But this wasn’t just any interview — it was for a mentorship program known for changing lives. Three young women walked in that morning, each carrying a folder of hopes and dreams. They didn’t know each other, yet each wore the same quiet fears: Am I good enough? Will they choose me? Could this opportunity finally open the door I’ve been knocking on for years?
The interviewer greeted them kindly, not with cold questions or trick tests, but with something much more human.
“Tell me about a time you lifted someone up.”
“What challenge shaped you the most?”
“What kindness are you most proud of?”
The brunette spoke softly about raising her younger siblings while her mother worked nights.
The redhead talked about creating a study group so struggling classmates wouldn’t fall behind.
The blonde shared how she volunteered at a retirement home, bringing joy to residents who rarely received visitors.
When each finished, they waited in the lobby — nervous, fidgeting, but gentle with one another. Instead of treating each other like rivals, they shared smiles, encouragement, and stories. What began as awkward silence bloomed into warm connection.
Then the interviewer returned.
“I’m offering all three of you a place,” he said. “We don’t rise by pushing others down. We rise by lifting together.”
Tears. Laughter. Relief.
Three strangers walked in hoping to be chosen.
They walked out proving why they all deserved to be.