The Pursuit of Happiness

Life is not easy. It never was. Overcoming all the challenges that come our way, battling all the imperfections and turning them into our strengths,  is what life is all about.  Life has been a series of challenges for me since the very beginning. But in spite of all the odds, I have strived to bring out the best in myself.

On May 8, 2018, I came from Bihar to UPES for my admission process and got myself enrolled in this prestigious university.  August 12 2018,  was my first day of college and one of the best days of my life.

Just a week after I joined, there was a freshers’ competition and students had to be a part of varied fun and frolic activities. These included dance, music, talent hunt and many more. Though I had never been a part of such activities earlier, I gathered courage and enrolled in the competition. I decided to do something different, and therefore, gave a formal speech, addressing the gathering.  To my utter surprise, I was awarded Mr. Spark 2018. I was thrilled, and thereafter, decided to explore my latent  capabilities.

Slowly and steadily, I got to know some professors from the Student Engagement and Experience department (SEE). Miss. Rashmi Lall, Mrs. Monika Manglik, Miss. Richa Choudhry, Rati Oberoi and Mr. Anant Mishra have been my guardian angels throughout; encouraging me to manage the college’s annual cultural fest and participate in various other activities. They made me believe in myself.

Gradually, I became involved in Model United Nations (MUN) activities and won several state and university awards at MUN and other public-speaking platforms. Indeed, with immense hard work, passion and a focused vision, dreams do come true.

Soon, I came to know about a conference, which had to take place in Bangkok. I started collecting all the information and prepared for the event.  My happiness knew no bounds when I won the award at the conference. I was on cloud nine and I realized that nothing is impossible. Not only this,  I won several laurels for my university. Establishing cultural and technical networks in college, heading the college fest, winning competitions across the globe in Paris, Barcelona, Bangkok and Bali completely transformed my personality.

Last but not the least, I was invited to meet Bill Clinton at the United States Headquarters,  New York, and was also selected for the Indian Student Parliament.  

At present, I am the Ambassador of Extinction Rebellion, the United Kingdom and President of ICFDR (Dehradun).

Reminiscing about my achievements, I feel that it was not only my efforts but several factors that played an important role in crafting my career – the overall college environment, professors and peers helped me evolve, climb the ladder of success and achieve whatever I could.  

(The writer is a second-year student from UPES School of Computer Science)