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1.12: Random Autobiographies

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    20564

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    Random Autobiography Instructions

    Begin by making some lists:

    • Make a list of the towns and states you have visited or lived in. Put a note about what you saw or did there.
    • List animals you’ve touched or petted. When? Where? What did it feel like?
    • List the historic events you have witnessed. These can be neighborhood, city, state, national or international.
    • List things you’ve lost.
    • List some odd things you have experienced.
    • List places you have shopped and things you have bought.
    • List memorable things you have seen happen in your classroom, or with particular students.
    • List a few favorites, whatever comes to mind.
    • List places that are special to you and a few details about each.

    Complete the following sentence starts:

    • I was expected to
    • I’ve held
    • I lost
    • I tell you sincerely
    • Once
    • Twice
    • I bought
    • I love
    • I‘ve been scared
    • I’ve seen
    • I’m
    • I learned
    • I’ve heard
    • I’ve had some
    • I witnessed
    • I will testify
    • I have stories
    • I found

    Remember… if you don’t apply for scholarships, you won’t get them. Your college has resources to help you perfect your essays. At Lane Community College students can visit the Scholarship office for help with essays. There are experienced people to help you. If you can’t make it to campus, there are also websites like Scholarship Junkies that can help with essays online. Chances are, you have a story to tell that will inspire someone.

    If you need inspiration, read the student examples below.

    Random Autobiography
    By Quinn B.

    I was the expected guest
    I’ve held the trust and compassion of many
    I lost the negativity in my heart
    I tell you sincerely, I am not as I was
    Once I have loved
    Twice I have traveled
    I bought affection and admiration
    I love to offer all that I have
    I’ve been scared to find myself among others who have lost
    I’ve seen happiness in the faces of man
    I am eager to further live out my life through exploration and discovery
    I learned to never take for granted the compassion of others
    I’ve heard songs that tell stories
    I’ve had some time to ponder
    I once took a ride from a mysterious man
    And only one person believes themselves to be the lesser of the two evils
    I have been drowned in desperation and resuscitated by a profound acceptance
    I witnessed art in a foreign city
    I will testify to the beauty of my home
    I have stories to tell strangers who will become my friends
    I found myself in Damascus

    Random Autobiography
    By Brady H.

    I was expected to drop-out
    I’ve held myself to a higher standard
    I lost respect from my family
    I tell you sincerely that I’m serious about changing my life
    Once I’ve been criticized
    Twice I’ve been shaped into the man I am now
    I bought things that further my passions
    I love striving for greatness
    I’ve been scared of failure
    I’ve seen said failure first hand
    I’m not giving up
    I learned this isn’t easy
    I’ve heard it’s impossible
    I’ve had set backs in my life
    I once thought about giving up
    And only one person can truly hold me accountable, that’s me
    I have been upset with some choices I’ve made
    I witnessed that with a little time you can work your way back from anything
    I will testify that you can literally do anything as long as you believe whole heartedly that you can
    I have stories about times that I’ve had no hope
    I found hope in the midst of those stories

    Random Autobiography
    By Crysta R.

    My teachers in the K-12 system expected me to fail.
    I’ve held all 3 of my friends’ kids when they were born.
    I lost all of my teeth except for the top canine tooth, my friends called me a vampire.
    I tell you sincerely that even though I look mad all the time I’m not.
    Once I hated reading.
    Twice I bought books on learning Korean.
    I love K-pop.
    I’ve always been afraid of the dark.
    I’ve seen discrimination towards my mom .
    I’m shy
    I self taught myself some Korean, Japanese and Chinese.
    I’ve heard 4 languages in my house at one time.
    I’ve had to get a restraining order on my dad on my 15th birthday.
    I almost died more than once.
    And only one time have I been late on returning a movie.
    I have always loved photography, it started because I didn’t want my picture taken.
    I witnessed first hand what drugs and alcohol do to a family.
    I will testify that have stories only my friends know.
    I found that there more to life than staying stuck.

    Random Autobiography
    By Kelly G.

    I’ve held microphones, one job for 20 years and a friends hand while she had an abortion
    I tell you sincerely how I feel if you really want to know
    I’ve lost friends to car wrecks, alcoholism, drug abuse and sometimes all of the above
    Once you make it into my inner circle, you’re there for life
    I have played music in front of hundreds of people at one time
    I found a friend of mine passed out in a bush on the side of the road while I was driving home one night, I recognized him by his butt
    I have witnessed domestic violence, frat boy riots (yes, more than one) and a homeless man
    wearing pink, leopard print spandex head to toe and a feather boa smoking crack in the street and then dancing to Prince

    Random Autobiography
    By Asher L.

    I’ve been scared
    I’ve been scared, scarred, and torn down to my basic parts
    But I am re-building myself
    No longer spaz, tweak, or the class clown
    No longer running from my problems, because I can’t run from the things inside
    No longer am I escaping reality through drugs or anger
    I’m doing what’s best for me
    And honoring my friends lost lives
    I will not let myself be defined by my past choices
    But instead by my aspirations
    The scars on my back are no longer referred to as such
    They are my stripes
    My tiger stripes, each one from a battle won
    In school, my abuse was of a different kind
    It came from me
    I listened to all the teachers, who told me to sit down
    To be quite
    To pay attention
    After years, it wore me down
    Like the mighty mountain
    Eroding away under the torrent of abuse
    Falling like rain
    I lived this self-destructive life for years
    Preferring an intact family with no bed
    Or roof over our heads
    To the dysfunctional one
    Connected only by blood, and tears shed
    But I was given a chance that not many others could receive
    Now I have a new family
    One I chose myself
    That I earned
    The same ones who support me
    And helped me understand college isn’t something to dream about
    Fantasize about
    And put on the highest shelf by myself
    Like a parent hiding a cookie jar from a toddler’s grubby hands
    No
    I can do this
    Because I AM scared
    But I’m NOT scarred

    Licenses and Attributions

    Student work on this page used with permission.

    This page titled 1.12: Random Autobiographies is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Alise Lamoreaux (OpenOregon) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.