The opening line is, "When my teacher asked where I lived, I used to say near "x" – a cover not to let them know that I lived in a slum."
The essay obviously immediately takes the reader to the insecurities of a low-income applicant. Stanford has the BOLD fellowship to fund low-income students and student groups exclusively to support candidates who are first-generation college attendees.
The essay is for those who have risen through the economic hurdle to take the family out of intergenerational poverty.
The opening line is a set up to a story about the family putting aside all their dreams for the applicant. Through the journey, the applicant's brother develops a mental health issue. Although the family escaped poverty, the issue of mental health is the least talked about subject in low-income communities.
The applicant wants to shed light on the issue by sharing his passion for investing in entrepreneurs who are addressing the issue.
The opening line clearly establishes the applicant's insecurity and the insecurities, stressors, and trauma of many in low-income families that, when unaddressed, lead to mental health illnesses.
Read the Preview of the Essay Example: Slums, A Tragedy and the Search for a Systemic Solution