Breaking away from the usual preferences of Engineering and Medicine, S. Visithra, a student of Velliveethiyar Girls’ Higher Secondary School, who scored 496 marks, said she wanted to pursue courses related to agriculture.
“I always wanted to study something different and am extremely interested in agriculture,” said the topper whose father works as a van driver for a private firm.
Most of the corporation school toppers hail from humble backgrounds, but have offbeat career interests.
M. Raghavi, another student of the school, who stood second among corporation school students with a score of 492 marks, has a fascination for genetics and wants to pursue genetic medicine.
Her father S. Murugan, who works as a tea master in a coffee outlet in the city, said he was ready to support her academic interests and that she was free to pursue a subject of her choice.
K. Anbuselvi, a student of E.V.R. Nagammai Girls’ Higher Secondary School, who stood third among the students of corporation schools with a total of 491 marks, said she could have got the first rank but for a silly mistake.
“I overlooked a five-mark sum in Maths which would have taken my total to 496. I was initially upset but happy anyway,” said the girl whose father owns a tea shop.
Anbuselvi’s father S. Kanagaraj, who runs the tea shop near Arapalayam, said he was proud of his daughter’s performance.
“We have ensured that she gets educated and focuses on her studies and we are very happy,” he added.
Anbuselvi wanted to pursue pure science and do research.
K.S. Iswariya and M.R. Shivaani of the same school, who stood second with 492 marks, and G. Koteesawardhini from Velliveethiyar school, who bagged the third place among corporation school students, wanted to become doctors.