Show Notes:

Hi, friends, and welcome back to our series, On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling. In this series, we take a close look at personal essays written by real students, talking about why we love them, what makes them work, and how they came to be.

In this episode, we break down an essay on… wait for it… baseball. Wait, what? But Ethan, I thought writing about a common topic was a fast track to blending in. And yes—in many cases, it can be. But this essay offers a great example of how a familiar topic can become something more layered, specific, and personal.

To dig into how that happens, I'm joined by Kaila Barber: essay coach at CEG, Associate Director of 1-on-1 Coaching, and professional track star. Together, we explore how to stand out with a common topic, how to weave in challenge without letting it take over the story, and one specific technique for crafting a strong, memorable ending. If you're the kind of person who enjoys seeing how things get made, whether it's a great meal, a film scene, or a piece of writing, I have a feeling you'll enjoy this one.

Kaila Barber has been helping students prepare for college in various capacities since 2018. After graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a master's degree in Global Health, a bachelor's degree in PreProfessional Science, and a minor in Education, Schooling, and Society, Kaila decided to serve her local school district as an educational assistant. For two years, she worked closely with students who had learning differences, tailoring lesson plans and materials to better suit the needs of her students. Kaila enjoys walking side-by-side with students, guiding them through their memories and insights, while they discover new ways to make meaning from their lives that can be highlighted in creative and compelling essays.

We hope you enjoy.

Play-by-Play:

2:07 – Who is the student behind the essay, and what made his approach to a sports topic stand out?
4:44 – Kaila reads the essay we're calling, "The Stains on My Baseball Pants"
8:40 – What stands out about the essay's use of showing vs. telling?
10:27 – How did the essay evolve from a baseball topic into a montage centered on stains?
12:56 – How does the essay incorporate themes of identity and belonging without making them the central focus?
15:38 – How were the different "stains" chosen to represent key parts of the student's story?
- 19:52 – What does the kimbap stain reveal about family, culture, and leadership?
- 22:00 – What does the dirt stain reveal about growth, belonging, and identity?
- 26:57 – What new role or identity is revealed through the eye black blotch paragraph?
- 31:51 – What does the "parents' pilot" metaphor reveal about the student's role in his family?
- 36:20 – How does the ending bring the theme of "stains" back while highlighting community and belonging?
40:15 – What does Kaila hope students take away from the essay writing process?
41:31 – Closing thoughts

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