President of the United States of America is one of the most glorious titles in the world, which explains why many battle to earn that title and the respect it brings. When deciding whether to run for president again, Hillary Clinton had an important choice to make.

Should she risk reliving the humiliation of comments about her husband’s infidelity, the investigation into her ethics as secretary of state, and her loss in the 2008 election, to have a chance to become the most powerful leader in America?

After considering all this and more, Hillary Clinton chose to take on the challenges and pursue her goal of becoming president.

She has endured a tough election.

Both parties harshly criticized Clinton for using an unsecure email server while she was secretary of state. She eventually admitted her mistake and took full responsibility. She also made the point that she, like everyone else, makes mistakes. Facing extreme scrutiny and criticism, Clinton displayed humility and strong character by being accountable for her actions.

Clinton also has had to face Americans’ concerns about some of her other choices, including remaining with her husband and campaigning with him despite the scandal of his infidelity years earlier. Clinton has been called, “Too stupid to be president,” by many and even some in the media because of her choice to keep her vows whether her husband kept them or not.

And Clinton has had to answer questions about her health and age. While she clearly values privacy, her opponent and others continue to question her physical fitness for office. In fact, Clinton recently was criticized for becoming ill and needing assistance while going up steps.

Yet she continues to climb. Clinton must have known that running for president would mean an end to privacy and the beginning of possible public humiliation, but Clinton perseveres.

I would have made the same decision. I believe that ignoring the potential consequences of one’s actions is dangerous, but it’s more dangerous to allow fear alone to dictate your decisions. Working hard to achieve your goals—whatever the personal cost—is commendable. It’s especially commendable to try after failure.

Someone once said “A boat is safe in the harbor, but that is not what boats were made for.” Hillary Clinton was safe in her previous success, but she hadn’t reached her goal so she kept striving, and she is now the Democratic nominee.