A tiny word of caution when it comes to reading examples of personal statements in the process of writing your own - don't get into the trap of trying to sound like what you have read. The point of personal statements is to be just that - personal. Find your own voice and try to be as unique as possible to stand out.
P.S. if anything, for the benefit of my poor colleagues who aren't keep on reading the umpteenth deja-vu essay after work
P.P.S. yes, faculty do this during their free time. We don't get protected time for application review, which can be annoying.