Finding Strength In Uncertainly by Isaiah
Isaiah's entry into Varsity Tutor's January 2026 scholarship contest
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Finding Strength In Uncertainly by Isaiah - January 2026 Scholarship Essay
One experience in my life where I discovered a strength that I had never before recognized in myself was during a season of uncertainty where I had to move outside of my comfort zone and begin to take responsibility for a situation that I previously did not believe I could succeed in. During this period, it felt as though I did not have the confidence to tackle this situation, despite believing that I had the necessary skills and strengths. Over time, however, it became clear to me that I had the strength to persist, adapt, and overcome challenges, even when they were outside of my comfort zone.
Instead of succumbing to my fears, I tackled this challenge head-on. I learned how to take one step at a time, seek help as needed, and continue to make an effort, even if it felt like I was moving slowly. There were still moments of doubt when I believed it would be impossible to succeed in this situation, but each minor victory proved to me that strengths sometimes emerge in challenging situations. Ultimately, I discovered that resilience is a strength, even if it feels like you do not have all the answers you need to succeed.
Given that this is a strength that I discovered in myself, it also strongly relates to my personal development and academic learning over the past few years. At present, this strength manifests itself in my life by ensuring that I approach challenges with a sense of resilience rather than avoiding them due to uncertainty. For instance, in the past, when I had tasks that felt too complicated, I would avoid completing them until the last moment; however, now that I’ve discovered this strength within myself, I am able to tackle these situations so that I might learn from them and continue improving my abilities. Thus, this has enabled me to be much more flexible with my time, problem-solving abilities, and the decisions that I am making. More importantly, though, this has translated into other aspects of my life by ensuring that I am patient and forgiving with myself as well.
Having discovered this strength within myself has had an impact upon my future goals and objectives. More specifically, I believe that resilience is important as one looks towards future goals and objectives. As a result, my goals are somewhat more realistic because I am able to envision a path forward based on overcoming obstacles. This is not only encouraging for me as an individual but also enables me to understand my goals much better. Thus, if something does not go as planned, it is not a setback but a valuable learning experience. Overall then, this learning experience gives me further confidence towards pursuing my future goals and objectives.