Being a woman of mixed origin, brought up in a country like Saudi Arabia, gender
disparity was not some issue that I read about in media, but a part and parcel of
life. I let my circumstances nurture me into becoming strong willed and hoisted in
me an aspiration to become an independent career oriented woman.
My relentless hard work and determination paid off when I got admission in one
of the top ranked universities in India. I took up a program in healthcare,
specializing in the field of rehabilitation sciences. Although settling in at the
beginning was not as easy for me as it was for my peers considering the cultural
differences, I overcame this hurdle swiftly.
Scuffling between books and patients became a way of my life during the four and
a half years I spent at the university. I procured as much experience as possible
while pursuing my undergraduate studies, few of the prominent institutions being
SPASTN, an NGO and NIEPMD, an initiative taken by the central government to
assist people suffering from multiple disabilities. As I progressively handled an
increased set of responsibilities in the domain of rehabilitation, it gave me a
privilege to interact with people from all walks of life. I was required to
understand the expectations of my patients and their families, to identify their
abilities as an individual and communicate with them effectively in order to
collaboratively work on achieving as much independence as possible. My
experiences in life have made me realize that patience and perseverance are two
values that have helped me overcome the challenges that I have faced so far.