#AbhyudayaKatha: “Their resilience and positive attitude have inspired me”

“My sitara, Shagun Singh, is a bright and enthusiastic seventh-grade student. I was first impressed by her energy and passion when I saw her speak about Abhyudaya on stage at Hastantaran 2023. This motivated me to put in my best efforts while mentoring her. She is quick to warm up to new people. She was candid with me right from the first meeting. She calls me “bhaiya” with genuine affection.

In our first meeting, I assessed her current knowledge and interests. I found that though she is a sharp student, there is a need to polish her extempore skills and enhance her general awareness for her holistic development. Until now, I have taught her various topics from books like an atlas, an encyclopedia, and a biography. I have also been testing her extempore skills by asking her to speak on a variety of topics.

I have learned a great deal from Shagun and her family. Despite their humble circumstances, they are happy and contented people. Their resilience and positive attitude have inspired me. Further, these meetings have helped me to understand the interests and pain points of people with humble backgrounds, which will greatly help me in my future career.

I believe that Shagun has the potential to make a significant impact on the world. She is intelligent, compassionate, and driven. When I first met Shagun, she said that she wanted to be a teacher and help other children in her locality. I am really honored to be her mentor, and I look forward to watching her grow and succeed.”

Abhyudaya-SPJIMR is a transformative experiential learning course where PGDM participants mentor underprivileged school children called Sitara, contributing to UN #SDG4 of Quality Education.