The Paper That Save Me

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Ethan balanced school with part-time tutoring to help his parents with the store. His mornings began before sunrise, and his nights often ended with him hunched over textbooks in the dim light of his lamp.

"Isaiah, come on! You're late again!" his classmate Marcos teased one morning as Ethan sprinted toward the classroom gate.

"I'm... I'm coming!" Ethan gasp then grab his bag.

Even with the teasing, Ethan pushed himself. Every "failure" became fuel
for him, and every red mark on his papers reminded him why he couldn't give up. He wanted more than just passing grades—he wanted a life where he could make a difference.

One afternoon, after a particularly tiring science exam, Ethan slumped in his chair, staring blankly at his failed test.

"Ethan," said Ms. Rosario, his favorite teacher, kneeling beside him. "I know it's frustrating. But tell me... what's your dream?"

He hesitated, embarrassed. "I... I want to become a doctor someday."

Her eyes softened. "Then you have to keep going, no matter how hard it gets. One day, you'll look back at these struggles and thank yourself for not quitting."

That night, Ethan opened the paper again. He traced the lines slowly with his fingers.

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill...

Yes, he whispered, "I can do this. I will not quit."

The final year of high school arrived with its own battles: entrance exams, scholarship applications, and the constant worry of failing. But the poem followed him, tucked safely in his notebook.

On the day of graduation, he held the paper in his hands one last time before tucking it in his wallet. "This... this is my sign," he thought. "No matter what comes next—college, med school... I'll carry it with me."

As the principal called his name, Ethan walked up to receive his diploma, the paper now a quiet companion, a symbol of his perseverance, and a promise that his dreams were worth fighting for.

Ethan Isaiah Resolvo stood at the entrance of the university, his backpack heavier than usual. The campus was massive, filled with towering buildings and students rushing between classes. He clutched his wallet in his pocket and the folded piece of paper still inside.

High school was just the beginning, he reminded himself. College is where the real fight begins.

The first week hit him like a tidal wave. Advanced science classes, long lectures, and professors who expected answers he didn't always have. Notes stacked up faster than he could read, and every night he fell asleep with a knot of worry in his chest.

One evening, after returning from a 10-hours lab session, Ethan collapsed onto his bed. He pulled out the old paper and read it aloud.

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will...

His voice was shaky. "I... I can't keep up," he admitted to himself. "Maybe I'm not cut out for this."

But as he traced the lines with his finger, a memory flashed... the stranger at the basketball court, handing him the paper with those words. He believed in me once... I can't let that be wasted.

Exams were coming, and the competition was intense. Ethan often compared himself to peers who seemed smarter, faster, and more capable. One night, he failed a crucial chemistry test. He stared at the red marks and felt the familiar urge to give up.

"Why bother?" he muttered. "Maybe I'm just not meant to be a doctor..."

He almost stuffed the paper into the drawer and walked away, but a quiet voice in his head reminded him: "Don't quit."