So, that’s why family’s important to me.”

Family will always be on my “Top Three Most Important Things” list, too. I can’t imagine not having my older brother, Zeke, or my grandma in my life. I wonder how other kids feel about their families? How do kids trapped and separated from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border feel?  What about orphans? Too many questions, too few answers.

“Kindness, because growing up and not seeing a lot of kindness made me realize how important it is to have that in the world. Kindness makes the world go round.”

What is kindness? Helping my brother, Eli, who has Down syndrome, get ready in the morning? Telling people what they need to hear, rather than what they want to hear? Maybe, for now, I’ll put wisdom, not kindness, on my list.

“Empathy, because of all the killings and shootings [in this country.] We also need to care for people—people who are not living in as good circumstances as I have. Donald Trump and other people I’ve met have no empathy. Empathy is very important.”

Empathy is something I’ve felt my whole life. It’ll always be important to me like it is important to my grandpa. My grandpa shows his empathy when he works with disabled children. Once he took a disabled child to a Christina Aguilera concert because that child was too young to go by himself. The moments I feel the most empathy are when Eli gets those looks from people. Seeing Eli wonder why people stare at him like he’s a freak makes me sad, and annoyed that they have the audacity to stare.

After this 2 minute and 36-second phone call, my grandpa has helped me define what’s most important to me at this time in my life: family, wisdom, and empathy. Although these things are important now, I realize they can change and most likely will.

When I’m an old woman, I envision myself scrambling through a stack of storage boxes and finding this paper. Perhaps after reading words from my 12-year-old self, I’ll ask myself “What’s important to me?”

Lily Hersch is a sixth-grader at Crest Academy in Salida, Colorado. Lily is an avid indoorsman, finding joy in competitive spelling, art, and of course, writing. She does not like Swiss cheese.

  “Tell It Like It Is” Interview Winner

Jonas Buckner

KIPP: Gaston College Preparatory, Gaston, N.C.

Lessons My Nana Taught Me

I walked into the house. In the other room, I heard my cousin screaming at his game. There were a lot of Pioneer Woman dishes everywhere. The room had the television on max volume. The fan in the other room was on. I didn’t know it yet, but I was about to learn something powerful.

I was in my Nana’s house, and when I walked in, she said, “Hey Monkey Butt.”

I said, “Hey Nana.”

Before the interview, I was talking to her about what I was gonna interview her on. Also, I had asked her why I might have wanted to interview her, and she responded with, “Because you love me, and I love you too.”

Now, it was time to start the interview. The first

question I asked was the main and most important question ever: “What three things matter most to you and you only?”

She thought of it very thoughtfully and responded with, “My grandchildren, my children, and my health.”

Then, I said, “OK, can you please tell me more about your health?”

She responded with, “My health is bad right now. I have heart problems, blood sugar, and that’s about it.” When she said it, she looked at me and smiled because she loved me and was happy I chose her to interview.

I replied with, “K um, why is it important to you?”

She smiled and said, “Why is it…Why is my health important? Well, because I want to live a long time and see my grandchildren grow up.”

I was scared when she said that, but she still smiled. I was so happy, and then I said, “Has your health always been important to you.”

She responded with “Nah.”

Then, I asked, “Do you happen to have a story to help me understand your reasoning?”

She said, “No, not really.”

Now we were getting into the next set of questions. I said, “Remember how you said that your grandchildren matter to you? Can you please tell me why they matter to you?”

Then, she responded with, “So I can spend time with them, play with them, and everything.”

Next, I asked the same question I did before: “Have you always loved your grandchildren?” 

She responded with, “Yes, they have always been important to me.”

Then, the next two questions I asked she had no response to at all. She was very happy until I asked, “Why do your children matter most to you?”

She had a frown on and responded, “My daughter Tammy died a long time ago.”

Then, at this point, the other questions were answered the same as the other ones. When I left to go home I was thinking about how her answers were similar to mine. She said health, and I care about my health a lot, and I didn’t say, but I wanted to. She also didn’t have answers for the last two questions on each thing, and I was like that too.

The lesson I learned was that no matter what, always keep pushing because even though my aunt or my Nana’s daughter died, she kept on pushing and loving everyone. I also learned that everything should matter to us. Once again, I chose to interview my Nana because she matters to me, and I know when she was younger she had a lot of things happen to her, so I wanted to know what she would say. The point I’m trying to make is that be grateful for what you have and what you have done in life.

Jonas Buckner is a sixth-grader at KIPP: Gaston College Preparatory in Gaston, North Carolina. Jonas’ favorite activities are drawing, writing, math, piano, and playing AltSpace VR. He found his passion for writing in fourth grade when he wrote a quick autobiography. Jonas hopes to become a horror writer someday.

From The Author: Responses to Student Winners

Dear Emily, Isaac, Antonia, Rory, Praethong, Amanda, Lily, and Jonas,

Your thought-provoking essays sent my head spinning. The more I read, the more impressed I was with the depth of thought, beauty of expression, and originality. It left me wondering just how to capture all of my reactions in a single letter. After multiple false starts, I’ve landed on this: I will stick to the theme of three most important things.

The three things I found most inspirational about your essays:

You listened.

You connected.

We live in troubled times. Tensions mount between countries, cultures, genders, religious beliefs, and generations. If we fail to find a way to understand each other, to see similarities between us, the future will be fraught with increased hostility.

You all took critical steps toward connecting with someone who might not value the same things you do by asking a person who is generations older than you what matters to them. Then, you listened to their answers. You saw connections between what is important to them and what is important to you. Many of you noted similarities, others wondered if your own list of the three most important things would change as you go through life. You all saw the validity of the responses you received and looked for reasons why your interviewees have come to value what they have.

It is through these things—asking, listening, and connecting—that we can begin to bridge the differences in experiences and beliefs that are currently dividing us.

Individual observations

Each one of you made observations that all of us, regardless of age or experience, would do well to keep in mind. I chose one quote from each person and trust those reading your essays will discover more valuable insights.

“Our priorities may seem different, but they come back to basic human needs. We all desire a purpose, strive to be happy, and work to make a positive impact.” 

“You can’t judge a person by what you think , you can only judge a person by what you know .”

Emily (referencing your interviewee, who is battling cancer):

“Master Chief Petty Officer James has shown me how to appreciate what I have around me.”

Lily (quoting your grandfather):

“Kindness makes the world go round.”

“Everything should matter to us.”

Praethong (quoting your interviewee, Sandra, on the importance of family):

“It’s important to always maintain that connection you have with each other, your family, not just next-door neighbors you talk to once a month.”

“I wonder if maybe we relearn what is most important when we grow older. That the pressure to be successful subsides and that valuing family, health, and happiness is what ends up saving the world.”

“Listen to what others have to say. Listen to the people who have already experienced hardship. You will learn from them and you can even make their day by giving them a chance to voice their thoughts.”

I end this letter to you with the hope that you never stop asking others what is most important to them and that you to continue to take time to reflect on what matters most to you…and why. May you never stop asking, listening, and connecting with others, especially those who may seem to be unlike you. Keep writing, and keep sharing your thoughts and observations with others, for your ideas are awe-inspiring.

I also want to thank the more than 1,000 students who submitted essays. Together, by sharing what’s important to us with others, especially those who may believe or act differently, we can fill the world with joy, peace, beauty, and love.

We received many outstanding essays for the Winter 2019 Student Writing Competition. Though not every participant can win the contest, we’d like to share some excerpts that caught our eye:

Whether it is a painting on a milky canvas with watercolors or pasting photos onto a scrapbook with her granddaughters, it is always a piece of artwork to her. She values the things in life that keep her in the moment, while still exploring things she may not have initially thought would bring her joy.

—Ondine Grant-Krasno, Immaculate Heart Middle School, Los Angeles, Calif.

“Ganas”… It means “desire” in Spanish. My ganas is fueled by my family’s belief in me. I cannot and will not fail them. 

—Adan Rios, Lane Community College, Eugene, Ore.

I hope when I grow up I can have the love for my kids like my grandma has for her kids. She makes being a mother even more of a beautiful thing than it already is.

—Ashley Shaw, Columbus City Prep School for Girls, Grove City, Ohio

You become a collage of little pieces of your friends and family. They also encourage you to be the best you can be. They lift you up onto the seat of your bike, they give you the first push, and they don’t hesitate to remind you that everything will be alright when you fall off and scrape your knee.

— Cecilia Stanton, Bellafonte Area Middle School, Bellafonte, Pa.

Without good friends, I wouldn’t know what I would do to endure the brutal machine of public education.

—Kenneth Jenkins, Garrison Middle School, Walla Walla, Wash.

My dog, as ridiculous as it may seem, is a beautiful example of what we all should aspire to be. We should live in the moment, not stress, and make it our goal to lift someone’s spirits, even just a little.

—Kate Garland, Immaculate Heart Middle School, Los Angeles, Calif. 

I strongly hope that every child can spare more time to accompany their elderly parents when they are struggling, and moving forward, and give them more care and patience. so as to truly achieve the goal of “you accompany me to grow up, and I will accompany you to grow old.”

—Taiyi Li, Lane Community College, Eugene, Ore.

I have three cats, and they are my brothers and sisters. We share a special bond that I think would not be possible if they were human. Since they do not speak English, we have to find other ways to connect, and I think that those other ways can be more powerful than language.

—Maya Dombroskie, Delta Program Middle School, Boulsburg, Pa.

We are made to love and be loved. To have joy and be relational. As a member of the loneliest generation in possibly all of history, I feel keenly aware of the need for relationships and authentic connection. That is why I decided to talk to my grandmother.

—Luke Steinkamp, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio

After interviewing my grandma and writing my paper, I realized that as we grow older, the things that are important to us don’t change, what changes is why those things are important to us.

—Emily Giffer, Our Lady Star of the Sea, Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.

The media works to marginalize elders, often isolating them and their stories, and the wealth of knowledge that comes with their additional years of lived experiences. It also undermines the depth of children’s curiosity and capacity to learn and understand. When the worlds of elders and children collide, a classroom opens.

—Cristina Reitano, City College of San Francisco, San Francisco, Calif.

My values, although similar to my dad, only looked the same in the sense that a shadow is similar to the object it was cast on.

—Timofey Lisenskiy, Santa Monica High School, Santa Monica, Calif.

I can release my anger through writing without having to take it out on someone. I can escape and be a different person; it feels good not to be myself for a while. I can make up my own characters, so I can be someone different every day, and I think that’s pretty cool.

—Jasua Carillo, Wellness, Business, and Sports School, Woodburn, Ore. 

Notice how all the important things in his life are people: the people who he loves and who love him back. This is because “people are more important than things like money or possessions, and families are treasures,” says grandpa Pat. And I couldn’t agree more.

—Brody Hartley, Garrison Middle School, Walla Walla, Wash.  

Curiosity for other people’s stories could be what is needed to save the world.

—Noah Smith, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio

Peace to me is a calm lake without a ripple in sight. It’s a starry night with a gentle breeze that pillows upon your face. It’s the absence of arguments, fighting, or war. It’s when egos stop working against each other and finally begin working with each other. Peace is free from fear, anxiety, and depression. To me, peace is an important ingredient in the recipe of life.

—JP Bogan, Lane Community College, Eugene, Ore.

From A Teacher

Charles Sanderson

Wellness, Business and Sports School, Woodburn, Ore. 

The Birthday Gift

I’ve known Jodelle for years, watching her grow from a quiet and timid twelve-year-old to a young woman who just returned from India, where she played Kabaddi, a kind of rugby meets Red Rover.

One of my core beliefs as an educator is to show up for the things that matter to kids, so I go to their games, watch their plays, and eat the strawberry jam they make for the county fair. On this occasion, I met Jodelle at a robotics competition to watch her little sister Abby compete. Think Nerd Paradise: more hats made from traffic cones than Golden State Warrior ball caps, more unicorn capes than Nike swooshes, more fanny packs with Legos than clutches with eyeliner.

We started chatting as the crowd chanted and waved six-foot flags for teams like Mystic Biscuits, Shrek, and everyone’s nemesis The Mean Machine. Apparently, when it’s time for lunch at a robotics competition, they don’t mess around. The once-packed gym was left to Jodelle and me, and we kept talking and talking. I eventually asked her about the three things that matter to her most.

She told me about her mom, her sister, and her addiction—to horses. I’ve read enough of her writing to know that horses were her drug of choice and her mom and sister were her support network.

I learned about her desire to become a teacher and how hours at the barn with her horse, Heart, recharge her when she’s exhausted. At one point, our rambling conversation turned to a topic I’ve known far too well—her father.

Later that evening, I received an email from Jodelle, and she had a lot to say. One line really struck me: “In so many movies, I have seen a dad wanting to protect his daughter from the world, but I’ve only understood the scene cognitively. Yesterday, I felt it.”

Long ago, I decided that I would never be a dad. I had seen movies with fathers and daughters, and for me, those movies might as well have been Star Wars, ET, or Alien—worlds filled with creatures I’d never know. However, over the years, I’ve attended Jodelle’s parent-teacher conferences, gone to her graduation, and driven hours to watch her ride Heart at horse shows. Simply, I showed up. I listened. I supported.

Jodelle shared a series of dad poems, as well. I had read the first two poems in their original form when Jodelle was my student. The revised versions revealed new graphic details of her past. The third poem, however, was something entirely different.

She called the poems my early birthday present. When I read the lines “You are my father figure/Who I look up to/Without being looked down on,” I froze for an instant and had to reread the lines. After fifty years of consciously deciding not to be a dad, I was seen as one—and it felt incredible. Jodelle’s poem and recognition were two of the best presents I’ve ever received.

I  know that I was the language arts teacher that Jodelle needed at the time, but her poem revealed things I never knew I taught her: “My father figure/ Who taught me/ That listening is for observing the world/ That listening is for learning/Not obeying/Writing is for connecting/Healing with others.”

Teaching is often a thankless job, one that frequently brings more stress and anxiety than joy and hope. Stress erodes my patience. Anxiety curtails my ability to enter each interaction with every student with the grace they deserve. However, my time with Jodelle reminds me of the importance of leaning in and listening.

In the article “Three Things That Matter Most in Youth and Old Age” by Nancy Hill, she illuminates how we “live among such remarkable people, yet few know their stories.” For the last twenty years, I’ve had the privilege to work with countless of these “remarkable people,” and I’ve done my best to listen, and, in so doing, I hope my students will realize what I’ve known for a long time; their voices matter and deserve to be heard, but the voices of their tias and abuelitos and babushkas are equally important. When we take the time to listen, I believe we do more than affirm the humanity of others; we affirm our own as well.

Charles Sanderson has grounded his nineteen-year teaching career in a philosophy he describes as “Mirror, Window, Bridge.” Charles seeks to ensure all students see themselves, see others, and begin to learn the skills to build bridges of empathy, affinity, and understanding between communities and cultures that may seem vastly different. He proudly teaches at the Wellness, Business and Sports School in Woodburn, Oregon, a school and community that brings him joy and hope on a daily basis.

From   The Author: Response to Charles Sanderson

Dear Charles Sanderson,

Thank you for submitting an essay of your own in addition to encouraging your students to participate in YES! Magazine’s essay contest.

Your essay focused not on what is important to you, but rather on what is important to one of your students. You took what mattered to her to heart, acting upon it by going beyond the school day and creating a connection that has helped fill a huge gap in her life. Your efforts will affect her far beyond her years in school. It is clear that your involvement with this student is far from the only time you have gone beyond the classroom, and while you are not seeking personal acknowledgment, I cannot help but applaud you.

In an ideal world, every teacher, every adult, would show the same interest in our children and adolescents that you do. By taking the time to listen to what is important to our youth, we can help them grow into compassionate, caring adults, capable of making our world a better place.

Your concerted efforts to guide our youth to success not only as students but also as human beings is commendable. May others be inspired by your insights, concerns, and actions. You define excellence in teaching.

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Great Examples to Describe Important Life Events

Table of Contents

There may be times when you’ll be asked to  describe a significant event in your life . It could be for a school writing assignment or a college application essay. But some life moments can be so precious and overwhelming that it’s difficult to put them into words. If you find yourself stuck on what to write, don’t worry. This article is here to help you out.

Today we’ll share some tips with you on how to describe important life experiences. We’ll also review some great examples that you can refer to. Let’s get into it!

What Life Events Can You Talk About?

There are so many life-changing moments that you can talk about in your essay. If you haven’t been given a topic, here are some event examples you can consider discussing:

• Your first day at work
• An event that you love celebrating (e.g., a birthday, Independence Day, Christmas, an anniversary)
• The day you met the love of your life.
• A happy or memorable family event. (Wedding of a sibling, death of a family member, family birthday party, parents’ wedding anniversary, buying a house)
• The time you had an intense argument with a person
• A fight you had with a close friend
• The day of your graduation from high school or college.
• A memorable childhood event (e.g., a special birthday, starting school, moving home, a special trip, the birth of a sibling)
• When your first child was born

How Do You Describe a Significant Event in Your Life?

Answer the 5ws (what, who, when, where, why).

Before you start telling your story, it’s essential to get your facts in order. In order to do that, it can be helpful to answer the 5Ws:

• What happened?
• Who were the people involved?
• When did it happen?
• Where did it occur?
• Why was the event special?

By answering these questions, you can better organize your thoughts and structure the narrative you want to tell in your essay or text.

Get into the details.

Describing an event is all about going into the details. You want to help readers to visualize it as clearly as possible . Do your best to remember details like what the place looked like, the weather, what people were wearing, the atmosphere, and so on.

Choose the right descriptive words.

Words can go a long way to evoke emotions that can lead to memories. Do your best to choose appropriate and powerful words to describe events in your content.

Use an online writing tool.

If you’re still stuck on how to describe your topic, you can always get the help of online writing tools. The INK Event Description Generator is one of the best tools you can use to provide vivid and well-thought-out descriptions. It’s powered by AI technology, and it can generate text for you in a matter of seconds. There’s even an option for you to pick the tone of writing. You should definitely give it a try!

Example 1: When I Got Into My Dream University

I still remember it like it was yesterday. My nerves were all over the place, my hands were sweating, and I felt my heart beating so fast. It was Friday, and the college admission results were scheduled to be posted. My sister and I sat on the sofa, constantly refreshing the web page. She kept encouraging me every second, smiling with love on her face. My anxiety was not calming down any time soon.

Finally, my name popped on the page. A feeling of relief and tremendous joy washed over me. We were jumping up and down the coach, screaming like little girls. It was a life-changing moment I will never forget. That was the day I got one step close to my dreams and studying the course I wanted.

Example 2: Wedding of My Little Sister

It was three years ago when I saw my little sister walking down the aisle. The church was filled with daisies, her favorite flower. My mom sat beside me, and she couldn’t stop crying.

The church doors opened, and she walked through wearing the most beautiful white dress with a trail as long as the day. I couldn’t help but shed a river of tears when I saw her walk in. My little sister has always been my best friend, my partner in crime. And seeing her all grown up and ready to start her own family made my heart melt. I felt joyful and sad at the same time. But I knew she was embarking on her new journey, and my only wish was that she lived a long and happy life. 

Example 3: A camping trip with the family

My family and I first began going on camping trips when I was five years old. We would usually do it over the summer. My favorite part about camping was building a fire and roasting marshmallows. My dad once made french fries on the fire in a frying pan. It was so cool! I remember the feeling of being surrounded by my family and the smell of roasting hot fries on the fire. Every night before bed, I would lie awake and stare up at the stars. Those were simpler times. Now I’m 21, and I miss those days so much. I would often come to our old camping spot just to reminisce. I will forever hold those fun camping memories close to my heart.

To describe a significant event in your life, you need to take a trip down memory lane. Think about as many details as you can about a particular memory. It needs to be descriptive and interesting . This is no easy feat, so take your time and think of that moment in detail.

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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The Most Important Event in my Life The most important event in my life, didn’t even happen to myself, but happened to my older sister, Becky. The reason I am writing about her is because the things that have happened to her and the things she has done in the past have affected me tremendously as well as my family . Her life used to be filled with nothing else but drugs, stealing, and lying. My family has never been the same since then. It all started out when my very shy, self-conscious sister didn’t really fit in well. She was 16, chubby and had very few friends. One day Becky’s best friend Debbie introduced her to 19 year old guy name John. Becky and John hit it off very well …show more content…

During this time, my mother found that her diamond earrings were missing. She then subconsciously had a feeling that Becky knew where they were. My mother asked Becky about it and Becky just said she didn’t know anything about it, but that wasn’t the true story at all. By that time I was in Nebraska visiting my favorite aunt. A week went by and I had missed Mother’s day that year since our flight was canceled, so we stayed an extra day. The next day I finally get home, not to find a warm home with my family greeting me at the door, but instead to find my parents and my sister with a couple of suitcases in their hands walking to the car. I proceed to ask my mother what was wrong with my sister and she replied with “Yesterday Becky confessed that for the past year, she has been doing heroin.” My heart sank. I never thought it was that serious. My parents took her to rehab, and I went into my room and cried the rest of the day. My parents came back, surprisingly still with my sister. They said that the rehab wouldn’t take my sister because she was 18 and a legal adult and could easily sign herself out whenever she wanted. The rehab told my parents that Becky would have to face her withdrawals at home. Now I never knew how people acted when they went through withdrawals, but I do know now that it has to be the most painful and frightening sight I have ever seen. Becky had to stay in my parents

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As a girl who had always hated heights and finding myself fifteen stories in the air, the only thing that came to mind was if I was going to make it off the roller coaster I was riding. Conquering my first roller coaster and overcoming my fear of heights made me realize that I shouldn’t be afraid to take chances in life, but to be brave, because it may just turn out to be the ride of my life.…

A Defining Moment in My Life

Cancer, the word burned into my mind. My dad has cancer. The realization of this was so painful, that it was too much to bear. It was Multiple Myeloma, disease with which was not familiar. All that I knew was that my dad had cancer and my world was about to change forever.…

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Home — Essay Samples — Entertainment — Event — Significant Life Event

Significant Life Events: My Experience

• Categories: Event Personal Experience

About this sample

Words: 1074 |

Published: Mar 28, 2019

Words: 1074 | Pages: 2 | 6 min read

An extraordinary life event (essay)

Works cited:.

• Gibbons, B. (2014). Romeo and Juliet. Cambridge University Press.
• Holland, P. (2002). Shakespeare Survey: Volume 49, Romeo and Juliet and its Afterlife. Cambridge University Press.
• Lerer, S. (2009). Shakespeare's Letters. Yale University Press.
• Shakespeare, W. (2004). Romeo and Juliet. Oxford University Press.
• Simpson, C. (2010). Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Greenwood Publishing Group.
• Smith, D. W. (1995). Friar Laurence's rashness in Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare Quarterly, 46(2), 174-187.
• Stone, G. R. (1963). Friar Laurence and the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare Quarterly, 14(3), 331-344.
• Wells, S., & Orlin, L. (2014). Shakespeare: An Oxford Guide. Oxford University Press.
• Wilson, K. (2002). The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Film. Cambridge University Press.
• Zender, K. (2015). Interpretive choices and consequences in productions of Romeo and Juliet. The Routledge Companion to Shakespeare and Philosophy, 249-260.

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Personal Essay Example:  The Most Influential and Impactful People in My Life

Typically, high school students have a best friend that is relatively the same age as them. Well, my best friend is a middle-aged man. My best friend is my dad. When I think of someone who has impacted my life, my mind immediately goes to him. I think about all the things I have told him that can only come from a certain amount of trust. When you share a decent amount of trust with someone, a bond seems to form, one unlike any other. A bond that makes a person your best friend. My dad is and always will be my best friend. 

For as long as I can remember, basketball has been one of my dad’s favorite things. He would always talk about his teams, who they were going to play, and how well the competition would be. My dad has coached girls basketball for eleven years, ranging from coaching seventh grade to ninth grade. I have always admired how connected my dad was with his teams. When I would go to his games, I could see how much trust he had in his players and how much trust they had in him. While playing a school sport, it is guaranteed that there will be some amount of drama. Players would try to tear the team apart by fomenting drama or parents will be insatiable with their child’s playing time. I heard about all of this at home. I would hear about how frustrated my dad was getting because he heard a parent complaining to another parent about his coaching skills. It has always been hard seeing him get frustrated with these sorts of things because he doesn’t normally let the words of parents get under his skin. He rarely brings up what they say and he barely ever shows that he is paying attention to what they are saying. 

My dad has always been the kind of guy to push me to be my absolute best. He’s not the kind of guy to let me get away with putting half of my effort into anything. At work, my dad is a manager. Well, the manager of his department. He comes home all the time talking about how his coworkers will make him so mad because they seem like they don’t even want to be there. My dad has always told me, “If you’re going to do anything, always leave it all out there.” My dad and I both get very frustrated with ourselves when something is not going the way we want it to. My dad has managed to find something he calls the Reset Button. When he presses the Reset Button, he moves on from whatever is bothering and upsetting him. This magical button has never helped me. Brief exchanges of looks between me and my dad have always seemed to be my Reset Button. When I am frustrated and I make eye contact with my dad, it is almost like an entire conversation happens in thirty seconds. I don’t know if my dad means for that to happen, but it does. The words he says by saying nothing always seemed conducive to me. Like I know that no matter what happens, he is always going to be proud of me. 

I have always been a gullible person. You say something to me and I will believe it. I have a hard time with confrontation; therefore, I always believe the best in people and put all my trust in them. My dad; however, people have to earn his trust. When we have conversations about my gullibility, the conversation almost always ends with me in tears. My dad always tells me that if I continue to believe the best in people, they will always run me over. I have never really comprehended what he meant. I would hear what he said, and I’ve heard it multiple times, but I continue to put all my trust and believe the best in everyone. My dad has never told me why he continuously asks me to stop being so gullible. Maybe it was because he got hurt in the past believing people too much and he doesn’t want me to go through that same pain; however, I have never been able to ask him why. 

Collecting sports cards has become an obsession of my dads. Taking up an entire room in our house to be exact. To spend time with my dad, I went to a card show with him. As we rode in the car, I realized I had no idea what to expect going into the building; however, the excitement on my dad’s face made the uneasiness disappear. As we walked up to the exposition center and through the halls, I could see the excitement flowing from him. If you were to compare my dad and a kid in a candy shop at that exact moment, I truly believe you wouldn’t be able to tell a difference. When we finally got to the part of the building that was holding the card show, the countless tables full of objects ranging from cards to signed shoes astounded me. My father; however, was tremendously comfortable with the crowded environment. He made his way through the tables speaking the card addict lingo and by the time we were walking out the door, he was leaving with exactly what he had gone in looking for.

Car rides are always my favorite when I am with my dad. The things we talk about are all over the place. When you get in the car, you never really know what is going to happen. We could talk about sports, college, drama, or even the things that go on at home. My dad has always been the parent I feel more comfortable going up and talking to. When in the car with my dad, I feel safe. I feel like I can say anything and know that he is going to listen. Most of the time, when I am stressed about school, I always find myself talking to him about it in the car. At times, it feels like I am just talking to myself, but when that happens, I know my dad is listening to every word I say. I would say my dad is a very observant person. He always wants you to say everything and have your full stance before he chimes in with another component. 

While my dad can be straightforward, he is also one of the most humorous people I know. My dad will always try to make us laugh and it always brings a smile to the whole family. When my dad busts out his dance moves from back in the day, the amount of laughter that fills the room is astronomical. Or when he unleashes his vocals, that’s a household favorite. If one of us kids has a bad day at school, my dad will tell us a funny story from work. I wouldn’t say my dad is a people pleaser, but I think that when he truly wants to make someone’s day, he will find a way to make them smile. The amount of joy that my dad has in him seems to surprise some people. Some people will say that my dad is scary. When really, once you get to know him, he is a pretty exceptional guy. 

My dad has always told me and my siblings that no matter what we decide to do in life, he will support us no matter what. The belief in knowing that my dad has my back has always been so reassuring to me. When I decided to no longer take part in a sport that I had been participating in for what seems like forever, I truly thought my dad was going to be frustrated with me. I didn’t want him to believe I was just giving up. When he wasn’t upset, it took me by surprise. It had made me feel like the love my dad had for me had overridden his love for the sport and that he just wanted me to be happy. My whole life, having my dad’s approval on everything has been so important to me. One of my biggest goals ever since I was little has been to make my dad proud. My dad has been understanding of every decision I have made. When I decided on my career path, I could see how proud I was making him. The approval of my parents when choosing where I want to go to college and what I want to do after has always been important to me. I know no matter what I choose to do, my dad will be there and be my biggest supporter and scream my name the loudest at either my accomplishments or at my failure. I know he will be proud I tried and he will always be there to pick me up if I fall. 

Dad, you have been one of the most influential and impactful people in my life. You have made me see things from a different perspective. You have helped me get through things that I wouldn’t have been able to get through on my own. You have had conversations with me about things that are incredibly important to consider regarding my future. You are someone I feel like I can always go to, no matter the reason. You have made me laugh harder and more uncontrollably than anyone else. You have made me feel safe, and you have made me feel loved. Dad, I am so grateful for everything you have done for me. You are my forever best friend.

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