Vo vysokoškolskom internáte, kde sa pravidelne ozýval šum rozhovorov a študentská vrava, sa Marek pripravoval na záverečné skúšky.

In the university dormitory, where the hum of conversations and student chatter regularly echoed, Marek was preparing for his final exams.

Bol cieľavedomý, aj keď sa občas cítil pod tlakom očakávaní.

He was determined, even though he sometimes felt under the pressure of expectations.

Vonku bolo jesenné ráno, listy sa pomaly znášali na zem a vo vzduchu bol cítiť chlad blížiacej sa zimy.

Outside, it was an autumn morning, leaves slowly drifting to the ground and the chill of the approaching winter was in the air.

Marek sedel pri stole v malej izbe, ktorú zdieľal s ďalšími študentmi.

Marek sat at a table in the small room he shared with other students.

Pred ním boli knihy a listy papieru, ktoré čakali na to, aby ich preštudoval.

In front of him were books and sheets of paper waiting to be studied.

V mysli mu bežalo veľa myšlienok – ako zvládne všetko učivo?

Many thoughts ran through his mind — how would he handle all the material?

Čo ak nesplní svoje ciele a nezíska štipendium?

What if he didn't meet his goals and didn't get the scholarship?

Internát bol rušný.

The dorm was bustling.

Študenti chodili sem a tam, bavili sa, smiali a neustále sa niečo dialo.

Students were coming and going, chatting, laughing, and something was always happening.

Marek sa cítil roztržitý a nemohol sa sústrediť.

Marek felt distracted and couldn't concentrate.

Potom si spomenul na to, čo mu Jana raz povedala: „Niekedy pomôže zmeniť prostredie.“

Then he remembered what Jana once told him: "Sometimes it helps to change the environment."

Nasledujúce ráno, 17. novembra, bol na programe spomienkový podujatie na Deň boja za slobodu a demokraciu.

The following morning, November 17th, a commemorative event for the Day of Struggle for Freedom and Democracy was scheduled.

Marek si povedal, že sa zúčastní. Dúfal, že mu to pomôže vyčistiť si myseľ.

Marek decided to attend, hoping it would help clear his mind.

Stretol sa tam s Janou a Tomášom.

He met with Jana and Tomáš there.

Spolu počúvali príbehy o odvahe a boji za slobodu.

Together they listened to stories of courage and the fight for freedom.

Boli tam hostia, ktorí pripomínali udalosti, na ktorých záležalo.

There were guests who reminded them of events that mattered.

Príbehy o smelých ľuďoch, ktorí bojovali za slobodu, Mareka dojali.

The stories of brave people who fought for freedom moved Marek.

Inšpirovalo ho to.

It inspired him.

„Musíme sa zomknúť,“ povedal Marek pri návrate na internát.

"We need to stick together," Marek said upon returning to the dorm.

„Ak to zvládli naši predkovia, zvládneme aj my naše skúšky.“

"If our ancestors managed it, we can handle our exams too."

Na druhý deň sa Marek, Jana a Tomáš rozhodli založiť študijnú skupinu.

The next day, Marek, Jana, and Tomáš decided to form a study group.

Toľko toho mali na pláne, ale spolu to šlo lepšie.

They had so much planned, but together it went better.

Marek našiel novú rovnováhu medzi štúdiom a odpočinkom.

Marek found a new balance between studying and resting.

Uvedomil si, že je dôležité priznať si, že nie je sám.

He realized that it's important to admit he wasn't alone.

Počas každej prestávky si zaspomínal na príbehy, ktoré počul.

During every break, he reminisced about the stories he had heard.

Tie mu dávali silu.

They gave him strength.

Spolu s priateľmi sa vzájomne podporovali a učili.

Together with his friends, they supported and learned from each other.

Študijná skupina sa stala miestom nielen vzdelávania, ale aj priateľstva a spoločnej motivácie.

The study group became a place not only of education but also of friendship and shared motivation.

Marek už vedel, že zvládnu skúšky všetci.

Marek now knew they would all pass the exams.

Keď sa blížil deň skúšky, Marek už nebol nervózny.

As exam day approached, Marek was no longer nervous.

Bol si istý, že vďaka úprimnej príprave a podpore priateľov to zvládne.

He was confident, thanks to sincere preparation and the support of his friends.

A tak to aj bolo.

And so it was.

Skúšky prešli ako nič, a Marek sa tešil z dobre vykonanej práce.

The exams passed like nothing, and Marek was delighted with a job well done.

Keď prišiel domov, sledoval jesenné listy padajúce zo stromov.

When he got home, he watched the autumn leaves falling from the trees.

Bol pyšný.

He was proud.

Naučil sa, ako dôležité je byť súčasťou komunity a že každý príbeh, aj ten jeho, má svoj význam a silu.

He learned how important it is to be part of a community and that every story, even his own, has its meaning and power.

Vedomosť, ktorú získal, bola omnoho cennejšia ako samotné štipendium.

The knowledge he gained was much more valuable than the scholarship itself.