The results were extra special for some students who bagged 10 Cumulative Grade Point Achievement (CGPA) without compromising on extra-curricular activities.
While one student spent a large part of the year playing basketball and shooting three pointers, another was rowing while yet another was mastering scuba diving.
Neha Sharon Jacob of National Public School, Koramangala, who scored a 10 CGPA, is a passionate singer. She recently won the American Protege International Vocal Competition 2016 in the Music Theatre category. This achievement got her an opportunity to sing at the Winner's Recital in the famed Carnegie Hall in New York in December 2016.
“It is important to manage your time well. Singing is not only my hobby, it also acted as a stress-buster during exams,” she said. She plans to pursue a career in life sciences, but says that her ‘ultimate ambition’ is to perform on Broadway.
Another student Raghav Chintakunta Madhukar of Sri Kumaran Children’s Home had taken up a crucial project called Cityidol where he documented the legacy of the people whose names have been given to various roads, junctions, parks, colleges and bus stands. He was honoured with the Ashoka youth venturer award. “I spent around two to three hours every day on my project and the rest of the time on academics,” he said.
Nitya Devayya of Royale Concorde International School, Kalyannagar, is a national level rower who secured two silver medals in the sub-junior national rowing championships as well as sub-junior girls event in the army indoor rowing championship. “My school was extremely supportive as they allowed me to come late and leave early for practice. My mother was also of phenomenal help, as she used to travel with me across the country for the competitions,” said Nitya who wants to pursue humanities.
Hitha Nayak of Delhi Public School (South) recently won a silver medal in the State sub-junior and junior aquatic championship. “I used all the free time I had to further my skills and plan to undergo specialised training in swimming in the near future. Currently, I am concentrating on my national championships, which are scheduled to be held in Pune in July,” said Hitha.
National Public School, Rajajinagar, student Shatakshi Sarangi, who scored a 10 CGPA, is a certified scuba diver. She has trained in the open sea and has taken the 30-meter dip. Sharing her unforgettable experiences of scuba diving, Satakshi said, “This adventure sport is trending nowadays. I trained in Puducherry during summer breaks. I have been underwater five times. The coral world is mesmerising. I want to explore more of it. I feel academics are very important, but extra-curricular activities keep you going.”
