CBSE results: For some, this victory is extra special

Preeti Sharma, daughter of a carpenter in Noida, has made her parents proud by scoring 84.4% in humanities stream

Preeti Sharma, daughter of a carpenter in Noida, has made her parents proud by scoring 84.4% in humanities stream. Sharma studies at a school run by a non-profit organisation in Sector 44, Noida, and supported by Amity International School.

Preeti said she never expected that she will come this far and overcome challenges that often daunt EWS students. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

A resident of Khajur colony, Sharma says she never expected that she will come this far and overcome all challenges that often daunt students from the economically weaker sections.

The eldest of four siblings, Preeti was enrolled in ‘Amitasha’ an NGO that educates underprivileged girls for free. With the dream of becoming a teacher, Sharma excelled every year in her studies.

“I had a lot of stress when I entered Class 12 as no one in our colony supported me to go to school after Class 8. Generally, in our locality, girls drop out of school once they turn 13,” 19-year-old Preeti said.

“But with the support of my parents, I continued to go to school. One of the biggest factors was that the school is just 10 minutes away from my home,” she said.

Sharma says her teachers are the driving force behind her success. “There is always tension around board exams and I was tensed because if I didn’t score well, everyone in our locality would have laughed at me. But my teachers explained to me that I should treat this exam like any other,” Preeti said.

Preeti’s parents were unable to contain their excitement as they distributed sweets among neighbours and relatives.

“I am proud of my daughter and now I am sure that she will be successful in life.We have tried our best to provide her all that we can,” Pramod Sharma, Preeti’s father, said.

Preeti said she wants to be a teacher after she completes her graduation in political science.

“I will get enrolled in a good college, in Delhi Univeristy if possible, and complete my masters. Then I will give a National Eligibility Test to qualify for teaching. I want to teach underprivileged children for free so that they can also aspire to be successful,” she said.

Another achiever is a special child from Apeejay School, Noida, who scored 91.4% in the commerce stream. The 17-year-old girl, who does not wish to be named, suffers from dysgraphia, an inability to write coherently, as a symptom of brain disease or damage..

Beating all odds, she scored 99 marks in informatics practices, 82 in English, 89 in economics, 93 in business studies and 94 in accounts.

“My daughter has trouble holding a pen and organizing letters on a line in order to form a word or sentence. Her handwriting is messy and she struggles with spellings. We found out her condition when she was in Class 5 and, ever since, I have been guiding her and working hard with her to overcome all obstacles,” her mother said.

Fond of music, the special child has always been fascinated with computers.

“I love computer coding and will pursue a bachelors in computer applications. Even though I am not able to write, I can easily operate a computer and, hence, it is my best friend,” she said.