Strategic Storytelling: How to Effectively Tell Your First-Gen Story to Grad Schools and the World

All of us have stories. We are defined by our stories--our experiences that have shaped us, the challenges and the obstacles that have tested us. As a first-generation student, you have a valuable and unique story to tell. But how do you narrate your story in a way that is powerful and compelling?

Storytelling is one of the most effective ways to connect with people’s hearts and minds. Whether you’re planning to share your story with graduate admission committees through your personal statement or sharing your story on a stage to a live audience, it’s vitally important you have a fundamental understanding of the art of storytelling.

In this workshop session, you will be guided by Tamam Waritu, a First-Gen National Public Speaker, as you learn about the art of storytelling and create your own story. Tamam shares some of the strategies that helped him when crafting his own story of going from food stamps to Harvard, from struggling with glossophobia to speaking to over a hundred-thousand students nationwide.