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.