What to say in an essay?

Q: I am a junior at Kent State and am at that point where I am applying to various papers all over the place for an internship for next summer. I am hoping to concentrate on design and maybe some copyediting, also. 

As I am applying for internships, a few of them are asking for an autobiography essay. I know what it is to an extent, but I was wondering if you could help me out a little as in what exactly they might be looking for. Are they looking for a catchy start like an anecdote or a traditional, "My name is,  Molly, I was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio"? I hope this questions isn't that stupid, but no one has really been able to clarify what exactly the essay should say. Thank you very much for your time and help.

Molly

A: An autobiographical essay should do two things. It should show what kind of writer you are, and it should show how journalism fits into the larger picture of your life. An autobiographical essay is a great place to show why you are passionate about journalism, why you do it and what your goals are. These aspects do not easily go into a résumé and they may be too complicated to explain in a cover letter.

A bad essay is one in which the writing is lousy or pedestrian, or that fails to make the connection between you, as a person, and journalism, as your passion.

When you write an essay about yourself, be yourself. Larding the essay up with all kinds of platitudes or clichés will not help you. Be honest, be yourself, be real.

Pay attention to putting a good lead on your essay. Do not be too concerned about when it should start. It could be at birth, but the parts of your life that are relevant to journalism most likely came much later. Do not be afraid of to project your desired future, your goals and dreams. Do not be dull.

Essays can give editors insight into your motivations, and they can give you an opportunity to reflect seriously about your career choice and to focus your approach to it.