To strive for the best by Nafisa

To strive for the best by Nafisa - October 2020 Scholarship Essay

During July of 2020, I went through the wrong list of summer books that we could choose to read from. I researched every book in the nonfiction area because being isolated, I wanted to read through the lens of a time when everything was normal. The book I chose was 'Educated by Tara Westover' because, at the end of last school year, I was losing motivation and lacking momentum so I was hoping that someone else's story could spark mine.
The story is so surreal to me that I had to remind myself constantly that it was real. The author of this story grew in the mountains of Idaho under the strict influence of her religious father. She had no birth certificate or medical record and was prohibited from going to school as her parents did not believe in them. She survived so much abuse from her brother and still continued to try to see the good in him. Although her sister went through similar things she wasn't backed up by her because she chose her parents' views.
She had to teach herself algebra for the ACT and she ended up going to Birmingham University without ever stepping in a classroom or getting a proper education. As a professor saw her potential he asked her to apply to a program offered in Cambridge. She ended getting a Ph.D. at Cambridge while trying to keep her family together.
I was so inspired by this book, it told me that no matter the circumstance, we should try to find what is right and what will be the best for us because each of us is our own. It is necessary to challenge our surroundings to find the truth and what best fits us no matter how many or how strong their opinions are.