Dreams, according to Wikipedia, are what a person sees and hears in their minds when they are sleeping.
Rewiring the definition, for me, Dreams are what never made me sleep & that Dream was MBA from the one of the best of B-schools.
The Journey Begins
Born and brought up in a small city in Bihar, pursuing education for girls always seemed to be a requirement for a better and educated life-partner. Money on education seemed to be a waste and the people around me believed money as an investment to be spent on marriage rather than education. But, my father always understood the importance of education and allowed his small bird to fly as high as she could. Having studied in Hindi medium schools, life took a complete U-turn in my under graduation.
College life was a 360-degree turn from my previous life. From courses in English to excellent communication skills all around, the girl within me was terrified of this environment as she belonged to the different world. But, with her belief and persistent efforts, she made her way forward and soon she was enjoying the new environment. The most important part of her journey was her best friend, who always motivated and supported her in all actions.
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. I started enjoying taking responsibilities from being a college representative to becoming an Event Head. I started learning the ABCs of my MBA journey unknowingly. MBA was my best friend's dream and the best part about best friends is that we inherit some of their qualities. Mine was the transformation from a vegetarian to a non-vegetarian, from T-shirt size ‘L’ to ‘XL’ and a share of her dreams. Coming from a family where government services in banks and SSC are considered best career choices, my parents had no idea about these three words ”MBA” and how it changed their daughter’s ambition in life.
Participation in Tech fests, clubs and committee and handling various responsibilities along with my studies was my readiness for management field. With my communication skills in place and “first class with Distinction degree “in my graduation, I got placed in one of the biggest software companies in India with 4 years’ service bond.
Settling the Unsettler Within – My Start
Having read Robert Frost poem last line multiple times -
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less travelled by and that has made all the difference” - my life choices diverged into two roads: 1st being the more travelled by i.e. to join the job and forget my dream as and 2nd was to live life of my choice. I chose the less travelled by and that made all the difference. My parents were clueless about my choice and people around me had declared my decision of leaving my job as the most foolish one. Every day, I made consistent efforts to find a job and continue my preparations.
Soon, I found my job as a counsellor at a management preparation institute to align my dreams with my work. After taking various management tests, facing various group-discussions and many interviews, my efforts finally landed me to a real ultimate ‘KATHOR’ world, where every day I face new challenges, delve new learnings and aspires to be the better version of myself. I feel my journey and story inspires girls from villages to trust themselves and their ability to persevere which would ultimately reap them the fruits of success and dreams through their hard work and determination.