We all go for routine health check-ups. Most of the time we are occupied with only our health; only a few have the empathy to look into the problems of others and do something about it. Today, we bring you the story of a young girl of class 8th who went to an eye clinic for a checkup but came back home with an idea to open an NGO that does regular health checkups for the elderly. Growing up with the idea she desires to revolutionise the healthcare system in the country. Her drive to do good for the community along with gauging her own professional success has found her a place amongst India's Best-50 Most Employable MBA Graduates!
The following is Sushownika Trehan's set of responses to a questionnaire floated amongst MBA graduates to determine the top-50 most employable MBA graduates of the Class of 2020. Amongst the massive number of entries and responses being evaluated by the Founder of InsideIIM-Kampus Konversations, Sushownika's story and profile stood out. Here's her story in her words.
"I have been a strong believer of a quote from Mahatma Gandhi "Live as if you were to die tomorrow, learn as if you were to live forever” which has always inspired me to approach my aspirations fearlessly. I believe that apart from education and hard work, your friends and family are an integral part of your success. Being optimist makes me confident from within, which motivates me to keep working hard towards my goals. Through my education, I intend to continue on the path of the betterment of society while pursuing my career goals at the same time."
Name an instance where you wanted something and went out of your comfort zone to achieve it OR Tell us the biggest risk you have taken so far in your life.
Intrigued by how engineering and management can bring out innovation in the healthcare sector, I spearheaded a research project in nanotechnology that involved therapeutics. Before commencing the project, I wasn’t well acquainted with numerous concepts of this domain, but later, I realized that the scope of things oblivious to me isn’t vast but infinite. This realization, instead of demoralizing, encouraged me to further dig deeper into the subject. I faced failures due to roadblocks such as time and project management, but I embraced my mistakes as an opportunity to learn better and outdo myself. Being organized became an integral part of my schedule. Balancing classes, research, social life and fitness honed my time management skills. This helped me not only complete my tasks on time but also devote time for other leisure activities. Judgment is an important aspect of research. Weighing the pros and cons of every single decision and arriving at feasible and ethical conclusions using my own judgment is something that has given me the confidence to take important decisions under pressure. Being involved in a research project helped me enhance my persona in areas of leadership & project development. The ability to understand complex ideas and to work competitively and effectively with numbers has added value to my professional repertoire. My research was well appreciated at international conferences such as “NanoSciTech” and “Chemcon” further motivating me to take such initiatives.
When was the last time someone relied on you? OR What did you do which was purely for someone else - a truly selfless act.
Who would’ve thought that a regular eye checkup at a hospital would have such a lasting impact on my life? As I lent my hand to an elderly lady to help her way through to the doctor, I looked back to realize hundreds of elderly people wandering helplessly looking for assistance in a cramped room that could barely accommodate 50 people. Deteriorating physical strength & other illnesses only add to their woes. Hearing their experiences & struggles inspired me to find a solution to this problem. Hence, I decided to launch an NGO that works in alleviating their difficulties. Finding people who shared the same excitement for the project was difficult. Financial constraints added to the difficulties. Due to sheer determination and hard work of the team, we were able to get funding from Essar oil. With a dedicated team of more than 200 volunteers & 80 doctors, we organized free medical and awareness camps in villages and provided medicines, hearing aids & spectacles to those in need at free of cost. The smile on their faces was a result of commitment & diligence that went into making this mission a success.
Tell us about a time when you disagreed with an opinion/idea/decision. What did you do about it?
I have been associated with an NGO providing healthcare facilities to underprivileged senior citizens. Our first initiative was to organize a health check-up camp in a small village in Haryana. Leading a team of 15 members, as I was working on the planning of the event, we were informed that the village residents had an attitude of disregard towards the health concerns of the senior citizens and were not interested in attending the event. It was mainly because the young generation was not ready to take out time to bring their parents or grandparents to the health camp. It was essential that people understand the importance of the event and take an interest in the issue. Being the team lead, I decided to have a one-to-one meeting with the Chief of the village and convinced him about the importance of the initiative. I decided to take an unconventional approach by organizing a small skit in the village which would convey the message and also act as a source of entertainment for the people. After our combined efforts, we were able to ignite that spark of interest among the people and the main event was a huge success with more than 200 people attending it.
What is the one thing you can claim to have some level of expertise or depth of knowledge in - it could be anything - a subject, a sport, a hobby, a venture, an initiative which has led you to do deep work in that field?
I believe that one develops a certain level of expertise in a particular activity if one has been doing it diligently for a long time. The same principle applies to me. Though I will not agree to be an expert on this, this project has been really close to my heart. I was in 8th standard when I and my team, started an NGO which aimed to provide health care facilities to underprivileged senior citizens. After the first health camp, there was no looking back. Since then, the team members changed, the volunteers came and went, but I always kept on learning camp after camp. From getting the doctors on board for the 1st camp to scaling up operation after 10 years, the experience was heavy. Hence, I believe this has been the project of my life and has shaped me into the person I am today.
If 10 Million Dollars (approximately INR 75 Crores) is given to you to use it any way you deem fit what would you do with this corpus?
Firstly, I will utilize a certain part of these 75 crore funds to pay my student loans, hence be free from the fiduciary pressure. Then will follow the never-ending aspirations. Having bag-packed across Europe, I know how travelling opens new horizons for you. Out of the remaining, I will utilize a certain amount of money and gift my busy doctor parents a comfortable trip to the Euroland. Having completed my one the biggest aspirations, I will move on to buying Mercedes-Benz S Class Mayback S650 and a Harley Davidson for my younger brother. I wish to buy a sea-facing bungalow in Goa and convert it into a vacation home. Hence, taking approximate calculations, I will be left with around 40 crores. Out of this, I will keep a certain amount as liquid money for an easy life. From the remaining 30 crores, I will invest a certain amount in my family hospital as well as the NGO which aims to provide healthcare facilities to underprivileged senior citizens. The remaining money, I will invest in my market portfolio.
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