The beauty of a journey is neither in the destination nor in the journey... | Precious Ngenwie

The beauty of a journey is neither in the destination nor in the journey. It is in who you become along the way.

A journey that began in 2022 with a little girl’s dream—to follow in her aunt’s footsteps and board a plane one day—has turned into a brand-new adventure, where I discovered a hidden part of myself.

With this desire in mind, I took the first steps: scoring 30/30 points at the GCE Ordinary Level and 23/25 points at the GCE Advanced Level. I participated in the Open Dreams Summer Academy 2023. After two years of applying, I faced rejection after rejection, but I kept pushing forward. When I graduated from high school, and with the encouragement of my parents, I wrote two entrance exams—Polytechnic and FMBS—and failed both. That was the first time failure struck me so hard that I almost fell into depression. I tried to stay strong, but I was crushed as I viewed my peers move forward in their respective paths. Some went to professional school, others traveled out and some continued building their talents and specializing in it. Time had frozen for me, but the world kept moving.

During my gap year, I was in survival mode, holding on because it was my last resort. Still, I kept applying. After going through medications and deep self-reflection, I realized that while I was academically ready to secure a scholarship and travel, there was one key ingredient missing from my mix. I wasn’t yet prepared as a person for the unknown world I wanted to enter.

Fortunately, with my flexible program, I dedicated my first year to engaging in multiple activities. I volunteered at the TIC Foundation to help organize the TIC Summit and other events. I joined competitions. I met new people that changed my life, a few being: Mr Akaba James, Mr Bill Agha, Moukam Jules Romaric Lemfonyuy and many more. I learned new things, and most importantly, I focused on giving back to my community in every possible way. My motto was simple: learn, unlearn, and relearn. I kept an open mind and sought environments where I could grow and gain new insights.

In the end, I didn’t just gain wonderful experiences or achieve my dream of securing a fully funded scholarship from the Mastercard Foundation to study at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon. I discovered something greater: a new version of myself—one that is no longer afraid of challenges and embraces change with courage and openness.

As I embark on this new journey, with dreams of majoring in Pre-Medicine, I will continue to carry these values with me. But most of all, I can’t wait to see the person I will become by the end of this journey.

I want to thank God, alongside Open Dreams, for the support and guidance I received.

My parting words to you reading this are simple: Keep applying—because it truly pays to apply.