A sweet boy with 100% blindness! -----Original Message----- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Vamshi G Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 2010 7:21 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] Making it to MIT against odds
Hi, Are you a person with low vision or total blindness? I know a few low vision people pursuing academics in sciences. Regards, Vamshi G M: +91 9949349497 R: +91 877 2243861 Skype: gvamshi81 www.retinaindia.org >From darkness unto light -----Original Message----- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Kartik Sawhney Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 2010 6:55 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] Making it to MIT against odds Thank you, but I have already got in touch with both of them. I would like to interact with as many people as possible, and hence I desire the No. On 6/16/10, Vamshi G <gvamsh...@gmail.com> wrote: > Hi Karthik, > > For taking sciences, you may contact L. Pavan, Mayank Sharma, who are > on this very list. > > Regards, > Vamshi G > M: +91 9949349497 > R: +91 877 2243861 > Skype: gvamshi81 > > www.retinaindia.org > From darkness unto light > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in > [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Kartik Sawhney > Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 2010 5:19 PM > To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in > Subject: Re: [AI] Making it to MIT against odds > > This is Kartik. As is quite evident from my few previous mails, I want > to take up PCM in class XI. However, I am currently facing many such > hurdles. Can I get the contact No. of Srikant so that I can have a > word with him. Your earliest response will be appreciated. > > On 6/16/10, Swasti Mathur <swastimat...@gmail.com> wrote: >> hi >> hats off to The Srikant. he is a source of inspiration to hundreds >> and thousands of future students who want to opt for PCM but step >> back due to pulling by the society and many other circumstances >> acting like non-avalibility of study material. really this boy is geneous. >> may he climb the laddar of success throughout his life. waiting for a >> chance to meet such a brilient guy! and exchange few words. >> regards Swasti >> >> yogesh dubey wrote: >>> Bolla Srikanth, a visually-challenged boy, is currently pursuing his >>> Bachelor of Sciences at the varsity, says YOGENDRA KALAVALAPALLI >>> >>> - PHOTO: NAGARA GOPAL >>> >>> Winner: Bolla Srikanth in conversation with National Trust >>> Chairperson Poonam Natarajan during the inaugural function of >>> Abilities Mela 2010 in Secunderabad. >>> >>> >>> Bolla Srikanth was barely few years old when many in his community >>> counselled his parents to abandon him. The pressure was heavy on his >>> illiterate parents, a farmer father and housewife mother, but they >>> never yielded. Had they heeded their advice, the world would have >>> been minus one inspiring story today. >>> >>> >From a small village Sitaramapuram near Machlipatnam town in >>> >Krishna >>> district, this visually-challenged boy has made it to the portals of >>> the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA. The >>> 18-year-old is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Sciences in Brain >>> and Cognitive Science, Business Management and Computer Science at >>> the varsity. >>> >>> "Though they are illiterate, both of them, they had strong will to >>> get me educated. This inspired me," he says. Shortly after, about 13 >>> years ago, an uncle of his enrolled him in Devnar School for the >>> Blind in Hyderabad, and life took a different spin for Srikanth. >>> >>> "I didn't know anything when I joined school. I was like a rural >>> introvert. I learned everything, I picked up English. I joined >>> community service. Now, I have occupied a place in the society where >>> people are respecting me," he says, "It has been a long journey." >>> >>> >From being a "rural introvert", Srikanth went on to secure 92 per >>> >cent >>> in the Class 10 Board Examinations and was a two-time recipient of >>> Pratibha Awards given by the Andhra Pradesh State government for >>> students who excel in public examinations every year. >>> >>> He also received a citation for outstanding community service as >>> Youth Leader in Lead India 2020 from former President APJ Abdul >>> Kalam and was a national chess player playing against the likes of >>> Koneru Humpy. >>> >>> Intermediate was next and he wanted to take up Maths, Physics, >>> Chemistry (MPC) stream to be eligible to study engineering. But a >>> disinclined officialdom was not encouraging. "When I visited the >>> offices for the first time, they said get away from here. Even an >>> IAS officer was not able to realise the potential of blind persons," >>> he recollects. >>> >>> "After a lot of trouble," Srikanth finally managed to enrol himself >>> for MPC stream at a private college, a good three months after the >>> classes began. He went on to secure an aggregate percentage of 93 at >>> the end of two years. >>> >>> Challenges persisted still. "When I wanted to prepare for IIT, one >>> coaching centre told me straightaway I was not fit to join them." >>> Another top institute >>> in the country did not even bother to respond to his application. "I >>> didn't even get my hall ticket. I was not even allowed to write AIEEE. >>> But, I was >>> not disturbed because I was focussed on my goal and I wanted to >>> study Sciences." >>> >>> Guided by his mentors Swarnalatha, teacher at Devnar School for the >>> Blind and G. Ravishankar, a software consultant in the US, Srikanth >>> realised his ambition of studying at MIT. "Only 120 seats are open >>> for international students for which students from 70 countries in >>> the world fight," he says proudly of his admission that came with a >>> US $49,000 scholarship. >>> >>> "My mentor Swarnalatha was like a backbone to me in whatever I did >>> so far. She has worked harder than me." She was by his side throughout: >>> fighting for >>> him, managing his study expenses, recording material for him to >>> study easily and even lodging him in her house during initial days >>> of his Intermediate. >>> >>> Mr. Ravishankar, whom Srikanth met during an international >>> conference at Indian School of Business, helped him apply to >>> different universities abroad. "Because I was a special student, we >>> had to fill up some special forms. He also worked really hard with >>> me for six months. Even now he is in contact and helps me with >>> whatever I want." >>> >>> Persons with disabilities, he says, suffer from lack of exposure and >>> lack of opportunities. "You have to see where you stand in the >>> society, not as a visually-challenged person but as a human being." >>> He sings paeans about U.S. "The University is very helpful. They >>> have so many resources. People don't show sympathy there. >>> In fact they provide you opportunities." He has already finished two >>> semesters at the university (scoring 5/5 GPA) and currently is >>> interning with GE in Hyderabad. >>> >>> Srikanth is keen on entrepreneurship and plans to launch a software >>> firm after his course where he wants to give opportunities to rural >>> youth. "My life ambition is to become the president of India," he >>> declares. Given the flak he has received so far and the grit with >>> which he has overcome them all, don't dismiss him. Not yet, not so >>> fast! >>> >>> >>> >> >> >> Voice your thoughts in the blog to discuss the Rights of persons with >> disability bill at: >> http://www.accessindia.org.in/harish/blog.htm >> >> To unsubscribe send a message to >> accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in > with >> the subject unsubscribe. >> >> To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, > please >> visit the list home page at >> > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org > .in >> > > Voice your thoughts in the blog to discuss the Rights of persons with > disability bill at: > http://www.accessindia.org.in/harish/blog.htm > > To unsubscribe send a message to > accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with > the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please > visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in > > > Voice your thoughts in the blog to discuss the Rights of persons with > disability bill at: > http://www.accessindia.org.in/harish/blog.htm > > To unsubscribe send a message to > accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with > the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please > visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in > Voice your thoughts in the blog to discuss the Rights of persons with disability bill at: http://www.accessindia.org.in/harish/blog.htm To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in Voice your thoughts in the blog to discuss the Rights of persons with disability bill at: http://www.accessindia.org.in/harish/blog.htm To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in Voice your thoughts in the blog to discuss the Rights of persons with disability bill at: http://www.accessindia.org.in/harish/blog.htm To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. 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