PTSD in Veterans is a delicate theme. You must sensitively address the problem by personalizing the experience.
For the essay, the applicant’s legacy of coming from a military family brings authenticity to his motivation.
He didn’t pursue his family’s legacy. Instead, he had a traditional design role in a Technology company. But the essay is not about his professional journey.
The interesting aspect of the profile is his passion for offering therapy services as a volunteer. The problem of underreporting of PTSD is the core of the narrative. I have addressed the problem by highlighting the applicant’s relationship with his father, the ‘macho’ image military professionals carry and the impact it has on seeking help.
The challenge for me was to create a story around an important cause without trivializing the issue or turning the essay into a thesis. One way I could write a personalized essay was to focus on the relationship the applicant had with his father and the experiences – many heartbreaking he had while offering therapy sessions to veterans.