An example of an autobiographical essay/personal narrative

[Written by a student in the Labour Studies program, used with permission]

My name is Carlo, and I was born in June, 19 !, in Italy" #ur $amily, made up o$ my mother, $ather, and a brother, emigrated to %oranda, &uebe', when I was $i(e years old" I en'ountered my $irst, but not last, taste o$ ra'ism when )ids in the neighbourhood laughed at my poor 'ommand o$ *nglish" +s $ast as I 'ould I learned not only *nglish, but ,ren'h as well" I be'ame trilingual, spea)ing $luent ,ren'h and *nglish, as well as Italian" In the pro'ess, I made new $riends $rom a lot o$ di$$erent 'ultural ba')grounds" We then mo(ed to -oronto, #ntario, where my .ad got wor) in a rubber $a'tory" ,rom my earliest days, I )new our $amily had to struggle $or e(ery penny" My Mom ba)ed pi//a whi'h my brother sold by the sli'e, door to door" I 'addied at the lo'al gol$ 'ourses and brought home all the money that I made" I hated it when other )ids made $un o$ wor)ing people, li)e garbage 'olle'tors, who 'leaned up trash $or a li(ing" When I was in grade si0, I was ill in hospital $or two months with a )idney in$e'tion, and it 'hanged my whole li$e" I seriously too) up playing guitar" I began to do photography, and 1oined the audio(isual 'lub" I dis'o(ered I was artisti' with an interest in graphi' art, although I didn2t always agree with the )ind o$ art assignments the tea'her ga(e us" 3owe(er, I had no idea what to do a$ter high s'hool graduation" -hin)ing ele'toni's was the wa(e o$ the $uture, I enrolled in and graduated with a diploma $rom 4eorge 5rown College in Instrumentation -e'hnology" I was hired on by #ntario 3ydro as an apprenti'e" Li$e was magi'al $or a single guy in -oronto at this time" I made 6uite a bit o$ money" I en1oyed meeting and so'iali/ing with many new $riends $rom a (ariety o$ di$$erent 'ultures" .uring this time, I met and married my wi$e, 7alerie, a 8egistered %urses2 +ssistant, and soon we had two wonder$ul 'hildren, a daughter, Carla and a son, %i'holas" With new $amily responsibilities, I $elt there was not enough opportunity $or ad(an'ement at wor)" My wi$e and I thought o$ pla'es we would li)e to li(e su'h as the east 'oast" 5ut there were no 1obs there" We $inally de'ided to mo(e to northern 5"C" when I was o$$ered a 1ob with a $orestry 'ompany" 5e'ause o$ the 'hildren2s a'ti(ities, I soon be'ame in(ol(ed in the 'ommunity 'oa'hing 'hildren2s ho')ey and so''er, and being a s'out leader" +t wor), I 1oined the 9ulp Mill 8e'reation Club, e(entually be'oming president" -here were a lot o$ things that needed 'hanging" I de'ided I wanted our 'ompany to start a wellness program and resear'hed to pro(e to them that healthy employees tremendously redu'ed absenteeism and health 'osts to the 'ompany" I wanted the 'ompany to reward those who )ept themsel(es $it and began to lobby $or this through our union" I soon be'ame ele'ted as union sa$ety 'aptain, then later be'ame a shop steward" I began to run $or e0e'uti(e positions rising through the ran)s $rom $inan'ial se'retary to en(ironmental (i'e president, 'hie$ shop steward, $irst (i'e president, and $inally be'oming president, a position I held $or two years" In my trade, I 'onstantly must upgrade my s)ills, so I too) ad(antage o$ many learning opportunities to do so through the 'ompany" -his helped our union 'ome into the :1 st 'entury, be'ause I insisted we buy 'omputers and subs'ribe to e;mail, 'onne'ting our members to other lo'als throughout the pro(in'e" I also edited the union newsletter, )eeping the members in$ormed o$ all aspe'ts o$ the lo'al2s business" I used des)top publishing to produ'e our newsletter be$ore anyone in 3ead #$$i'e )new what it was" <sing my ba')ground in art and photography, I brought our publi'ation $rom a 'rude photo'opied rag to a sophisti'ated 'ommuni'ation tool" ,or my e$$orts, I won two Canadian +sso'iation o$ Labour Media +wards, one $or the best 'artoon in

Canada, depi'ting $le0ibility in the wor)pla'e, and one $or the best editorial story o$ less than == words $or a <nion %ewsletter" I also use my des)top publishing abilities $or 'ommunity $und raising a'ti(ities" I lost an opportunity to be union president $or a third year be'ause o$ an unpopular de'ision our lo'al e0e'uti(e made in 'onne'tion with implementing a 'ontra't that upheld the re'ognition o$ seniority rights" 8e$le'ting ba'), I would not do anything di$$erently" We too) the tas) at hand, loo)ed at the 'ontra't, dis'ussed among the e0e'uti(e, as)ed $or the opinions o$ our area rep, the Western 8egion 7i'e 9resident, and our lawyer" -hen we made our de'ision and stood by it, e(en though it meant I lost the presiden'y by nine (otes" %ow, two and a hal$ years later, we are being pro(en right through the labour board" 5e'ause o$ this e(ent, I $ound mysel$ with e0tra time on my hands" -his opportunity made it possible $or me to 'on'entrate on pursuing uni(ersity studies and my so'ial wor) $or unions" I enrolled at +< in the Labour Studies program" I 'ontinue with the newsletter, putting $orth so'ial and politi'al issues that organi/ed labour is $a'ing today" I support the unions in the 'ommunity and am in(ol(ed in organi/ing them as they ha(e ne(er been organi/ed be$ore" I am e(en more 'ommitted to $ighting $or so'ial 1usti'e than I ha(e been all along, and am )een to mo(e along this route in the $uture"