hey this is excellent! this really shows that WHERE THERE IS A WILL THERE IS SURELY A WAY!!!! hats off to Shrikanth! pls pass me his contact details too.. i will be greatful. regards.
On 6/21/10, aisha sahani <mailtoaishasah...@gmail.com> wrote: > very interesting, and inspiring too. > > yes, i too would like to have the contact number or e-mail ID of this man. > > do any of you having the same? > > aisha sahani. > > > On 6/21/10, Amar Jain <amarjain2...@gmail.com> wrote: >> head soft to everybody involved in this story. no words.. >> Do anyone of you know the contact information of this man? >> Although I have nothing to do with science but its worth making contact >> with >> such intelligent people. >> I openly say shame on indian institutes. >> He has slapped these people. >> Regards >> Amar Jain. >> -------------------------------------------------- >> From: "Renuka Warrier" <eren...@gmail.com> >> Sent: Monday, June 21, 2010 6:21 AM >> To: "access india" <accessindia@accessindia.org.in> >> Subject: [AI] Making it to MIT against odds >> >>> >>> >>> Date:21/06/2010 URL: >>> http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/edu/2010/06/21/stories/2010062150460400.htm >>> >>> _________________________________________________________________________________ >>> Link: Education Plus >>> Making it to MIT against odds >>> >>> YOGENDRA KALAVALAPALLI >>> >>> Bolla Srikanth, a visually-challenged boy, is currently pursuing his >>> Bachelor of Sciences at the university >>> 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 in Andhra Pradesh, 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 >>> university. >>> >>> "Though they are illiterate, both of them had a 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 X Board Examinations and was a two-time recipient of Pratibha >>> Awards given by the Andhra Pradesh 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 the Maths, Physics, >>> Chemistry stream to be eligible to study engineering. But a disinclined >>> officialdom was not encouraging. "When I visited the offices for the >>> first >>> >>> time, they asked me to get away. 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 >>> the 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 U.S., Srikanth realised >>> his ambition of studying at MIT. "Only 120 seats are open to >>> international >>> >>> students for which students from 70 countries in the world compete," 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. >>> >>> >>> 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 > -- Taha Haaziq 201, Dattakrupa Apartmets Dattawadi, Mapusa 403507 Goa- India Mobile: +91 9970620111 Residence: +91 832 2264687 E-Mail: tahahaa...@gmail.com skipe:taha.haaziq 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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