Her mother’s determination pays off

Devishree scored centum in Maths, Science

SALEM31/05/2013:M.Devishree, State II Rank holder, who secured 497 marks in the SSLC examination.PHOTO:P_GOUTHAM

Five years ago, M. Devishree’s family was shattered when her father died. But, the determination of the girl’s mother Uma Maheshwari helped in overcoming the odds and keep Devishree on track towards higher education.

Five years hence, their efforts paid off. The student of Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Attur secured 497 marks in the SSLC examination. She was the topper among all the government schools in the State. She was also one among the State second rank holders, scoring centum in Mathematics and Science.

A calm Devishree, who expected 490 marks, told

The Hindu that she was all the time conscious of the conditions in which her family was placed. This kept pushing her to score marks. “Apart from regular preparation, teachers motivated us saying that anything is possible and everyone can achieve. The school stands to be an inspiration for me”, said Devishree, who wants to become a doctor.

Her mother works as an assistant in a shop in Attur to earn for the education of Devishree and her brother studying in class eight. “I was determined to bring them up without their being troubled by the thought that their father was dead,” she said. “I will not give up till she becomes a doctor,” the mother said.

C. Thiyagarajan, headmaster of the school, said that out of the total 485 students who appeared for the examinations, 86 had scored more than 450 marks out of 500. “We have improved the pass percentage from 83 per cent last year to 96.7 per cent this year. Full credit to teachers and parents for their cooperation,” he said. Enrolment in the school also improved after the infrastructure received a boost with NABARD funding in 2009.