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Jacob Schronce

Ms. Jizi

University Writing 1103

18 February 2018

Personal Essay

Throughout the history of the Earth, people have had “their story” that defined and

shaped who they were. This story—typically an experience or situation in an individual’s life—is

not only unique to them, but has altered their life, changing them from who they were prior to

that moment. In my opinion, everyone on Earth who has lived life for a while has a “story” —no

matter how drastic compared to another person’s story. My personal “story”, the experience that

has outlined my life and has shaped the way I view the world today, would be when I got saved

and became a born again believer in Jesus Christ.

When it comes to going to church, I have been attending since nine months before my

birth. I was raised and brought up in church—Mt. Herman Baptist Church in Taylorsville, NC to

be exact. Because of this, from an early age, I’ve been surrounded by nothing but the teachings

of Jesus Christ; however, I was still a hard headed, mean, and disobedient child. As life went on,

one Saturday at around the age of eight years old, after I began to really start paying attention to

these teachings, my entire life changed. It was midday and I was with my father in his car with

the sun beating down on me through the window. The leather seats in his car were sticking to

any of my exposed skin. Spring was in full swing and this was evident by the various colors of

flowers seen on the roadside as we drove. My father and I were meeting my grandmother

halfway between our houses to pick up my younger brother who stayed at her house the night

before. Upon arriving at the meeting point, I began to ask my father various questions about what
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it meant to be a christian: “What do I have to do? Why would he die on a cross for me? What did

I do to deserve that?” As me and my father talked, I began to realize that I was lost and needed

salvation. After praying a prayer asking God to come into my life, with tears running down my

father's face, I had become a christian. At the time, I didn’t realize it, but my life began to

change. I had a brand new purpose, a new calling—I was a follower of Christ.

From that day on, I was no longer the same. I began to be more kind, I listened, and I

showed respect to others. This isn’t to say that I’m perfect because I’m far from that; however,

since that moment, I have grown in my Christian faith. My faith is exactly what makes me the

man I am today. From my faith, I have developed a passion to help others in need which is why I

want to become an engineer. It is due to my growing faith that I show love and respect to others

so that they can, hopefully, see the light that shines within me. Lastly, and most importantly,

from my faith, I have developed a deep relationship with my God who is always there for me and

who is never against me.

Due to “my story,” my outlook on life has changed. I do my best to view others through

the eyes of Christ. I try to always help others in any way I can. One instance would be when I

went on a mission trip to the small town of Curahuasi, Peru. This mission trip represents how I

try treat people on a daily basis. The main project I worked on while there was building the

foundation for an orphanage that would soon be in the small town. On one particular day during

that week in July, at an elevation of more than 9,000 feet, I was tasked with moving wheelbarrels

full of rocks, sand, and concrete to an fro to help make the foundation. Beads of sweat were

rolling down my face as the sun seemed so close to me. Every now and then, a nice cool breeze

would come through cooling the sweat that was on all of us workers. Moving the wheelbarrows

was no easy task as they were heavy and I had to meander across thin boards to reach the
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location to pour the wet cement. However, I knew in my heart that what I was doing was

something greater than me. I realized that just pouring the concrete I poured would one day hold

a building that would give a child a place to sleep. I worked hard to help those who needed help.

I display this same mindset when it comes to how I view the world. I see the world as a place in

need of the love of Christ. Throughout my life, I may not make a huge impact, but I hope to at

least make an impact within the community I live in and in the lives of those around me.

In all, my faith in Jesus Christ has shaped me into the man I am today. My passion and

identity all stems from my faith and relationship with God. The way I view others and the world

are all derived from the love of Jesus Christ and how I want to share His love with others. My

“story” is a one in which, if I could go back, I would continuously make the same decision—a

relationship with and salvation in Jesus Christ.

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Peer Feedback - UWRT 1103- Jizi-Spring 2018

Date: _02/19/2018___________________________

Reader’s Name _______Bryan Sandifer _____________

Writer’s Name_________Jacob Schronce _____________

Three Step Response

1. Velcro Words/Phrases

I have been attending since nine months before my birth

I was a follower of Christ
I knew in my heart that what I was doing was something greater than me
thin boards
Beads of sweat
Curahuasi, Peru
meander

2. Feelings

Selfishness
Love
Renewing
Peace
Touched

3. Questions
What made you ask your dad questions?
What do you hope to accomplish as an engineer?
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Criterion-Based Response

Highlight examples of each of the four elements of the personal essay using the following
colors:

Personal presence of the author

An engagement between self and the world

The Author’s Exploration and Self-Discovery

The Need to Both Show and Tell

You can access details about Peer Feedback in this Google Presentation.

Copy and paste this document to the bottom of the essay you are reading and then
upload when you have completed the peer review as directed by Canvas.