Chennai: These are tough times for the students who have completed their plus two exams as there is immense pressure on them to make a choice from the wide array of options available to them.
College applications, interviews, career-counselling, aptitude tests, cut-offs are the buzzwords that are going to be lingering in the air for a while now. Students are being told to be extremely careful while choosing their course or stream as this will help shape their future, and this choice will either make them or break them. While this choice will have an impact in their life, it’s still not the end of the world.
News Today speaks to a couple of people who deviated from their main stream and are successful in what they are doing now.
Shradha, resident of Asthabujam Road, Choolaimedu, a Chartered Accountant by intention, but an event manager by intuition has one such story which throws light on the fact that the choice you make after school need not necessarily decide your career. She also like many others, after her 12th grade got lured into the ‘benefits’ of a profession and forgot all about her passion. She decided to take up C A, not that there was anything wrong about the course, just that she wasn’t really into it.
“I didn’t really put so much thought into it that time. I was running the rat-race and I didn’t really think about the consequences. I cleared the first level and while everyone was celebrating my success, it dawned on me that i wasn’t happy. But I brushed the thought aside, and kept thinking about the end-result,” she added.
After clearing all her exams, when she finally qualified as a C A she realised that this might bring her loads of money and respect, but at the cost of her passion and happiness. She took the road not taken and started interning at an event management company. Today, she has founded her own company, called Three Cheers Events.
“I go to bed with a peace of mind at night looking towards another day and that is my greatest achievement. My family has been extremely supportive and I urge all parents, let your children dream. They’ll fall, hurt themselves in the process, but I promise you they when they stand up, you will be the proudest,” she added.
Here is another story of Mahima, a resident of Flowers Road, Kilpauk, who is always seen with her dancing shoes on, the only steps she loved were the ones that didn’t involve math. But after her 10th grade, she had to take up Commerce. But Mahi didn’t let go of her dream. While studying, she also choreographed for events, taught dance at a studio during the summer, did musicals and shows. After graduating with a degree in Visual Communication, she decided to take up dancing as a full-time profession.
“People kept telling me, dance can be my passion but I would never be able to fend for myself if I take it up as a profession,” said Mahi. She did prove all of them wrong, as today dance is her full time profession and she has started her own choreography brand – Move With Mahi! She is internationally certified Zumba Instructor, has done modelling gigs, and is seizing every opportunity that is coming her way. “Once I started, there was no looking back. My biggest achievement till date is when i choreographed a 2 hour show with 70 dancers single-handed. In all you do, may love be the core,” added Mahi.
Article by Hunar Mehta