Once you’ve decided upon an idea, next is to focus on a theme. The theme is the core of an essay. Here we focus on two key questions:
1) What happened? (the anchor story)
2) Why does it matter? (the characteristics that are supported by this topic)
A theme should be short and concise. Here are some examples from Wow students:
EXAMPLE 1:
What happened? I started the first-ever African society in my school. I did this because I was bullied in my previous school. So I decided to change schools and begin something new.
Why does it matter? I am a problem solver and I care about the well-being of other people.
EXAMPLE 2:
What happened? While canvassing for SNAP, I was concerned that I would unfairly judge someone or offend them by giving them information about food stamps. This caused me to freeze up, but when I stopped worrying, I was able to hand out information.
Why does it matter? When I encounter moments that challenge and confuse me, I am able to understand why I am uncomfortable, come up with and execute a solution, and learn from it.
EXAMPLE 3:
What happened? We took our time planning as a group once the prompt for the game design competition came out: “sacrifices must be made.”
Why does it matter? I like to take on intellectual challenges with other people. I am a creative thinker and I love to solve problems.
Before you start writing a draft, make sure you can answer these questions:
NEXT STEPS: Go to your Google Docs in Essay Folder in CounselMore and open Step 3: Focus on Theme doc. When finished, move on to Step 4.