Essay #3-Childhood Dreams
“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself,
vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who
believe.”- Gail Devers, Olympic runner
“What is not started today is never finished tomorrow.” -Goethe, German playwright, poet, novelist
“Do not lose hold of your dreams or aspirations. For if you do, you may still exist but you have ceased to
live.”- Thoreau, American essayist and poet
“All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.” -Walt Disney
“There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why... I dream of things that never were,
and ask why not?” -Robert Kennedy, American politician and Democratic Senator
“The brick walls are there for a reason. They’re not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to
give us a chance to show how badly we want something.” -Randy Pausch, professor and author
We all have had dreams, and still do, which speak to who we are and what we strive to become.
Unfortunately, many of us forget or cast aside these early dreams for a variety of reasons. In The Last
Lecture, Randy Pausch talks about his childhood dreams and how they shaped his life and made him
better. His book details how he accomplished his childhood dreams in one form or another, even after
he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and given a few months to live.
For this 3-5 page essay, you will choose one of your childhood dreams (no matter how far-fetched or
idealistic it may seem), and research it to bring it closer to a reality. Whether that dream is to make the
top ten on American Idol, pitch for the Anaheim Angels, or become a famous tattoo artist, you must be
specific when choosing your topic. My unfulfilled adolescent dreams were to be a movie critic like Roger
Ebert and a children’s book author; however, I never did anything to pursue them because I believed
they were too difficult and not practical. Although I love my job, I always regret not doing more to fulfill
those dreams. I haven’t given up hope just yet!
Like Essay #2, you will research using MLA format (in-text citations), including a Works Cited page with
at least four sources. Your topics are due on Monday, April 4th , your introduction with thesis on
Monday, April 11th, five copies of your first two pages on Monday, May 2nd, and five copies of full draft
with Works Cited page on Wednesday, May 4th. This assignment also has a 5 minute visual component
that will be presented on either Monday, May 2nd or Wednesday, May 4th.
*Visual: Separate from your essay, you will create some visual that represents your dream and present
it to the class in a 5 minute presentation on one of the dates given. The visual can be a collage, piece of
art, power point presentation, etc. It is entirely up to you what you want to show the class; however,
you must present for five minutes and it must clearly relate to your topic. Show us that you take your
dreams seriously.
You will need to include the following parts in your essay:
Introduction/Background: Tell your readers in narrative format what inspired this dream. We want the
who, what, when, where, why, and how of your dream, which will draw your readers in and help them
understand why you have this dream. Be sure to conclude with your thesis, the point you want to make
about how you want to fulfill this dream and make it a reality.
What the Dream Entails: This is the nuts and bolts of your dream. What are the steps needed to fulfill
this dream. What degrees, if any, are required or what classes are needed? What tests or certificates
must you pass/fulfill to get closer to your dream? Is there a person or organization in charge that you
must or can contact? How much does it or will it cost to achieve this dream? This is where research will
be important. I want you to research the topic thoroughly and understand all aspects of it, good and
bad. This will include interviewing (whether in person, by phone, by e-mail, etc.) at least one person who
can give you information about your topic and help you ground it for yourself.
Obstacles/”Brick Walls”: After you have researched your dream, discuss some of the obstacles or “brick
walls” you may hit along the way. This may include costs, time, people, environment, yourself. Truly
look at what you are up against.
Solutions/ Hammer: What will you do to get started (or what have you already done if you are on the
road to fulfilling your dream)? What is one reasonable solution you can try that will help you get over at
least one of those walls? For example, if your dream costs a lot financially, what can you do to save
money or what are you already doing to save money? If your dream requires experience, on a smaller
scale, what can you do to get experience or what are you doing now?
Conclusion: What now? Where do you go from here now that you better understand what it takes to
fulfill this dream? What are you willing to do? Remember to be specific and not general. Take this very
seriously as it represents who you are and who you will become.