E-Paper
Children’s Day: Students from marginalised families making a mark with hard work
These students from marginal families have fought hard to enter eminent educational institutions. They aspire to be the agents of change in the societies they come from.
As we celebrate Children’s Day on Sunday to mark the birth anniversary of first Prime Minister late Jawaharlal Nehru who said “Children are the future of our society,” here are some students who have made a mark while fighting against all odds. These students, who hail from marginal families, have fought hard to get into eminent educational institutions. They aspire to be the harbingers of change in the societies they come from.
Becoming a farmer like his father was always in his mind all through his childhood for 22-year-old Sumit Kumar. But despite being born into a family of sharecroppers in Mainpuri, Sumit studied hard and managed to secure a job of software engineer at Gourney Consulting in the US where he got placed after completing his graduation from Penn State University this year.
Kumar’s life changed soon after he got into VidyaGyan, Bulandshahar.
“I graduated from VidyaGyan in 2017 where I spent most of my life from class 6 to 12. My teachers mentored, motivated and instilled confidence in me to dream and achieve with the power of education. They helped me get through Penn State University, US. Recently, I graduated from the university with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science along with a minor in Security and Risk Analysis,” said Kumar, who currently lives in Bristol, Pennsylvania.
“I feel fortunate to get a full-time job right after college at Gourney Consulting, a company based in New Hope, Pennsylvania. I work as a systems innovator at the company and am responsible for designing custom software useful for the company,” he added.
Kumar ‘s success has made him a celebrity in his village where youngsters look up to him as their role model.
“Dream big and work hard to make them come true. You will find a hundred excuses not to work but if you make up your mind, you will come up with a plan to make your dreams come true,” he tells young students at his alma mater.
Bishwajit Banerjee, principal of VidyaGyan said,” Success stories of children like Kumar also motivate us as educators. We believe that all our students are exceptionally talented and we strive to put their talent to use in the right direction.”
Three years ago, Akash Kumar, 21, brought laurels to his alma mater-- the primary school of his village-- after clearing the prestigious IIT entrance exam. Now in third year at the Indian Institute of Technology Banaras Hindu University (IIT-BHU), Kumar has started work on developing startups aimed at empowering people living in rural pockets.
A native of Roopnagar village of Madhopur tehsil in Lucknow, Akash is first born of Anil Kumar, a peon in government office and Anita Devi, a house wife.
Akash moved to private Hindi medium school after completing his education at primary school. Akash scored 80% in the exam and this was the first time that his father realised that his son has potential for bigger things.
“Akash was not very excited about his marks but I motivated him and told him that he can do much better in future,” said Anil Kumar.
This support from father boosted Akash and he decided to dedicate the next few years to studies. The hard work paid off and Akash scored 83% in his class 12 and went on to crack IIT entrance exam with AIR 2702 that got him a spot at IIT-BHU.
“My admission into IIT was a big thing for the entire village. People still visit my home whenever I go there during holidays. This motivates me to do something for people living in villages. I am working on a couple of projects dedicated to bringing change in the life of villagers with my college mates. We will be in a position to rollout a model of startup shortly,” said Akash.
Until a few months ago, Simran Verma, a class 10 girl, did a job along with her studies to support her family after her father passed away following a prolonged illness. Daughter of a house help Simran worked hard, supported her family and scored well in her studies at Prerna School (a unit of Study Hall Educational Foundation) in Lucknow.
Her hard work was recognised and Simran was selected for the US State Department’s Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) programme. She is enrolled in studies at West Seneca East High School, New York, for this academic year and lives with a foster family there.
Simran’s mother Rekha Verma said, “I am happy and proud that my daughter got selected for this scholarship. This opportunity will help her grow and acquire skills for her bright future. Simran always dreamt about becoming something in life and helping those who lacked means. I am confidant that this opportunity will enable her to fulfill her dream.”
Simran’s story has also become a source of motivation for other students of her school.
“Simran’s triumph over her circumstances and her journey with Prerna Girls School is an inspiration for all our girls. She has fought all odds and come out victorious. We are very proud of her,” said Rakhi Panjwani, principal of Prerna Girls School.
Photo Caption: Sumit Kumar, a farmer’s son Mainpuri has joined as IT professionals in US.
Simran (second from left) with her foster family in New York.
