Dream Big by Cassandra

Dream Big by Cassandra - May 2017 Scholarship Essay

I have read many books throughout my eighteen years of living; from "The Cat in the Hat" by Dr. Seuss, to "Harry Potter" by Joanne Rowling. Many books are written with the intention of persuading, entertaining, informing, or influencing the reader. There is a variety of books that jump to the front of my brain when I hear the word “influencing.” Any book can be influencing, whether it be good or bad, but it has to be a strong and moving book, in order for it to influence your life. The one and only book that has best influenced my life is the autobiography "Permission to Dream," by Thomas R. Williams.
The author had my attention from the second I picked up the book. The title itself had a huge impact on me; "Permission to Dream." Now how is that possible? How can three words have such a big impact on one person? I read the title, and immediately I was given permission to dream, permission to be anything I wanted to be, permission to set myself free of the restrictions that life had forced upon me. My whole life I have had to ask for my parents’ permission to do anything, even just to go outside! It is quite satisfying to be given permission to dream without having to ask for it.
Throughout the book "Permission to Dream," Thomas Williams expounded all of his challenges that he went through, in order to become a professional NFL player. He overcame the voices in his head and the voices of others. He even managed to conquer time itself! All of that came with a price, of course, but Thomas was willing to pay the price in order to attain his dream. He demonstrated sacrifice, dedication, hard work, adaptability, and courage during the most resilient times in his life.
My overall goal, or dream, is to become a veterinarian. This takes a great deal of schooling; which means that I would have to be in college for about eight years. Before reading "Permission to Dream" I would have complained about how long it is going to take to reach my goal. After reading Thomas William’s book it was like a switch inside of me was flipped. I was suddenly inspired to achieve my goals, no matter how long it would take. I learned that in the end, all of my hard work and dedication would be worth it.
The book "Permission to Dream" has influenced me to make sacrifices and changes in my life to accomplish my overall dream, just as Thomas did. I have decided that I will stay in school, study harder, and only focus on the important things. Once I accept and conquer all of the challenges in life, I will be able to procure my dream of becoming a veterinarian. Thanks to Thomas R. Williams and his book, "Permission to Dream," I am now determined to keep pushing forward, even when my goal seems nearly impossible to reach.