With my little hands curled around my number-two pencil, I proudly wrote my alphabet with both my left and right hands. My preschool teacher instructed me, "Lauren, you must choose one hand to write with like your other classmates." An only child and independent by nature, I could not fathom why my teacher insisted that I be uniform. To me, my hands presented a unique talent that should be put to use. Still, not being a rebellious child, I complied and began to debate between my two choices, right or left hand.

Following my strong desire for uniqueness, and disallowed from choosing to be ambidextrous, I chose to write with my left hand. I viewed my choice as a new start and an identity distinct from my peers. Already, my creative nature began to show, and I sought to use different tools to attempt something creative and distinct. Soon I discovered that while left-handedness was not original to me, my thought process and creative thinking were. The hands I so proudly saw as different became my tools to build true innovation.

From a young age, I could not deny my passion to create. My hands used a dull plastic needle to sew bizarre ensembles for my dolls. I cut and sculpted their hair to craft new identities that matched the unique personalities I envisioned for each doll. I also began to create an identity for myself, as I released the tight grasp on my mother’s hand the first day of kindergarten. My hands traveled with me through elementary school, locking with my friend’s hand as we ran through the playground, doodling on my spiral binder as my imagination wandered, and hesitantly lifting to answer a question in class.

In middle school, my hands rummaged through my closet daily to find an outfit to wear to school. I carefully selected a well thought-out outfit, knowing it represented a fashion statement, yet still walked self-consciously past my critical peers. Nightly, I scribbled down my thoughts and dreams in a journal covered by a decoupage of fashion magazine pictures. The content of the entries varied daily, from describing a new crush to my inconsistent feelings towards my classmates to the newest band I had discovered. Through it all, my dream of a future in fashion design remained constant.

Years later, I grabbed onto the doors of my new high school, which lacked any familiar faces and represented the beginning of yet another journey. During this excursion, I confidently began to define myself through different facets, most notably through the art I created with my busy hands. My hands developed the technique to transfuse my emotions into my art. My hands guided me through my academic classes, typing papers on the computer, writing out algebra formulas, and firmly raising themselves so that I could contribute to class discussions. Outside of the classroom, my hands embraced the sharp, silver needle and thread to create the usable art of clothing. The originality of each outfit I fabricate provides an immense pride whenever worn. Through my art I succeed in expressing what words cannot articulate.

Just as I wanted to be unique when I chose to write with my left hand, I will base future decisions on the same principle. Now, my hands approach the moment they will receive my hard-earned diploma as I walk confidently across the stage in front of my classmates. Picturing my graduation, I cannot help but gaze further into the future. With excitement, I envision myself not building a new life but adding on to what I have constructed thus far. These persistent and hard-working hands contain endless potential to become those of a sewing, sketching, tailoring, and ground-breaking fashion designer. Through fashion, I will have the power to create art to be worn. To prepare for my future, I intend to maintain active hands by drawing, painting, and writing in an institution that cultivates my academic and artistic pursuits. Next year, as I embark on the next stage of my life, I foresee my personal and intellectual development, as I now hold my number-two pencil in anticipation of my future at the university level.

點評：
    
這是一篇非常有趣的描寫個人成長經歷的文章，雖然文章沒有過多華麗的詞藻，但卻給人一種渾然天成的感覺，樸實、摯誠、純真是這篇文章的主色調。作者按照個人的成長經歷把文章分成了五個部分，分別是“幼兒園的我”，“小學時的我”，“初中時的我”，“高中時的我”還有“大學時的我”，這條明線把整篇文章貫穿起來，結構非常的清晰。文章中的一條暗線，也就是作者對雙手的描寫和刻畫，也從側面烘托出文章的脈絡。“幼兒園的我”已經有一種追求與眾不同的想法了，所以當同齡人都用右手寫字的時候，我選擇的是左手；“小學時的我”會用我那細小的雙手幫家里的洋娃娃縫衣服和打造發型；“初中時的我”開始注重自己的衣著打扮，然后自己試著去闡釋何為時尚，所以每晚我都會寫下自己對當今時尚的理解；“高中時的我”當別的同學都在穿名牌衣服的時候，自己就嘗試著設計具有自己風格的服裝，并以此為榮。“大學時的我”是對我未來大學生活的憧憬，并表達了我想繼續我的設計之路的夢想，這里也是文章感情升華的地方。

這是一篇申請本科設計類專業的文書，很明顯這篇文章并沒有描述作者的相關的學術背景，而是比較注重作者對于服裝設計的熱愛還有自己追求獨特和創新的個性特征。這恰好也是本科申請所要求的，對于高中畢業的學生，缺乏的是相關的工作背景或學術背景，這些背景對于申請并不是必要的，而學校更多的是注重學生學習的潛力，而潛力的塑造可以通過對你的一些軟性條件來傳遞，例如文中的是申請設計類的，那么就應以塑造一個創新的，獨特的申請人形象。總的來說，這篇是一篇不錯的文書，結構清晰、形象鮮明、目的明確。

譯文：

藝術家的手

我的兩只小手在一支2B鉛筆上纏繞著，我自豪地用我的左右手在字母表上寫著字。幼兒園的老師曾對我說過：“羅紋，你得像其他同學那樣用一只手寫字。”作為家里的獨生子女而且天生的無拘無束，我真的搞不懂為什么老師總是堅持著要我和別人一樣。對我來說，我的手是獨一無二的，并且這個獨特之處應該加以利用。但是為了不成為一個叛逆的小孩，我妥協了并在思維斗爭中掙扎著，是用左手，還是右手呢？

為了追求獨特和別人對我同時使用兩只手寫字的不允許，我決定選擇用左手寫字。我將它視為是一個新的開始和可以讓我區別于同齡人的獨特之處。不久之后，我的創作天分就充分地展現出來了并且我也嘗試著使用不同的工具去創作一些與眾不同的東西。但不久我發現雖然左撇子這個觀念并不是源自于我，但我的思維過程還有創新的思想是。我自以為是與眾不同的雙手變成了我創新的工具。

小時候我就表現出濃厚的創作熱情。我會為我的洋娃娃縫一些比較奇特的服裝還有幫它們打造發型以匹配我幻想它們會成為的角色。同樣當我第一次上幼兒園放開媽媽的手的時候，我也為我自己塑造了一個角色。我的雙手陪我一起度過了我的小學時代，當時的我和朋友手拉手跑去操場，我在我的螺旋畫板上任意地涂畫著，然后舉起來嘗試像老師那樣解答課題。

初中的時候，我每天都要在衣櫥里找衣服穿，每次我都會很細心地挑選一套衣服因為我知道衣著打扮代表了我的品位，這樣即使我走在我那些挑剔的同齡人面前我也能表現得非常有自信。每天晚上我都會把我對一些服裝雜志的感覺還有我對未來服裝潮流的遐想都寫下來。每天我寫的內容都不一樣，從描述一種新的穿著潮流到我對同學們對新的服裝牌子喜愛的看法。這一切都使我堅信自己會在服裝設計的道路上一直走下去。

幾年之后，我去了一所全新的高中，那里沒有我熟悉的面孔，這就代表著這將是一個全新的旅程。在高中的幾年里，我曾自信地通過各方各面來表現自己，但通常我都會通過我那忙碌的雙手來表現。是我的雙手把我的思緒注入到我的作品里面。我的手幫我完成了我的學業，幫我在鍵盤上寫論文，在紙上寫數學公式，甚至是課堂上舉手來讓我回答問題。在課堂外，我的手拿著鋒利的銀針還有線在編織著我的服裝作品。當我的作品被穿出來的時候，這些衣服的原創性都無一不讓我感到自豪。通過我的藝術作品，我成功地做到了讓服裝展現無法用言語來表達的內容。

就像以前我用左手寫字來展現我獨特之處一樣，以后在我的服裝設計道路之上也會堅持我這個原則－盡顯獨特之處。現在，當我自信地從同學們面前走過的時候，我的手一步步地從老師的手里接過我用汗水換來的畢業文憑。面臨著畢業，我唯有展望未來。未來我想要的并不是一個全新的生活而是過好我為自己設計的每一天。這雙堅持不懈的勤勞的雙手內含無限的潛力，這是成為一名能縫紉、畫圖、裁縫和帶領潮流的出色的設計師的潛力啊！通過時尚我有能力使人們所穿的變成藝術。為我的未來做準備，我打算進入一間大學的藝術學院來繼續我對服裝設計的追求，在那里我可以通過畫畫、著色還有寫作來繼續我的設計之夢。下一年，當我開始人生另一階段的旅程時，我會展望將來我的個人水平和學術水平的提高，就像我現在拿起我的2B鉛筆描繪我大學的藍圖一樣。