This is the first essay in our college essay series. Last August 2022, Andrea and Allison hosted a teen writing and service retreat in Guatemala. We took eight rising seniors and two rising juniors a gazillion miles away from their homes and busted their hearts wide open. Each student left the United States with ZERO words and returned with a perfect 650-word common app essay. Before we left, each student recorded their final draft.  On this episode, Emily Olster shares her college essay called Letting My Hair Fly. On day one of the essay boot camp, Andrea and Allison gave the prompt, Write about your biggest secret. Everyone, including Allison and Andrea wrote to the prompt then everyone shared what they wrote. Emily didn’t think she’d have to read, so she revealed something she’d been hiding for years. Emily reveals her secret along with the college she is off to in the fall. Writing Class Radio is hosted by Allison Langer and Andrea Askowitz. Audio production by Matt Cundill, Evan Surminski, Chloe Emond-Lane, and Aiden Glassey at the Sound Off Media Company. Theme music is by Marnino Toussaint. For a Transcript of this episode - click here. There’s more writing class on our website including stories we study, editing resources, video classes, writing retreats, and live online classes. We still have a few spaces left in our Teen writing boot camp this JULY 9-15, 2023 in Key Largo. Students will Spend 6 days writing and receiving feedback with Andrea and Allison in one of the most gorgeous spots in the world. All students leave with a completed common app essay and a lifetime of excellent writing skills. If you want to write with us every week, you can join our First Draft weekly writers groups. You have the option to join Allison Langer on Tuesdays 12-1 ET and/or Zorina Frey Wednesdays 7-8pm ET. You’ll write to a prompt and share what you wrote. If you’re looking to take your writing to the next level, or if you are a business owner, community activist, group that needs healing, entrepreneur and you want to help your team write better, check out all the classes we offer on our website, writingclassradio.com. Or sign up HERE for First Draft for a FREE Zoom link. Join the community that comes together for instruction, an excuse to write, and most importantly, the support from other writers. Support us on Patreon.  A new episode of the college series will drop every WEDNESDAY.  There’s no better way to understand ourselves and each other, than by writing and sharing our stories. Everyone has a story. What’s yours? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.