Friends mocked her for working at McDonald's until they saw her on television

Not every opinion deserves a response. Sometimes, the best way to silence the haters is by letting the results speak for themselves. Isa Melo (@isa.melo.musique), a professional pianist, revealed that she was mocked for working at McDonald's, even though they did not know the struggles she went through. Well, with dream-filled eyes, she began working at 13 years old to fund her goal of getting into her dream college. Years later, Melo's hard work finally paid off. She had the chance to perform in front of the legendary composer and conductor Julio Medaglia on live television. On May 25, 2026, Melo shared her journey, inspiring many young minds to keep chasing their dreams. Her video has received over a million views on her Instagram page.

Sacrifices behind big dreams

Melo knew what she wanted to do from a very young age. At just 13, she was knocking on doors with her application and managed to land a teaching job at a music school in Brazil. During her weekends, she would play at weddings for some extra cash. Melo's primary goal was to study at the Geneva University of Music. Hours of practice and learning French and English on her own worked out. And at 18 years old, she flew to Switzerland and got accepted into her dream college. Even though people discouraged her, she never gave up.

She left them spellbound

Life hasn't been easy for Melo. When her family ran out of money, her parents mortgaged their house to fund her education, and she, too, had to start working again. Unaware of her journey, Melo's colleagues often mocked her, but she refused to let it affect her, because she knew what she was capable of. And the people who constantly mocked her for chasing an impossible dream? Well, little did they know that at 16, Milo had already won international competitions. A year later, she was invited to join an orchestra in Germany and perform with the legendary composer, Julio Medaglia. In fact, they only found out when a TV broadcast showed her performing live in front of a 1,500-person audience. Next, she pursued two master's degrees from the Zurich University of Arts, achieving yet another milestone at such a young age.

Finding her way back to music

Despite achieving so much early on in her music career, Melo struggled to secure a permanent position in the orchestra. She also applied for music teacher jobs but was rejected every single time. "Then came anxiety, depression, and after years of playing so intensely, I lost movements in my hands and couldn't play anymore," Melo confessed. During this time, she left music and did whatever she could to earn a livelihood. From working at Starbucks and Zara to babysitting and cleaning, Melo did all kinds of odd jobs to survive. After a few years, she returned to music and found her purpose again. "I decided I would never let the world take my music away from me," Melo confessed. Now, millions of people listen to her music, all because she didn't give up on her dream easily.

American Dream

Everyone wants to dream big, but not everyone has the perseverance to achieve it. A survey conducted by Archbridge Institute on the 'American Dream' found that 69% believe they have achieved it or are on their way towards achieving it. More than half (51%) of the participants believe that Americans can achieve their American dream, while 30% think the concept of an American Dream is impossible to achieve. Even though many people discouraged Melo along the way, she refused to give up and continued chasing her dreams until she finally made them happen. 

Turning rejection into resilience

Some people tend to give up more easily after persistent setbacks in life, whereas others see their failures as a lesson and move forward despite hardships. An experimental study by Martin E. P. Seligman and Peter Schulman delved further into the concept and found startling differences between pessimistic and optimistic people. Researchers analyzed 94 insurance agents and found that those with an optimistic approach after rejection sold 37% more insurance than pessimistic agents in the first two years of service. The result further reinforces Melo's success story. While people around her were busy belittling her for chasing an "impossible dream," she did not give up and saw each setback as a stepping stone to success.

'What an inspiration,' say netizens 

Meanwhile, the majority of people in the comment section praised Melo for her determination and grit to pursue her dream. For instance, @voilet.skyy.music wrote, "I'm crying. I am so happy for you and that you're living out your dream." Similarly, @martintheodorkunzli added, "Success is the sweetest when it’s earned the hard way."

You can follow Isa Melo (@isa.melo.musique) on Instagram for more lifestyle and music-related content.

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