HOW I OVERCAME CHALLENGES TO ACHIEVE IN LIFE SO FAR?
By virtue of being human, we all face different kinds of challenges at every juncture of life, but whenever I think of the biggest challenge that I’ve faced in my life, only one incident resonates in my mind….
It was 2011. My father, who is an IRS officer, had just been selected for the oversees training in Public Administration at Syracuse University, New York, USA. The training was supposed to be for a year, and my father wanted all of us to accompany him for the same, so that we all could experience the ‘American Way of Life’. This meant that I had to attend High School there as a freshman (as I was in ninth grade at the time). This truly made me really happy as I was going to experience something that I’d seen only in movies and read in books.
On September 7, 2011, I first walked through the doors of Corcoran High School, Syracuse. I quickly realised that I was the only Indian in that particular batch. People were really thrilled to talk to me, asked me for my opinion, and asked me how things were back in India. Even the teachers were really helpful and inclusive. I was having a jolly well time at Corcoran. But there was a dark side to Corcoran as well.
Corcoran High school happened to be located in one of the poorest and crime infested neighbourhoods of Syracuse. Thefts, brawls, drugs, bullies were a regular part of any day at Corcoran. Our principal, Mr. Cosgrove was constantly working along with the city school district to make amends, but there’s only so much that they could do. My classmates at Corcoran were from a diverse spectrum- on one hand there were straight A students who dreamt of attending Ivy League schools, and on the other hand, there were kids whose parents were in Jail/Rehab, and college seemed like a distant dream for them. Then there were refugees, differently abled kids, kids with criminal records that further added to the motley crew. It was a major challenge to interact with so many diverse people with neutrality and no biases. There were a couple of cases wherein I was severely harassed by a fellow African American student. I did get sad initially, but I was really inspired by Mr.Cosgrove, who taught me to ‘Kill people with kindness’. He always said that there wasn't any problem in the world that couldn't be solved through proper dialogue. I imbibed that almost immediately. I became pally with anyone and everyone I could possibly lay eyes over, and I always tried to put myself in other people’s shoes and try and understand their point of view before making a judgement about them. Ultimately, I was the winner of The Teacher’s Choice award, and left Corcoran with many happy memories and so many friends.
Now, whenever I face any problem, I try to apply what I learnt during my brief stint at Corcoran and work extremely hard, and that’s how I’ve been able to pass through many difficult phases in my life, and have not allowed my weaknesses to get the best of me.
HOW HAS ABG TOUCHED MY LIFE?
Aditya Birla Group is a company synonymous with finesse, success, resilience and trust. It has served us for 162 years now through its strong market presence. It comprises of so many brands that touch our lives daily, and the thought of our lives without this company is not only unbearable, but also unimaginable. Mainly, it has transformed my life through its fashion segment through brands like Van Heusen, Allen Solly etc. that have taught Indians to look stylish even when they're at work. It has also provided for the creme de la creme of the society through stores like The Collective that allow people access to their favourite luxury brands like Michael Kors etc. at a single place. I am also a huge fan of Forever 21. This was made available to the Indian market through ABG. Thus, ABG has an irreplaceable spot in my life.