Climbing Each Block of Hurdle by Sahr

Climbing Each Block of Hurdle by Sahr - February 2021 Scholarship Essay

Life is all about the challenges and the choices we make to overcome it. This is what makes our lives worth living. I always thought that no matter what happened, my parents would make those choices for me and I had to follow them. But unexpectedly, tough obstacles always came in every step of my way, especially the ones that were against all odds of my life. My dad stopped caring for my family when I was five years old. He was never concerned about my mental health or how I would complete my education. It was extremely difficult to be raised without him throughout school. My mother tried to complete the role of being a father but it was hard on her as well. I still remember how I wished that both of my parents would show up at parent-teacher conferences to see how well I am doing with my grades or take me to the ice cream parlor for a treat when I first won a gold medal in English Olympiad during freshman year in India. I was extremely proud of myself and all I wished was for my dad to be there to cheer me up. But sadly, he didn’t even know what grade I was in.
Time flew very quickly. I made a decision to leave my parents, friends, and colleagues after tenth grade boards to complete further education in Ohio. Though my uncles fully supported me morally and financially, I faced a hard time to cope up with the education system and social life. There were times when everything that I expected to succeed at fell out of place. I went through a rough phase of persevering what I wanted to be and constantly failed at it. Whenever I had a bad day, I would just look into my mirror and say, “Sahr, just hold on. You are stronger than you think. Don't give up now.”
There were significant cultural differences. I felt incapable of surviving high school. With everything that happened to me because of my father, I became weak. I didn’t know how to fight for myself. Being bold and establishing my personality seemed impossible. It felt terrible. So, I started motivating and setting goals that needed to be accomplished. I worked extremely hard on myself rather than thinking what others might think. I challenged myself in academics and curricular activities. Keeping myself busy and optimistic in the things I do helped me for most of the days. I realized that if I look at the missing parts of my life like my father or new friends, I would end up miserable
What I learned from this experience is that constant determination will change the shape of bad circumstances. I felt changed when I started to appreciate my surroundings and was grateful for what I have. Working as a leader for the Women Empowerment Club and National Honor Society (NHS) committee helped me gain leadership skills. The feeling of not quitting grew stronger and stronger with each setback.
Sometimes, life isn’t about the best grades you can get or how well you perform your duty. There must be an aspect of looking at what kind of person you ought to be. Just like a traffic jam on the road where vehicles stop at red and move at green lights, I accepted failures and understood success with pride. These difficulties tested the courage, patience, and character hidden inside me. The bricks of pain molded me into a mature and responsible human being. If I had never seen such perspectives, I wouldn't have reached the point where I am standing right now. Because whenever I see myself in the mirror now, all I see is a young woman who climbs her way through each hurdle.