In a world overflowing with tales of young individuals forging paths toward educational excellence, there are stories that shine brighter, stories that remind us of the resilience and determination that can be found even in the most challenging circumstances.

Among these narratives, one recent story that captivated particular attention among locals in Türkiye stands out for encapsulating the essence of the human spirit and the unyielding pursuit of knowledge.

Meet Yılmaz Acar, a 24-year-old from the medieval, architecturally rich southeastern province of Mardin in Türkiye.

Now a fresh graduate and a top-tier student from a double major in a private university in Istanbul, he is set to embark on another educational journey, as he was accepted for a master’s degree program at the University of Chicago in the U.S. after being accepted by nine different programs in both the U.S. and the U.K. earlier owing to his outstanding academic record.

With a humble start tending sheep in the rugged landscapes of Türkiye's southeastern Mardin, Acar embarked on an extraordinary path and is now being highly praised for his academic accomplishments.

Among the youngest of 13 siblings, he defied the odds and embarked on a quest for knowledge that would take him far from his village and his family. The journey would open many doors to broaden his interests, including learning advanced English and Arabic, as well as participation in many extracurricular activities, seminars and exchange programs.

As a young boy who tended to his herd, he balanced his responsibilities with preparing for the university entrance exam – a feat that demanded not only intellectual prowess but also sheer determination.

Preparing for the university entrance exam at a district's public education center, he planned on continuing his path of education either in the western province of Izmir, where his elder brothers were already settled, or moving to Istanbul and pursuing a degree in the country’s most populous city and a major transcontinental hub.

Eventually, after years of devotion during high school, his efforts bore fruit as he secured a full scholarship at Istanbul's Ibn Haldun University.

Speaking to Daily Sabah, Acar recalled his days at the village, noting he spent a lot of time in nature, carefully tending to his duties with animals on weekends and after school.

Speaking about his journey, upbringing, and further educational and professional goals, Acar recalled the philosophy of esteemed scientist and Nobel laureate Dr. Aziz Sancar as having inspired him toward excellence.

"Most people believe in intelligence, I do not. What sets us apart is effort. I believe in work," the molecular biologist and Acar's fellow compatriot said on an occasion, and it was partly these words that often floated through young Acar's mind, as he believes it was his hard work and determination to maintain a 4.0 GPA that shaped him into the individual who narrates this positive story.

Highlighting he was the first from his family to graduate from high school and then university, being the son of the security guard, Acar recalled the challenges and hurdles the region he hails from faced in the past.

"It was a reality of our region, during those security issues, in the late '90s, many people couldn't attend university if they weren't aligned with terrorist groups like the PKK and its affiliations in the region. That's why many people were migrating to other cities. My family, for example, has many members, but the majority lives in Izmir, Germany or elsewhere as diaspora," he explained.

However, he noted that the situation improved over the past 20 years, as he and many of his counterparts driven by the wish to learn, and aided by educational opportunities offered by the state, managed to realize their path to improvement and success.

On the question as to how life brought him to Istanbul and what affected his decision-making process, Acar said that he was offered a full scholarship in 2019 and that in particular, despite Istanbul often being tagged as expensive, it was the multilingual policy, international projects and summer school opportunities offered by his university got him to eventually enroll in the course.

Prosperous years

Acar, who with cheer and joy elaborated on numerous activities he was part of during his undergraduate years after completing preparatory English and Arabic courses, said he was a part of the Doha debate team as well as multiple seminars that led him to explore countries across Europe, North Africa and the Gulf.

Noting that the preparations for the journey to the U.S. are underway, Acar said: "I will be attending the orientation week in September. I plan to travel there early in September. I plan to study political studies within the social sciences department there for a year or two."

Describing his thirst for knowledge, particularly in this primary field of Islamic sciences, he believes the problems in the country and the Muslim world are clustered around politics and political thought, owing to inspiration from the "wrong places" and overlooking the origin of the rich civilization Türkiye owns. He explain that this was the reason he wanted to work in this field.

Acar noted that before the last year of his undergraduate education, applications for master's and doctorate degrees opened up, and he applied for master's degrees at 12 universities in the U.S. and U.K. with the help of his professors.

Stating that his family had mixed feelings about him heading overseas, the young scholar said his parents were immensely proud of him, as they still receive dozens of calls from relatives these days.

"Some of these schools offered me full scholarships, some gave me 50% scholarships. At the end of the day, I consulted my teachers, my family and friends, and I opted to join the University of Chicago. This school is one of the top 10 schools in the world with a solid tradition in social sciences."

Explaining that his goal is to serve his state and excel even more in the international arena by getting acquainted with other theories, civilizations and cultures, Acar said he hopes and would be lucky if his personal achievements serve as inspiration to at least one child in his village. He also thanked his friends, family and teachers from his local rural school and university for their unwavering support.