Personal Statement

Young kids growing up in urban poverty must grapple with circumstances that have seemingly nothing — yet  everything — to do with getting into college: homelessness, poverty, homophobia, food scarcity. To make matters worse, most public schools don't have enough counseling support to help students navigate the increasingly complicated application process. That's why three ambitious and enlightened student activists decided to become the very resource they didn't have for themselves. Determined not to become statistics in an unjust system, high schoolers Karoline, Enoch and Christine are working as college counselors even as they are applying to college themselves. They are fighting for a better future for themselves and their peers. In a film populated by feisty, hard-hitting students and nurturing mentors, Personal Statement is an inspiring chronicle of dedication, promise, challenges, and also disappointment. But perhaps the real story is in the big hearts that everyone exhibits, and it’s stories like this that make the future of America look much brighter. (Woodstock Film Festival)