Applying for scholarships can feel like a numbers game, but the truth is, your story matters. A well-crafted narrative doesn’t just check boxes — it connects with readers and shows why you deserve the award.
In this edition of “Ask the Expert,” we talk with Johnny Roger Schofield and Joshua Swayne, instructional technicians in YVC’s Writing Center, to share tips on how to turn your experiences into a powerful story that stands out from the stack.
Schofield grew up in California’s Bay Area and the Sierra Nevada. After earning a bachelor’s degree in English, he moved to Seattle and launched an indie rock band that toured more than 240,000 miles and played more than 600 shows. Schofield has also written three novels. He relocated to Yakima in 2012 and turned his focus to poetry, making weird records and striving to live this Kurt Vonnegut quote: “We are put on this planet to fart around, and don’t let anybody tell you anything different.” At YVC, Schofield has tutored students as a Writing Center coordinator for the past 12 years, striving to teach the power of writing as a path toward “a robust life of critical thinking and amplified moxie.”
Swayne earned an associate of arts degree from YVC and a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Whitworth University. As a staff member in YVC’s Writing Center, he values connecting with students from diverse backgrounds and helping them build confidence as writers. Swayne enjoys fostering an inclusive environment where students feel welcome and supported, and he takes pride in guiding them through the writing process with respect and encouragement.
Read further for Schofield’s and Swayne’s insights on how students can leverage YVC’s Writing Center and get help applying for scholarships.
What’s the first thing students should do before they start writing a scholarship
narrative?
Schofield: Don’t write. Dig. Go online, open the scholarship website you’re submitting to, and
pore over all of the details. Slow down to move faster. Scroll through the pages of
the website and get to know the vibe and specific details of the requirements. Bookmark
the site and any interior webpages that are relevant. Read the “About Us” section.
Make notes that fit your brain and research style.
I also recommend visiting YouTube to watch some relevant, professional videos made by college students/graduates who’ve had success writing scholarship narratives. Watch TED Talks on ideas that are connected to the work. Moreover, begin your writing process early — weeks early. This gives you time to revise, revise, revise, like polishing a gem until it sparkles with undeniable brilliance, in a peaceful, methodical manner. Learning anything — writing included — takes time.
Finally, choose a writing space that’s functional, well-lit and amiably personalized to you so that it encourages open and active thinking. Listen to music, drink coffee and prepare your mind by allowing time to stumble into deep focus.
What are some good elements to consider when crafting a personal statement?
Swayne: I’d say it’s most important to think about what your readers — the scholarship committee
— are looking for. You probably have just the prompt and a little information about
the scholarship’s mission to go on, but use that to guide your choice of content.
In addition, try to make the narrative interesting. There are endless ways to do that.
However, in general, think about which of your experiences might engage, entertain
or enlighten your readers and then consider sharing those. If you have no idea which
of your experiences might do that, speak to an instructor, mentor or writing consultant
to see what piques their interest.
ABOVE: Schofield reviews a writing sample. TOP: Schofield chats with a group of students.
How important is understanding the scholarship organization’s mission when completing
an application?
Schofield: It’s paramount in a unique way. Visit the scholarship organization’s website to hunt
for the theme and possible keywords in the mission statement to better understand
the feel and purpose of the organization and its scholarship opportunities. Further,
always remember this difficult but necessary truth: it’s not about you — it’s about
the gatekeepers, those that give out the actual scholarship money, so you need to
tailor your writing to the concrete specifics of what they’re looking for or asking
for and ultimately find out if your need aligns with their overall mission.
Similar to hiking to a difficult destination, there is no “as the crow flies” for humans attempting to write effectively due to cliffs, canyons, bears and other things you have to get around. You often have to hike — research and write — in weird directions to get to reach that victorious end point, but the silver lining is that you learn so much along the way and ultimately become a better hiker — and writer.
What are some common mistakes students make in scholarship narratives—and how can
they avoid them?
Swayne: I think the biggest mistake I’ve seen is just ignoring some or all of the prompt.
Often, that happens because the writer is rushed and stressed, so they don’t slow
down and read carefully what they’re being asked to provide. Slow down and read the
prompt carefully, multiple times, to ensure you understand exactly what you need to
do. If you are unsure about anything, seek help from experienced readers — several
if possible.
Do you have a formula for a strong opening paragraph that grabs attention?
Schofield: First off, who are you writing for? What are you trying to accomplish? How do you
keep eyeballs glued to your writing, which may lead to scholarship money? Author Margaret
Atwood maintains that there’s one rule to writing, and this rule comes from the reader:
“Hold my attention.” To achieve an intro that grabs attention, revision is key. Revision,
revision, revision — that’s the winning formula! Also, I tell students to think about
their writing like making a YouTube video, which automatically makes you think audience
— readers — that’s of prime importance for all creative projects, including scholarship essays.
Audience is the key to any writing, and to write effectively it’s a good rule of thumb
to remember what Nathaniel Hawthorne pointed out: “Easy reading is damned hard writing.”
You have to work hard to write something that’s easy to read.
Lastly, write your opening paragraph last and revise it throughout the process. As you hone your body paragraphs, allow them to influence and transform your opener with the goal of cohesion and clarity for your readers.
How can our students make their narratives stand out without sounding overly polished
or insincere?
Swayne: Nothing stands out by being standard or following a model, so follow the prompt guidelines,
sure, but beyond that? Don’t be afraid to take some risks and try to engage the reader
as a fellow human being. Imagine they are sitting right there in front of you, reading
your personal statement, and you can see their reactions in real time. Does your essay
make them smile? Laugh? Gasp? How does it leave them feeling? How do you want them
to feel? And who are you? Can they see who you are by what you’ve written? You probably
have no idea who exactly will be reading your essay and choosing whether you get a
scholarship, but you’ll give yourself an advantage if you think of them as a real
person and write to them as yourself.
Joshua Swayne, right, listens to a students concern during a consultation in the Yakima Campus Writing Center during fall quarter 2025.
What role do personal stories play in a winning essay? Should students share challenges
or achievements — or both?
Schofield: The scholarship essay prompt is your high queen, and her succinct questions will guide
every aspect of your writing. Pay keen attention to every single word in the prompt.
Our brains have evolved to love stories — they stick with us and make an indelible imprint on our thought lives. You can write all day on a topic without any story and likely be ignored, but if you craft, revise and infuse your topic with an engaging personal story, more people will remember it.
There’s no such thing as “good” writing. There is effective writing, and I think that’s the better word.
If the prompt requires a personal story about challenges or achievements, remember there are eight billion people on the planet, so you’re not special. And you are special. We learn this tragically optimistic, humble and honest truth slowly as we age — and are grateful for it — but such a truth can be hard to fathom when we’re young.
James Baldwin’s said it best: “You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, who had ever been alive.”
How much does grammar and style matter compared to content and originality?
Swayne: If you are eating a burrito, what matters more — the flavor of the filling or how
well the tortilla is folded? Grammar and style are like the tortilla: they are the
delivery system for the filling — the ideas of the burrito. They help hold those ideas
together and make them easier to consume. Now, if those ideas lack flavor, no tortilla
is going to save them, no matter how well it’s folded. That being the case, ideas
matter most. Of course, a tortilla that isn’t perfectly folded isn’t going to ruin
a delicious burrito, but a sloppily folded tortilla can make eating the burrito difficult
— and unpleasant. In the same way, your grammar and style have to be done well enough
to make your narrative easy to read and understand.
Are there any strategies you have for tackling writer’s block?
Schofield: For me, there’s no such thing as writer’s block. That sounds bizarre, I know, but
I say it because you can approach a writing project from myriad angles and various
chunks of time to help yourself overcome feeling stuck. For example, I revised my
answers to these questions nine times over in a month, giving myself time to figure
out what I genuinely wanted to say. It takes real time, research and revision to create
anything lasting.
William Blake wrote, “Without minute neatness of execution, the sublime cannot exist! Grandeur of ideas is founded on precision of ideas.” All writing projects worth their salt take time, and that’s fabulous! After all, slow food is more nourishing than fast food, right?
I find creative solace in this gem from author Donna Tartt: “Everything takes me longer than I expect. It’s the sad truth about life.” Accepting “sad” truths can be liberating and vivifying like appreciating the necessity of a warm blanket on a frosty winter night.
Peer Consultant right, laughs with Schofield in the Writing Center on YVC's Yakima Campus.
Beyond the narrative, what other factors on an application can improve a student’s
chances of receiving scholarship funds?
Swayne: For any application I fill out, scholarship or otherwise, I double-check — or even
triple-check — everything to make sure it is all filled out correctly. Accuracy and
completeness are so important! The same goes for all the tiny details about document
formats, submission deadlines and the other requirements. Pay attention to those details
with meticulous care.
How is YVC’s Writing Center positioned to help students complete scholarship applications?
Schofield: I like to use this analogy with students. Writing is like playing an instrument or
a sport, and that you’re prepping for a musical performance or game — or submitting
that finished scholarship essay. Yes, you can go alone and practice — write your essay
— the best you can, or you can spend more time with an experienced musician or athlete
on your craft toward better overall performance. Coaching feedback and honest, friendly
instruction can be vital in speeding up your skill in any endeavor.
At the Writing Center, we’re all about leveling up your writing by learning how to learn, staying effusively curious, and thinking about thinking toward the goal of empowering intellectual awakenings and a rich life of the mind. Huzzah!
Story and photos by Stefanie Menard, AA-DTA ’05, communications consultant.