Crafting Your Essay for the David G. Sutton Memorial Scholarship

Brainstorming Across the Four Buckets

To create a well-rounded essay, gather material across these four key areas:

• Background: Reflect on your personal history. What experiences have shaped your values and aspirations? Consider family influences, educational experiences, or community involvement.
• Achievements: Identify significant accomplishments. Quantify your achievements where possible. Did you lead a project, volunteer extensively, or excel academically? Include metrics to showcase your impact.
• The Gap: Acknowledge what you currently lack and how further education fits into your goals. What skills or knowledge do you need to achieve your aspirations? Be specific about how this scholarship will help bridge that gap.
• Personality: Infuse your essay with personal details that reveal your character. What are your core values? What drives you? Use anecdotes to illustrate your personality and commitment to your goals.

Structuring Your Outline

Create a clear outline that logically organizes your thoughts. A suggested structure could be:

1. Introduction: Start with a compelling moment or scene that encapsulates your journey.
2. Background: Discuss your formative experiences and values.
3. Achievements: Highlight key accomplishments, using specific examples and metrics.
4. The Gap: Explain your current limitations and how the scholarship will aid your educational goals.
5. Conclusion: Reflect on your aspirations and the broader impact you hope to achieve with your education.

Drafting Voice and Style

As you draft, maintain an active voice and ensure each paragraph focuses on a single idea. Use transitions to guide the reader through your narrative. Avoid clichés and vague statements; instead, provide concrete examples and insights that illustrate your journey and ambitions.

Revision and the “So What?” Factor

After completing your draft, take a step back and evaluate your work. Ask yourself, “So what?” for each major point. What does your story reveal about you? Ensure that every section contributes to a coherent narrative that demonstrates your potential impact and commitment to your field.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

When writing your essay, steer clear of the following:

• Using clichés or generic statements that fail to convey your unique story.
• Neglecting to provide specific details, metrics, or anecdotes that support your claims.
• Writing in passive voice; always strive for an active voice that engages the reader.
• Forgetting to connect your experiences to your future goals and the scholarship’s purpose.