In the face of adversity, they passed the ‘test of life’ with flying colours
Baani Chawla, 16, was four months old when she was diagnosed with retinopathy of prematurity, which led to shrinking of the retina and she lost her eyesight. But she scored 97.40% in the ICSE examination
LUCKNOW Many examinees have excelled in the ICSE and ISC exams, but there are some who cleared the ‘test of life’ with flying colours. In the face of adversity, they not only appeared for the board exams, but also scored well.
Shaurya Kaushik, 15, a student at City Montessori School who achieved 98.8% marks in ICSE examination, was diagnosed with brain tumour four years back. “Half of my body was affected due to the tumour. We were required to visit a hospital in Mumbai every three months for medication and checkup, but it was my self-motivation that kept me going. I used to take leave from school and get notes with the help of my classmates. My teachers helped me clear all doubts,” said Kaushik who aspires to become a civil engineer.
Baani Chawla, 16, was four months old when she was diagnosed with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), which led to shrinking of the retina and she lost her eyesight.
But despite the odds, this student of Lucknow Public College, Sahara States, scored 97.40% in the ICSE examination.
“My teachers and friends supported me. They would dictate notes so that I could recapitulate everything taught in class and also shared PDFs/notes of other students so that my mother can read them out for me. Sometimes, she even rose early so that I could revise my syllabus before the examination,” said Chawla who aspires to become a civil servant.
Satwik Tiwari, 17, who scored 98% marks in ICSE and Satakshi Singh, 15, who scored 91.6% in ISC, lost their fathers during their board examination, but their mothers stood by them and motivated them to take the examination.
Abdullah Khan, 16, who has been suffering from achondroplasia (dwarfism) since childhood, scored 93.4% marks in the ICSE exam. “I lost my father when I was a toddler. My mother, an educator, raised me single-handedly. I was mocked by people at times, but my school supported me by making me feel equal to any other kid. My teachers motivated me in giving my best and in understanding the importance of education, which helped me succeed,” he said.