From Zero to the Summit That Voice on the Radio Changed My Life — Kemal Şahin

In my final year of secondary school a modest newspaper advertisement brought to me by my physics teacher Ms Yüksel Tezcan quietly altered the course of my life One evening as I drifted between wakefulness and dreams I heard the name Kemal Şahin spoken on TRT radio In that instant a long held hope was realised I was filled with joy and a decisive turning point was set in motion The land I was born in the Toros Mountains taught me perseverance resilience and the courage to set sail towards distant horizons After completing my engineering studies in Germany I was refused a work permit I did not retreat instead I started trading with a small shop My 5 000 Deutsche Marks at the time were not my true capital My real wealth lay education trustworthiness and integrity We are first shaped by our families our teachers and our friends Professional life refines us Books inspiring individuals competitors and even our mistakes give us strength This is how one progresses step by step towards the summit Some see only the mountain before them others fix their gaze on the star beyond it As goals are reached momentum gathers Your destination is not merely where you arrive it is the path you choose to take