Uttarakhand state board class 12 topper travelled 40km daily to reach school

Shatakshi Tiwari, the Uttarakhand board class 12 topper, said that she studied on her own for the exams and relied solely on her teachers for extra help. She scored full marks in Mathematics and 99 in both Chemistry and Physics.

Shatakshi Tiwari from Saraswati Vidya Mandir Inter College in Chinyalisaur, Uttarkashi district topped Uttarakhand board for class 12, the results for which were declared by Uttarakhand Board of School Education on Thursday. The 16-year-old girl scored 98% with 490 marks out of 500. She believes that having a clear target ahead helped her succeed.

Shatakshi Tiwari, the Uttarakhand board class 12 topper, is preparing for JEE Main and wants to become astrophysicist.(HT Photo)

“Staying motivated and having a clear goal helps keep you energised and it encourages you to work more,” said Tiwari, who is preparing for JEE Main and wants to become astrophysicist.

She said that she studied on her own for the exams and relied solely on her teachers for extra help. She scored full marks in Mathematics and 99 in both Chemistry and Physics.

Tiwari travelled 40km every day to school and back home but that did not deter her from spending the rest of the time on studies. “I used to wake up early in the morning and sleep late. I made a calendar and marked the dates in which I had to revise the lessons. I forget things that I learn very easily so I had to keep on revising to memorise each topic,“ she said.

“My school principal always wanted us to rank in the state merit list. He wanted me to top the school; I am happy that I fulfilled his wish and topped the state,” said Tiwari.

Her father Anup Tiwari is a civil engineer and her mother Sunita Tiwari works with the health department. “She is very hardworking. She started her preparation from the beginning of class 11. She has been methodical in her studies which helped her a lot,” said her father.