Belonging to a religious and lower-middle-class family, the first turning point in my life came in 2002 when I joined a free-of-cost school, I was 10 at the time. The school was over 40 km away and a huge chunk of my day was spent on the bus commuting. The school even offered an English curriculum, which was new to me, but I still decided to enroll for it. This helped me in preparing for a scholarship test at an elite school through which I got in on full scholarship. Initially, the judgments of my elite-class fellows demotivated me due to differences, but I continued to engage in extra curriculars and did well academically. Eventually in A2, I wanted to apply to MIT, which meant I had to give my SATs which at that time costed a one-third of my family's monthly income. I tutored to save up and gave the SAT, scoring considerably well. This helped me land a spot in one of the most reputable colleges in the country but unfortunately my financial constraints got in the way yet again. It was here that I reached an ultimate low, I ran away from home, improved my Alevels grades with a re-attempt. This time I actually made it to LUMS, the financial aid helped but did not free me from the burden of the many expenses still involved. I stayed at one friend or another’s to cut down on rent and even spent months in a small room near Bhatta chowk that didn’t even have a bathroom. I’d shower and change in the gym at LUMS every morning, until I had enough to afford a hostel. I saved almost six lacs through freelancing and initiated a business with a friend. But my partner deceived me, resulting in loss of money along with my mental peace, which led to me failing several of my courses that semester. Two years down the road, things finally took a pleasant turn. I managed to graduate in the summer of 2017, relying mostly on my income through tutoring. Began my career as a teacher, went ahead and married the most amazing woman I’ve ever known. I applied to foreign universities, and luckily got into the math program of a prestigious institute in the US with the help of a LUMS alumni. During COVID, I took my classes online during the night and taught during the day. I saved up enough just in time to go to Boston and finish my degree post COVID. I got the GPA I wanted and returned to Pakistan happier than ever. My journey, like everyone else, constituted of many highs and lows. But the one thing I’ve gathered from my experiences is to make that journey easier for anyone who crosses my path and wish to be a source of guidance and support for my students, juniors and peers.