“Perseverance is not one long race; it is many short races one after the other.” Walter Elliot
Delhi Public School RK Puram hosted the fourth edition of the Guest Speaker Programme series, “Learning from the Best” on 11th December 2021 for classes VI-IX & XI. The event was organised with the aim of providing the young students of the school with the opportunity to interact with and learn from the experiences of our distinguished alumni.
Among those present were our esteemed Vice Principal, Mr JS Virdi, class representatives, teachers, and students of classes VI, VII, VIII, IX and XI.
Learning from the Best #4 featured Ms. Medhaavi Didi, Ms. Sonali Jawa, and Ms. Lipsa Mohanty.
Ms. Medhaavi Didi, batch of 2020, served as the President of Think Club for the session 2019-2020. She is a recipient of the G. Bhaskar Memorial Award in December 2018 for excellence in academics as well as extra curricular activities. She received two gold medals in her 12th Grade- one for being a scholar for seven consecutive years and the other of being a scribe for 6 consecutive years. Currently, she is pursuing BA Economics Honours at Hindu College, and is the Marketing Head at Hindu consulting group, a senior member at Enactus Hindu, and a member of the media team at the Department of Economics.
Ms. Sonali Jawa graduated from the school in 2017, after having been appointed as the President of the Business Studies Society in the session 2016-2017. She pursued her Bachelors in Commerce from Shri Ram College Of Commerce and graduated in 2020.
She is currently pursuing her masters at Shri Ram College Of Commerce, Delhi University and is working as the Programme Lead at Dharma Life Labs set up by the Wheeler Institute at London Business School, Accenture & Dharma Life, working towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals. She is among the top 9 percentile in academic performance & has been actively involved in extra curricular initiatives.
Ms. Lipsa Mohanty completed her schooling from the school in 2018, after which she went on to Economics Honours in Ashoka University. She excelled in academics as well as extra-curricular activities there, having been involved in theatre and student politics. Currently, she is working at Airtel Payments Bank as a Management Trainee.
The comperes, Drishty Ajwani and Arica Kaur, extended a warm welcome to all attendees of the session, and presented virtual tokens of appreciation to all the Guest Speakers. The Guest Speakers took turns sharing their journey from being illustrious students of the school to being contributing members of society. They laid special emphasis on the myriad of opportunities Delhi Public School, RK Puram offers, which helped shape their careers and lives. They also extended their gratitude to the adept faculty of the school, who not only guide the students vis-a-vis the curriculum but also ensure exposure to the real world, to help their students get the best possible education.
This was followed by the Question and Answer session conducted by Aryan Kumar and Manasvi Pradhan. Students asked a selection of curated questions to which they received elaborate and insightful responses.
Ms. Medhaavi Didi gave exceptionally helpful advice to the students, wherein she emphasised on the importance of a well-rounded school career, talking about how her experience as being affiliated with clubs and societies helped hone her critical thinking and managerial skills that she has been utilising in her professional life. She commented on how the teachers and mentors in the school played a pivotal role in helping her pursue her dreams and inch higher to the pinnacle of success.
Ms. Sonali Jawa addressed the gathering with an inspiring air to her, and conveyed her experiences as a professional. She shared wonderful tips to the students for building their Curriculum Vitae and highlighted the importance of networking and seeking advice from their mentors and teachers. She also shared some helpful counsel to prepare for Board examinations, giving detailed and subject-specific tips. Her adept inspiring words to the students was highly appreciated, where she conveyed the importance of hardwork and perseverance in the face of tough times in order to scale great heights.
Ms. Lipsa Mohanty shared insightful and experienced words on the importance of not letting stress get the best of us during our crucial and formative years, acknowledging the daunting competition one is faced with as a student of such a prestigious school. She gave detailed accounts of her experience in the school, and then as a part of Ashoka University to help the students get a taste of life in college. She also expressed that taking time out for oneself is necessary, and that it is okay to fail and try out new things, as long as one is prioritising oneself while doing it.
Their patient and elaborate responses were incredibly helpful to the students who hope to follow in their footsteps.
The Q & A session was concluded by Arica Kaur on a high note and left the audience with inspiring words. Drishty Ajwani delivered the vote of thanks, and expressed gratitude to the honourable Principal Ms. Padma Srinivasan, the respected Vice Principals, and teachers for helping make the event possible, and the Guest Speakers for taking out their valuable time and sharing their experiences with the audience. The event was organised by Ms. Shelly Malhotra and Ms. Archna Deepak, with technical support from Mr. Mukesh Kumar and his team.
