Centum in determination too

Battling heavy odds, ASHWINI has emerged as the school topper.

May 16, 2015 08:24 pm | Updated 08:24 pm IST

Ashwini mother and her teachers have been a pillar of support. Photo: Dominic Raj

Ashwini mother and her teachers have been a pillar of support. Photo: Dominic Raj

Here is a story about the will to succeed.

In the recent 12th Board examinations, Ashwini Viswanathan from Nandanam Government Higher Secondary School emerged as the school topper, scoring 1143 marks out of 1200 with centum in three subjects.

The odds were heavily stacked against her. She hails from a poor family. And she had to overcome a health problem.

Ashwini was diagnosed with cervical spondylosis, considered a rare condition among youngsters, in January this year.  

As a result of her medical condition, she suffered from severe back pain and was unable to attend classes regularly.

“ It was a crucial time for my studies. I was planning to prepare rigorously for the Board exams, and this medical condition threatened to set me back. I was however determined to bear the pain and do my best,” says Ashwini. Her mother, who is the sole breadwinner for the family, works as a domestic help.

“One of my brothers is a painter, but he hardly earns a regular income. We are just able to meet our basic needs,” she says.

She gives the credit to her teachers and her mother for her performance. “My teachers took very good care of me at school. I had a special chair with cushions to make me feel comfortable. They also helped me by taking extra classes and motivated me to do well.”

They also went out of their way to help her deal with her health problem.

“My class teacher helped me get an appointment at the KMC government hospital. But, as the hospital was not equipped to treat my condition, I was referred to the MIOT hospital. At MIOT, they said I needed to undergo a surgery. But as we could not meet the expenses, I choose to continue with just medicines. Sometimes the pain was unbearable, but I had a task at hand.”

Two years ago, Ashwini had a similar health scare which almost ended her studies. Shortly after completing Class X, she was down with severe jaundice. Her mother was concerned and asked her to discontinue her studies. But Ashwini was adamant. Her mother finally gave in to her request and put her in a school after a long leave. She was glad, and decided to continue her studies. She scored centum in Accountancy and auditing theory, accountancy and auditing practicals.

Ashwini wants to become a chartered accountant.

“I have applied to several colleges in the city. ” She is however still worried about the expenses of higher education. “I want to study well and get a good job: that is the only way I can repay my mother for all that she has done for me despite her difficulties,” she says.

Ashwini can be reached at 98841 82563.

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