What propels Hamilton on his path to greatness as noted in the biography, Alexander Hamilton?

Hamilton’s essay on the hurricane that strikes St. Croix is pivotal in his life, as it sets him on a trajectory for greatness. The essay, so well-written, attracts the attention of the island’s governor, who, together with other elites, forms a fund to send Hamilton to college in New York. Had Hamilton not taken an interest in reading and writing, and had he never penned the hurricane essay, he would have never been given the chance to study abroad.