Writing Rockstars Blog 

Some of our homeschooling students are doing so well in the Essay Rock Star program, we've decided to share their finished work on Writing Rockstars's blog.

The essay below is by Devin Hoch, a 16-year old homeschooled high school student, who didn't originally consider himself a very skilled writer. He's taking our semester long Essay Rock Star non-fiction writing course. Below is his personal statement essay, the first of four essay modules in the course. A personal statement essay is usually requested in college applications.

Who Am I?

One of my favorite quotes is, "Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there's footprints on the moon." I believe that if you put your heart in it you can do just about anything. Everyone should be what they want to be in life. My name is Devin Hoch. I am going to tell you a little bit about who I am.

First of all, I love flying. I love any type of aviation. Helicopter, commercial, military, you name it. I am especially interested in the airplanes from WWII. Some of my favorites are the P-51 Mustang, the P-47 Thunderbolt, and the Douglas DC-3; all are well known American military aircraft. The P-51 was one arguably of the best fighter planes in history because it could be used for all types of tasks.

I like flight simulators as well because I can choose where, when, and what plane to fly. There are many flight simulators available, but I like Microsoft Flight Simulator X, or FSX the best. It offers the most realistic flight experience for a very affordable price. Another plus is the amazing number of add-ons and other customizations available, including airplanes and high definition airports.

One of my extracurricular activities is Civil Air Patrol. Civil Air Patrol is a volunteer organization that flies many search and rescue, reconnaissance, and drug search missions. CAP performs many ground team search and rescue missions as well. There are many opportunities to fly in Civil Air Patrol. In fact, just by joining, you are given ten orientation flights in either a powered aircraft or a glider. The aircraft CAP uses are the Gippsland GA-8, the L-23 glider, and the Cessna 172, 182, 152, and 206. I have flown several times already. There are CAP squadrons in all fifty states plus Puerto Rico.

Something else I enjoy is hunting. I've heard people say hunting is about brutally murdering helpless animals, but if anything it is the exact opposite. It is about conservation as well. Most people (including me) love the taste of wild game. I like to hunt deer, turkeys, squirrels, grouse, and pheasants. I like skeet shooting, target practice, and really any kind of shooting as well.

Along with everything else I've just mentioned, I'm also interested in building circus skills. Yes, you heard that right, circus skills! I can juggle four balls and am working on five. I like learning different juggling patterns with all kinds of different objects. I can also ride a unicycle and juggle at the same time! One day I randomly researched how to juggle on the internet. I watched several videos and started with three rolled up socks. I doubt that I will ever use these skills, but it's still fun to practice.

Last, but not least I love the adrenaline rush of doing anything dangerous or high off the ground. Most people are afraid of heights, but I love being up high. I have, in fact, touched the tops of several trees! I love the view from the very top of a large pine tree and the sense of adventure when I can't even see the ground.

Like I said before, just because something looks hard doesn't mean it's impossible. Impossible is not a word. It's just a reason not to try. You should never give up, because if you do, it will start to get easy, and when something gets hard, you will just give up. I've done many things out of determination. I learned to juggle. I learned to unicycle. I flew an airplane before I could drive. I think there are many things in my essay that prove my thesis that if you put your heart into it, you can do just about anything.

~Devin Hoch

Kudos to Devin!  The personal statement essay module is also offered in a short course on its own.  To learn more about our Essay Rock Star Personal Statement short course, click on the highlighted link.