The most wonderful Teacher.
I would not be doing justice to my blog, if I dont write about the most wonderful,dedicated and the best teacher I had come across - Mahalakshmi Mam.
Throught my school and college days I have been very blessed with good and encouraging teachers around. I didnt study in the best of schools, I had always been to government schools with scholarship and every class had a strength of 80 plus but always had been with the best and good teachers. And the most important person in my life would be Mahalakshmi mam, without whom I would never have completed my graduation.
After getting pathetically less marks in Chemistry, I knew that my engineering dreams are almost crushed. I made it to a college outside chennai. But being from a orthodox and middle class family, I couldnt go and join it. So I had to compromise to join Bsc Physics but the very first day I entered the lab with lots of depression, the things changed.
Mahalakshmi mam, was so empathetic, wonderful and very patient and knowledgeable. The way she explained things in practical class just made me feel better. Infact I was happy that I missed out the engineering for otherwise I would never have had a chance to come across Mam.
She was strict yet caring. she was polite yet would make it a point that we understand her.She will take strain in making us understand things and unless she is satisfied that we have got the point, she would not stop.
Things were going on well and I was enjoying my first two years in college as a class rep and with wonderful friends and lecturers. Thats when we friends decided to appear for BSRB exam. Just for fun we want to write. And throughout India OC had only 7 seats. so we know we dont have any chance. But still four of my friends went and attended the exam. Honestly, its the very easiest paper.
And then I got through that and was posted in State Bank of India. Now I was not sure if I have to take that offer.If I take that offer, I could help my family but I would have to discontinue my college and who would want to miss the final year of college life. And because of Mam, me and my friend became addicted to Physics and we wanted to do our masters in IIT. And this offer was such a big turning point. Because one thing is I need to discontinue my education and other thing is that the job offer was in a village which is around 7 hours away from my Chennai.And finally I decided not to take it up.
But my parents were not very happy. And then I went and spoke to Mahalakshmi mam. And mam convinced me to take the offer. She told me to take a break of 6 months in college and then join Bank and finish my probation period in bank and then come back and join college again. She said she would help me with practicals. And another thing she highlighted is I would get an oppurtunity to serve people by Joining in a rural place. Well the two years in SBI was ofcourse a big learning experience.Now I did as Mam said but unfortunately after 6 months when I came back to join college, I was not well. Had malaria and viral fever so missed college for one more month and so I was not allowed to write exam that year. So I had to take practicals only the next year.
from then my nightmare started, when all my friends had completed their graduation, I havent still. I managed to clear my therory papers with 80 plus percentage by writing it private but practicals was the one I really feared. That is when once again Mam came to my help. She asked me to come to college on every saturday for around a month and then she too came patiently taught me everything. Final year Physics practicals was not really easy. But within 4 classess she made me learn everything and patiently taught me everything. I scored 100 percent in practicals just because of her.
Not only me, she has been a mentor to so many of students. She has helped us at times not only academically but in other aspects as well. I am proud that am her student and I got a good fortune of meeting her in Singapore when she had come to accompany her niece. She was very supportive and even now provided moral support to me when my hubby had to go thru a major surgery.
No words are enough to describe about her. We all just feel very proud and grateful of her throughout our life.
Thank you Mam, for always being there for us.
