Can't Stop Me by Ashley

Can't Stop Me by Ashley - November 2018 Scholarship Essay

“You will never be given a challenge larger than what you can face.” My uncle said this when I was eleven years old at his mother’s funeral, after he was done explaining why he was cursing God for taking her away from us. This quote has gotten me through a plethora of things, including the death of 3 family members, one whom was my grandpa, all within 3 months of each other a year after hearing this quote. This quote to me has gotten me through death, heartbreak, migraines that impact my daily life, and has pulled me out of some dark points in my life, like being bullied. My uncle said this in a religious way, but what I love about it is that when I use it to comfort my friends, it does not have to have a religious significance, but you can put that comfort there for the people who need it.
What this quote specifically says about me is that I am a fighter. I do not go around with this attitude that I am better than others, but I am the person who fixes everybody else while I am fixing myself. As I started my college journey, I experienced a lot, both negative and positive. I moved three hours away from my home knowing nobody with nobody to tell me what living away from home would be like. I was the only person from my friend group to leave for school right away. There were big adjustments to make, and at times I felt like I was alone because I had no support from my friends, as they were more upset that I left them. Quickly, I fought for what I knew was the best decision for me and I became the happiest I could have ever imagined.
I am currently in an accelerated degree program where I will be earning my bachelor’s degree and then graduating one year later with my Master’s in Occupational Therapy. These classes at times are overwhelming and have made me wonder why I chose this career. When I remember that quote, I remember that everything that is happening at once is manageable. It reminds me to take a step back and breathe, remove myself from the chaos that is college, and to know that I can face anything thrown at me because I am bigger than all those challenges. What this quote says about me is more than what I can write in an essay because I consistently live and preach these words.