Don’t Stop until you Realise your Dream!

Twelve-year-old Alessia loved watching murder mysteries and crime dramas on TV. During her school vacation with her parents at work and no one to stop her, she spent hours watching her favourite TV shows. 

One day she watched a show featuring a woman whose body had many tattoos. As the story unfolds, Alessia learnt that each of the tattoos was a code, and decoding it could save many lives.

As Alessia watched the episode, she saw a young woman, a coder who did a brilliant job of doing the needful on time to stop many disasters. 

Alessia was impressed by what the young woman did. She had an idea— “with coding you can do so much!” she thought. It was also the day Alessia decided to become one.

Her decision helped her in many ways. She started finding out details to achieve her goal. She learned that she has to do well in her 10th standard to enter the science stream in the eleventh standard. 

Alessia spent much time studying and secured a 97% in her 10th standard. Her joy knew no bounds, “I am one step closer to achieving my dream!’ she thought to herself. 

Her parents were liberal in their thinking. They rejoiced with their daughter at her success. They sat her down and asked her about her aims and aspirations for the future. 

Alessia was overjoyed, “I want to become a coder,” she said. Her parents were perplexed, “a coder?” they asked in unison. Joyfully Alessia nodded her head as she said, “yes, yes, yes!” “But you will have to take up science in the eleventh standard,” her mother said. 

Both her parents were from the Commerce stream, and many from Alessia's family had excelled in the business field. The family was in business. There were very few persons in her extended family who had taken up science. Her parents tried to change Alessia’s mind, “if it is commerce we can help you with your studies, but science will be difficult for us. Will you be able to manage on your own?” Her parents asked her.

Alessia was firm in her decision, “yes” she said. When her parents saw that their child was determined to become an Engineer in Information Technology, they agreed to support her and did all they could to help her.

She got into a good higher secondary school to do her eleventh and twelfth standard in the science stream. It was the best in the locality. Alessia also revealed the name of a college she would like to attend to pursue her studies to become a coder. Her parents knew that college was the best in the country, and their daughter, will need coaching to get through the entrance exams. They did a lot of research to find the best coaching classes for Alessia. 

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Alessia was a brilliant girl who studied hard and did exceptionally well in her studies. Two years went past quickly, and now Alessia was waiting for her class twelfth results. Her preparation for the entrance also was in full swing. She had to get into the college of her dreams. That is when she experienced her first disappointment. She did well in her board exams, but she did not excel, and she got the lowest score in the subject Information Technology. That is what brought down her percentage.

But Alessia did not waste time brooding over her results. She was preparing herself for her entrance exams and she knew she had to do exceptionally well there. She told her parents, “ I have sufficient marks in the twelfth to get into the engineering college, the only thing I now need is an excellent score in the entrance exams.” Her parents encouraged her to do her best.

Finally, it was the day of the entrance exams. Alessia went into the examination hall to appear for her exams as her parents waited outside for her. After a long wait, she finally emerged but she was crestfallen. Her parents rushed to her side. 

Tears filled Alessia’s eyes as she told her parents, “ I will fail, the exam was too difficult for me.” Her parents comforted her. But the drive back home seemed much longer than otherwise for all three of them.

Once home, Alessia took stock of what had happened. She was sad and upset and was plagued with disturbing thoughts. She did not know what to think. Her parents waited patiently for her to decide. And finally, she spoke to her parents, “Mom, Dad?” she called. They were at the breakfast table. Both her parents looked up at her. “I would like to try again,” Alessia said.

Her parents were confused. They knew the next exam was only after a year. Will Alessia remain idle for a year, they wondered? Alessia cleared her throat as she spoke. “Mom, Dad, I would like to take a break from my studies. These entrance exams need intense training and I believe my preparations were insufficient.”  

She looked at her Dad’s face and then slowly shifted her gaze to her mom as she spoke, “ if you will support me I could go to the city for proper training and try to crack the entrance exam next year.” Her parents were silent for a moment. 

Her dad, a wise man, spoke up, “ You will lose a year,” he said. Alessia nodded. But seeing his daughter’s determination, he agreed to support her. 

Alessia had to move to the city. It was 60 km away from home. 

She would have to find accommodation for herself. Her's was a close-knit family, and staying away from her parents was the biggest challenge. But Alessia was willing to sacrifice anything to achieve her dream. Her parents helped her out, and soon she left home to train herself for the entrance exam. At the end of the year, Alessia appeared for the exam once again. But sadly, she failed again. 

This time she had a backup plan, and she had applied at many other colleges. She answered nine exams but failed in all. This girl never failed a single exam, and now she was failing every entrance exam. 

The failure was hard to accept, but Alessia did not give up her dream, and she answered the tenth exam and passed in flying colours. The college offered her a scholarship. She did well in college and topped in the final year. She was the gold medal winner that year. She also got a job in an MNC and started working immediately after completing her engineering.

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But her journey to becoming a coder was still on. But it was not the job of a coder at the MNC. She waited for two years for them to do so, but when they did not. She continued to upskill and then moved to another MNC that paid her much more than the first, and she got the dream job too. Alessia became a coder.

Life's journey is full of rocky roads, but the one who perseveres till the end will triumph. 

Parents have dreams and want their children to realise them. That is why children have to give up their dreams. But it was not so in Alessia’s life. She faced obstacles. The going was tough, but true to her name Alessia was tough. She never gave up until she lived her dream.

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