An Interview with a 13 year old Girl, Daughter of Daily Wage labourer, Pursuing MSc Microbiology, Copied Pasted from Times of India Website. We can be inspired from it. A person should be judged by her talent, not age: Sushma Verma: Sushma Verma, prodigious 13-year-old daughter of a daily wage labourer, is pursuing a post-graduate degree in microbiology at Lucknow University. Speaking with Pratigyan Das, Verma discussed the grind even geniuses undergo, taking class 10 exams when she was just seven years old — and why people should be judged by talent, not age: When did it become clear you were academically gifted? Im told by my parents that i recited the Ramayana at a local podium when i was two years old. My brother Shailendra, himself a prodigy who cleared class 10 at the age of nine and the youngest computer science graduate, being 14 when he finished his BCA, realised i have a gift. He inspired me to read books. I got into a reading habit — i used to look for books all the time. Id read my brothers books too and understand these. My brother insisted i sit for the class 10 exam. So, i enrolled myself at St Miraz Inter College in Lucknow. Teachers at Miraz helped me. I was given special coaching by teachers for class 9 exams to become eligible for class 10. I did have problems in sitting continuously for three hours and i was slow at answering questions — so i was taught how to manage time. When i became confident, i took the class 10 exam at the age of seven. Why microbiology now? I read about microbiology at BSc level and was curious about things like what happens when microbes get into the air, the ramifications, etc. So, i opted for it. Moreover, after my BSc, since i couldnt sit for the medical exam, i didnt want to waste time. I enrolled myself in the MSc. Ill do my PhD till i turn 17. Ill then sit for the medical exam. Despite your degrees, you couldnt take the medical entrance exam because of your age — how did you feel? Well, i sincerely feel there shouldnt be any age limit to sit for any entrance exams. If a child has the potential, she or he should be given the opportunity to go for it. A person should always be judged by his or her talent and potential, not by age. I desperately wanted to become a doctor but now i have to wait till i turn 17 — its a huge disappointment for me. Have there been other challenges youve faced? As i belong to a poor family, there were many tough financial constraints — but more than that, my young age has been a major constraint in pursuing higher education. Getting permission to attend high school and seeking a seat for the medicals posed big problems. I wanted to become a doctor but couldnt sit for the exam because i was too young. The government never came to my rescue to pursue my dream. However, my family has always been supportive. My father is a daily wage labourer and my mother a housewife. How do your accomplishments make you feel? Its a very good feeling — its Gods gift. But i firmly believe that every child has special qualities — it all depends how he or she is nurtured from a budding level. I owe my own success to my brother. What are your hopes for the future? I certainly plan to fulfil my ambition of becoming a doctor. Im thankful that some groups are willing to fund my studies. Their initiative will help poor students like me nurture dreams, which sometimes get lost due to financial constraints. link:-timesofindia.indiatimes/home/opinion/interviews/A-person-should-be-judged-by-her-talent-not-age-Sushma-Verma/articleshow/25776904.cms
Posted on: Fri, 15 Nov 2013 07:21:54 +0000
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