KIM GALLAGHER
Award-winning creative director & copywriter, essayist, storyteller
University of Virginia, BA English and German
Mother of 4
“My college essay was about being a military brat, with a talent for making friends with a lamp post anywhere I traveled. Naively, I scribbled it in ballpoint pen in the back of study hall.”
KARA COSBY
Consumer and healthcare marketing and corporate communications writer, speechwriter, qualitative market researcher
University of Virginia, McIntire School of Commerce, BS Commerce
UC Berkeley, Haas School of Business, MBA
Mother of 2
“Against the backdrop of my older brother’s 1,000-point basketball game, I wrote about my evolution from envy to an “expanding the pie” mindset and how witnessing his behind-the-scenes work ethic ultimately inspired me toward my own achievements (my essay also made him cry).”
GIBSON McMAHON
Professional writer, copy editor, novelist
University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, BA Journalism
Mother of 3
“My college essay was about sailing with my Dad and the life lessons learned while starting to trim my own sails.”
NICOLE BORGHARD
Veteran high school Social Studies teacher specializing in Leadership and AVID, a college and career readiness program.
University of Virginia
BA Government - American Politics
Master's Teaching - Secondary Social Studies Education
Cat Mother of 2, Teacher Mother of hundreds
“My college essay repurposed the speech I wrote to run for junior class president and walked the reader through the difficult decision I made to run against a good friend. I won, but the friendship didn't survive. Lessons learned.”
KIT MEYER
Corporate lawyer and public company General Counsel, technical writer, corporate communications writer, community coalition and not-for-profit leader, youth advocate
College of William & Mary, BA Government
Georgetown University Law Center, JD
Mother of 4
“My college essay highlighted the lessons I learned from volunteering in the acute geriatric care ward of a hospital and my conflicted relationship with a frustrated stroke patient who lost his ability to speak.”