Today, I had lunch with my mentee to celebrate her latest achievement—good semester results. With just one more semester and an internship left, she is on the brink of achieving her dream: graduating with a degree in Teaching English as a Second Language.
Her journey over the past three years has been anything but smooth. When she left the charity home to pursue tertiary education, the path ahead was fraught with obstacles. The pandemic disrupted her financial sponsorship, forcing her to take on part-time jobs just to cover living expenses. Falling ill with COVID, failing some of her papers in the first year, and questioning whether she should even continue this path were some of the moments when doubts threatened to take over.
But instead of letting setbacks define her, she allowed them to ignite her determination. Every obstacle became a lesson, every fall an opportunity to rise stronger. She quickly realized that success isn’t about avoiding the storms of life; it’s about learning to dance in the rain, finding resilience in adversity, and turning struggles into stepping stones.
Today, she stands more confident, wiser, and closer than ever to achieving her dream. She knows that every stumble has shaped her into the person who will cross that stage at the end of this year, degree in hand, ready to make a difference in the world.
Her story is a powerful reminder as we step into 2025: no dream is too big if you believe in your potential. Challenges aren’t roadblocks—they’re stepping stones. Trust in your journey, take that first step, and let your future self cheer you on.
This is your year to rise, to break through, to transform. Believe it. And go make it happen.
