{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"704: On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling (Ep 4: Tiny Windows into My Being) with Ali McKeon","description":"Hi, friends, and welcome back to our series, \u201cOn Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling.\u201d 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.&amp;nbsp; In this episode, we explore an essence objects essay, which is to say an essay that was written about objects in the author's room, each one of which reveals a different aspect of their life. I'm joined by Ali McKeon, an essay coach and program advisor here at College Essay Guy. Ali worked with the student who wrote this essay, so she gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the process of working with this student, how the topic came to be, plus the questions she asked along the way. For those of you who love seeing how things get made, whether it\u2019s a great meal, a film scene, or a piece of writing, this episode offers a little window into that process. Ali McKeon is a writing coach and veteran college admissions essay specialist with a BA in English from Stanford University and MFA from UC Irvine. She is passionate about building her students\u2019 confidence in the writing process and developing them into strong self-advocates for their individual learning needs. One of the highlights of her career has been mentoring bright students with learning differences. In addition to teaching, she is an arts entrepreneur, former professional ballet dancer, and mom to a busy toddler. We hope you enjoy.&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; Play-by-Play:  1:50 \u2013 Who is the student behind the essay, and what stood out about working with her? 4:29 \u2013 Ali reads the essay, which we\u2019re calling \u201cTiny Windows into My Being\u201d&amp;nbsp; 9:00 \u2013 What ideas inspired the student\u2019s writing?&amp;nbsp; 10:35 \u2013 What makes an \u201cobjects in my room\u201d essay stand out? 12:36 \u2013 What is an \u201cessence objects\u201d essay, and how does it connect to the montage essay structure? 13:23 \u2013 How did the student decide which objects to include in the opening paragraph? 18:02 \u2013 How can students weave accomplishments into an essay without sounding like they\u2019re bragging? 20:22 \u2013 Why does pairing achievements with curiosity strengthen this paragraph? 22:18 \u2013 In what ways does the essay show the student is more than just a STEM student? 26:24 \u2013 How does the author reflect on her cultural identities? 30:42 \u2013 What led the student to include the migraine story in the essay? 36:50 \u2013 What makes this essay\u2019s ending so effective? 41:26 \u2013 What does Ali enjoy most about working with students on essays? 45:21 \u2013 Closing thoughts  &amp;nbsp; Resources:   &quot;Tiny Windows into My Being&quot; Essay College Essay Guy\u2019s Personal Statement Resources College Essay Guy\u2019s College Application Hub  ","author_name":"The College Essay Guy Podcast: A Practical Guide to College Admissions","author_url":"http:\/\/collegeessayguy.libsyn.com\/website","html":"<iframe title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/40446890\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/88AA3C\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"600\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/assets.libsyn.com\/secure\/content\/199617480"}