A restless short boy with a black rimmed spectacle is the image that comes to my mind whenever I hear someone utters the name Adarsh. Today he is standing tall with a big smile and a calm demeanour of the doctor he has become. He had impressed us teachers during the selection interview at Sobha Icon for Plus One admission . It was not just his intelligent and thoughtful answers that captured our hearts but the spark and intensity of his eyes which spoke volumes of his sense of purpose. He was an irritating boy in the class who distracted others but every time we conducted an exam he always topped the class with his faultless answers and presentation skill.

Adarsh is the only son of his differently abled single mother who could neither speak nor hear, yet she communicated to us and constantly enquired about her son. This made a great impact on other parents as well. It was during the Plus One revision sessions that I could gain his trust as a mentor- an opportunity to channelise his energy and impatience to focus on his future. Little shy by nature, he was not good at expressing himself. School assembly sessions gave him a platform to polish and refine his communication skills through group discussions, debates and such activities.Students often got a chance to meet eminent personalities and to interact with them. Once Adarsh and his classmates got the rare opportunity to meet the chairman himself and we were once again both surprised and delighted when Adarsh responded to the chairman’s questions brilliantly.

He was the top scorer in the Plus Two Board exam losing just 3 marks out of 1200. He cleared many entrance exams like BITS, KEAM, CET without any additional coaching in the first attempt itself but he had set his goal to become a doctor. One year Entrance Coaching at Pala Brilliant got him admitted to one of the best Medical Colleges in the state. He graduated from Government Medical College Thrissur and will be shortly commencing his house surgency for 12 months. He plans to pursue his MD in Dermatology and also has a strong inclination to join the Civil Services. What makes Adarsh special to us is his gratitude and the sense of giving back what he can. He came to Icon whenever he could and helped us in providing bridging course to plus one students to help them integrate to the Higher Secondary Program.

Icon helped Adarsh to dream big and discover his true potential. This joy and contentment one feels when lives are transformed into unimaginable levels is something all of us teachers relish at Icon. There is no magic - a hand to hold on to, a step to rise by rekindling the sense of awe , opening doors to new avenues. This is all we do as we wait for more transformation and accomplishments.