Perseverance by Emily

Perseverance by Emily - October 2025 Scholarship Essay

Most people believe the best lesson you can learn from a book is the golden rule: treat others the way you want to be treated. While this is a very impactful lesson, it is not the most important. The most important lesson one can learn from a book, a movie, or from life itself is perseverance. The main character in Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas, Aelin Ashryver Galathynius, has taught me that continuing to forge ahead even when it seems as if everything around you is falling apart and the situation looks hopeless, is a vital life lesson.
The story of Kingdom of Ash picked up right where the previous book ended. Taken as a bargaining chip in the raging war, Aelin was powerless against the treacherous queen, Maeve. She was locked in a coffin made of iron and entirely bound, leaving her completely defenseless and engulfed in darkness. For two months, three weeks, and seven days, Aelin endured both psychological and physical torture from Maeve. Intending to break her spirit, Meave trapped Aelin in a never-ending cycle of despair and loneliness.
Eventually, Aelin’s allies came together, created a plan, and acted upon it. Her allies fought defiantly against the overwhelming forces loyal to Maeve and narrowly escaped being captured themselves. With Aelin safe and free from her captor, the slow process of recovery unfolded.
Her recovery consisted of continual ups and downs. Aelin faced obstacles like diminishing thoughts in her head and personal hesitation regarding her right to recover. Even so, she also began to experience the joys of life again and feel her spark returning to her. This recovery time was nothing quick; it was long and tough. However, this was a time when her family and friends offered her words of encouragement and support. Aelin was doing one of the hardest things there is to do in life: attempting to fix the broken parts of herself. Over time, through her perseverance and strength, she began to chip away at the damaged parts and reawaken her true self.
Just as Aelin was, I was rooted in captivity myself. However, I was not put there by someone else. In fact, I was taken captive by my own mind. Stuck in the swirling mess of anxiety and depression, I was left in the dark and completely defenseless against the unyielding “coffin” my eating disorders would put me in. For around a year, only the seemingly never-ending cycle of loneliness and numbness existed. Those endless thoughts held me captive and distracted me from truly living my life.
That was, until a few very important people in my life came together, created a plan, and followed through with it. Through the plan, actions, and spoken words, my family offered me unconditional support through the long process of recovery. When it started, recovering was scary. Just as Aelin had experienced, there was a voice in the back of my mind constantly trying to convince me that it was a mistake. That I never should have come forward and asked for help. Thinking about it now, though, I don’t regret a thing. While not every part of recovery was easy, my perseverance has led me to where I am now.
Throughout Kingdom of Ash, Alien showed me that even during the darkest times in our lives, we are strong enough to get through them. She taught me that when it feels as if you're trapped under the surface, all it takes is your willingness to fight through it, and you will break through to the other side.