The most significant challenge
Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?
I grew up in a culture where the fathers fend for their families and mothers are housewives. Typically, mothers cook for the family and take care of their children. However, it was very different for me. My father did not have a stable income, and we were living off of my grandmother’s earning. My grandmother was a farmer; she made money from selling crops, vegetables, and other farm products. Also, my grandmother was the sole guardian of 3 young orphaned nieces and nephews. My nieces’ and nephews’ parents passed on when they were of a tender age prompting my grandmother to take over the parenting role.
Due to the lack of a stable income, my father hardly offered financial support. It was difficult catering for ten individuals in our home. My mother took over responsibility for our financial needs. On several occasions, I would hear my mother crying in the middle of the night, not knowing why. I understood that we could not afford luxuries like new clothes and ice cream. Unlike other children in my neighborhood, my parents could not meet my childhood desires.
My main concern was not being able to proceed with education due to financial constraints. In Nepal, schools and colleges in Nepal are not free. Underprivileged individuals struggle to find primary education. On the other hand, if a student can attain 1st, 2nd, or 3rd position in the class, they would get 100%, 75%, and 50% off their fees respectively in the school. When I was in my 2nd grade, I became the 3rd in the class. My mother was worried that she would not afford 50% of my school fees. Thus, I made a pact with myself to top in my class to ease the burden of education costs on my mother and seamlessly continue with education.