What Do You Believe?

I had completely forgotten about the "This I Believe" radio series until a student asked me if I could sit as his subject for one.

Originally, the five-minute CBS program was hosted by legendary journalist Edward R. Murrow from 1951 to 1955 and encouraged people to write essays about their core beliefs. They read their work on air.

The prompt was simple yet left room for broad interpretation: "What do you believe?"

It forces the writer to consider core values then offer an explanation justifying their importance--exactly what we're looking for in college essays.

Today, the format is resurrected by English teachers, songwriters and poets.

Here's legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk's essay to inspire you. Enjoy.