“If you want a real chance at being accepted, you have to wait one year to apply,” Philadelphia Youth Camp director and Herbert W. Armstrong dean of students Stephen Flurry told me in July 2010. Looking back now, I can understand why he said this. During that pyc, my English skills were not sufficient enough to take the toefl (the English language exam all foreign AC applicants must take). During that pyc, I had a friend in my dorm that translated for me. Most of the time, I was able to understand English, but I was not able to speak and express my thoughts. Sometimes during conversations, I did not even try to speak by myself. I just asked my personal translator to tell other people what I wanted to say.

After that pyc, I went home and tried to prepare myself to have the possibility of applying by improving. I had finished high school one month before going to pyc, and my mom and I thought the best idea was to rest a semester and focus on just studying English—to improve my skills before going to university.

After that semester studying only English, I started studying English and French as my foreign languages at the university. When I was in second semester, I sent in my application to AC. Later, in third semester, I was waiting to know whether I had been accepted. I needed to know before the second week of May, and the staff of the Spanish Department at headquarters would help me to know the decision as soon as possible. On April 30, 2012, I received an e-mail from one of the staff asking me for my home phone number to call me. A couple of minutes after I sent the e-mail, someone called: I was not accepted. I was shocked, and it was difficult not to think about it, but life had to continue.

I was able to come back to pyc again. This second pyc was different: I did not need a translator at all. Actually, I ended up being the translator for one of the campers in the dorm. This helped me to improve my English skills a lot, and being in Edmond again increased my desire to be an AC student.

A year later, I applied to AC again, and waited for the letter. Again, I was in the same situation of needing to know before the second week of May. On May 13, 2013, I received an e-mail from one of the staff of the Spanish Department telling me to continue walking the way that God would show to me and that, in the end, we would know the reason why things happen the way they do. This time, it was more difficult not to think about it, but fortunately my regional director visited Colombia about one week after I received my second rejection letter. I was able to talk to him and he helped me to continue moving forward.

Another year passed. I applied to AC again for the third time, and I was waiting for the letter. It was June, and I still had not heard anything yet. On June 2, 2015, which was a Catholic holiday in Colombia, I received an e-mail. It was from Ms. Powell in the registrar’s office saying: “Maria, let me add my congratulations. I look forward to meeting you this fall. Four documents are attached to this e-mail ….” I was shocked and completely happy.

The third time’s the charm. That is a common phrase that expresses the persistence sometimes needed to reach a specific goal. In my case, the goal was becoming an AC student. I applied three times, but now I am here at the beginning of my sophomore year.

Here, I learned that a lot of students received their acceptance letter after their second or third try. When you have a goal, there will be tests, trials and problems that will show how much you want to reach and achieve that goal. If you are persistent, you are more likely to reach it. Achieving a goal may take you one or two times—or it may be the third time that is the charm.