Small Step, Big Dreams

Being a student is already hard. But being a working student? It’s a different kind of challenge. Not everyone sees the effort behind my everyday routine. They see me attending classes, passing requirements, and smiling like everything is normal. What they don’t see is how tired I get. How I balance deadlines and responsibilities at the same time. How I sometimes choose between rest and productivity. There are days when I go to school feeling exhausted because I worked the day before. My body feels heavy, but I still show up. I still listen. I still try. Because I know why I started. Working while studying taught me discipline. It taught me how to manage my time, how to prioritize, and how to sacrifice. There were moments when I had to miss out on things. Moments when I wanted to rest but couldn’t. Moments when I questioned if I was pushing myself too hard. But every time I receive my salary, every time I pass an exam, every time I realize I survived another exhausting week — I feel pr...

Volleyball is not just a sport for me. It is something that helped shape who I am today—not only as a player, but as a person. When I first started playing, I honestly didn’t know much about the game. I just saw people playing on the court, enjoying every rally, every spike, and every point. I told myself, “I want to try that too.” I didn’t know that simple decision would become such an important part of my life. At the beginning, I struggled a lot. My serves were weak, my receives were inconsistent, and sometimes I felt embarrassed when I made mistakes. There were moments when I doubted myself, especially when I saw other players who were already skilled and experienced. But instead of giving up, I used that feeling as motivation. I practiced whenever I could—after school, during weekends, and even in small open courts around our area. I kept repeating the basics: passing, setting, serving. Slowly, I began to improve. What I learned in volleyball is that progress does not happen overn...