Humble background no barrier for toppers

“Mehnat Karo,toh zor se karo,nahi to mat karo ( If you want to work hard,you should give your best otherwise do not work at all),” said Bhavesh. “I am neither very happy nor very sad. My school supported me a lot and waived my fees.”

The fourth ranker in GSHSEB commerce stream in the state and second in the city,Bhavya Shah,shares her success with her classmate Vanita Shah. Five students have made it to the merit list this time from H B Kapadia School. “We are from the same locality. While Bhavya stays in Lambeshwar Pol in Kalupur,I stay at Bhandari Pol,” said Vanita,who stood fourth in the city and seventh in the state.

Vanita’s father,Shailesh earns a living singing bhajan. “We have just two rooms. Both my daughter and son would study in the room where my bhajan mandali practises. Their concentration never wavered.”

Bhavya,whose father died when she was young,is supported by her uncle and grandmother. A proud grandmother Juniben says,“She studied only for a couple of hours. If she becomes a chartered accountant,she will become the most educated member of the family.”

Nrupesh Machchhar,who lives in a one-room house in the walled city area,and has bagged the eighth rank in the state. He hopes to pursue both CA and business administration.

In Vadodara also students from financially poor background dominated the city toppers’ list. The families of most of these students earn a living from roadside stalls.

Roshni Shah of Heaven Vidhyalay topped in the city with 92.29 per cent. Originally from Sankheda,Shah’s father runs a cycle repair shop at their residence in Waghodia while her mother is a teacher at a city municipal primary school. But despite her happiness she was upset that mere two marks prevented her from scoring a spot among the state toppers. “I was just two marks short of making it to the state toppers’ list. But I am content nevertheless. Despite the financial constraints,my family has always supported me,” said Shah. She said accounts being her forte,she aspires to become a chartered accountant.

Tejal Shukal from Fertiliser Nagar School stood third in the city with 91.29 percent. Both her parents could never study beyond Class IV. Her father runs a roadside icecream stall at Sangam crossroads.

Madhuri Kriplani from Heaven Vidhyalay scored 91 per cent,securing the fourth rank in the city. Her father runs a roadside stall near Uma crossroads selling soda. She dreams to buy her father a big house and a Mercedes car. “I had no doubt that I would be among the toppers and I want to give my family all the luxury that we have not had,” said Kriplani. She studied in government schools and later got scholarships from Heaven Vidhyalay for further studies.

It’s the same story for Bhavna Ahuja from Hari Shweta H S Girls Vidyalaya. She scored 90 per cent and earned the eighth spot in the city. “ I have made it till here and I am happy with my performance,but I would need scholarships if I am to take up further studies,” said Ahuja,whose father is an agent at the city Road Transport Office.