Introduction (6-8 sentences)

Lead-in (attention getter)

“No”, is the word I would get a lot from my parents.

Build up to thesis statement

Thesis statement (main idea of the essay+essay map: main argument + the three points you’re going to discuss)

I am a person who has overcome many obstacles such as graduating high school, supporting my daughter, and going to college.

Body Paragraph 1 (8-12 sentences)

Topic sentence 1 (main idea of the paragraph)

I struggled to graduated high school because of being pregnant at a young age.

Supporting details (2-3 examples to support your topic sentence)

*financially problems

*teen days over

*becoming a mother

Concluding sentence (wraps up paragraph and ties everything together)

Body Paragraph 2 (8-12 sentences)

Topic sentence 2

I had to find a job to provide for my daughter.

Supporting details

*working full time

*no time to spend with my daughter

*searching for another job

Concluding sentence

Body Paragraph 3 (8-12 sentences)

Topic sentence 3

In order to provide a better future I had to attend college.

Supporting details

*going back to college

*choosing classes

Concluding sentence

Conclusion (6-8 sentences)

Paraphrase thesis statement

I eventually over come the obstacles that kept me behind from being successful.

Paraphrase topic sentences

I did graduated high school and before attending college I was able to get a job to support my daughter.

Final thoughts (what do you want the reader to do/remember?)

I look back now to all the people who told me “No” and smile in content on how I proved them wrong. Even though I had to grow up at an early age and set my teen life apart, and found out what it feels to be a full time mom with a full time job, I am proud of all my accomplishments that I have done. If I ever heard the word “No” again, I’m just going to think back to my experiences and remember that I can achieve anything I want. That “No” is not an option for me, but the motivation to better myself.