How Should I Live My Life? Student Guidelines
Beginning this year, each graduating Pembroke Academy senior is asked to respond in writing to our school’s essential question: How should I live my life? This requirement is part of the Pembroke Performance Project and must be completed satisfactorily if the student wishes to march with his or her class at June’s graduation ceremony.
With that said, the question inevitably arises of what characteristics a “satisfactory” essay on this topic will possess. Rather than worrying about the essay’s length or the font size on your printer, consider just the following two categories:
First, your genuine engagement with the question. As seventeen and eighteen-year-old young women and men, the number of real questions about your life’s direction and values each of you must answer is increasing exponentially. College or career? Which college? Which career? What kind of work will make me happy and fulfilled? Where do I want to live? How do I want to live? What do I want to live for? Do I have responsibilities to others and, if so, what are they? Do my socks match? Who, for God’s sake, do I want to vote for for president and why?
If you’re engaging with these types of questions (you certainly don’t have to answer the specific questions above) honestly, thoughtfully and reflectively, you’re going to do fine.
Second, the clarity of your writing. While, inevitably, some people are more adept at writing than others, all of you are completing twelve years of public education. Indeed, your diploma represents and documents your competence as a writer and critical thinker; therefore, you should demonstrate that competence here. Take the time to work through the writing process. Share drafts with and benefit from the comments of your teachers, peers and family (who, after all, are really your audience). Use the editing process to ensure that your final copy is clear, crisp, and perhaps even graceful.
Some other considerations and questions: Your essay needs to be typed. Font size, margins, etc. are, within reason, not important here. What you have to say is important and the point of this exercise.
Your essays will be read holistically. This means that each essay will be read once by at least two faculty members who assign a number to it based upon the criteria noted above: level of engagement with the topic and clarity of writing. If the two readers are not in agreement as to the quality of the essay, a third faculty member will read your work. Once this process is completed, each essay will receive, ideally, a rating of Distinguished or Proficient. If the readers feel the essay still needs work, it will be returned to the writer for further revision. Again, completing these essays is a graduation requirement; they will not, however, be part of your English course grade.
Finally, we all urge you to take this task seriously, and to approach it with energy and integrity. It may well be the most important assignment you’ve ever done in school.