A profile describes a person—not just in general, but with a particular focus. You might focus on a person’s interesting job, hobby, or lifestyle. You might write about someone who has made a major contribution to his or her community, company, place of worship, or organization; someone who has overcome a problem such as anorexia or a learning disability; or someone who played a significant role in your growing up. You could profile a person you do not admire: an abusive parent, for example, or a childhood friend who joined a violent gang.

Your information should come from personal knowledge or interviews, not from written sources (unless your instructor suggests otherwise). For this assignment, you may use the word I (as the writers of the sample papers have done) unless your instructor prefers that you write only from the third-person point of view (he, she, it, one). Aim for an essay from 500 to 1,000 words long—two to four typed pages, double-spaced.