Gemotions

The email subject line blazed: "Your Essay: A Model for Future Applicants!" Sarah gripped her phone so tightly her knuckles whitened. A wave of heat washed over her, making her breath hitch. She’d poured her heart into that essay, a raw, vulnerable piece about her grandfather’s battle with Alzheimer’s. Now, it was just…content.

Her stomach churned. She navigated to the university’s website, her fingers fumbling over the keyboard. There it was, bolded and italicized: "Essay Example: Sarah Miller." The accompanying text lauded its "poignancy" and "emotional depth." She couldn’t bring herself to read it again.

She shut her laptop and leaned back in her chair. The familiar scent of her grandmother's lavender sachets, hanging in the closet, suddenly felt overwhelming, the floral perfume filling her lungs with a bittersweet ache. She understood the purpose, the university’s desire to help prospective students. But the act of commodification made her feel…wrong.