Her degree in B.Sc (Botany, Zoology and Chemistry) somewhere had a connection to her name, the leafless one in Sanskrit.
It’s time to meet K. Aparna from the Swami Dayananda AIM for Seva Tribal Girls Chatralayam, Nandyal, Andhra Pradesh. She stayed in this hostel from 2005 to 2014, completing Class 10.
Post schooling, Aparna enrolled for intermediate at the Sri Chaitanya Junior College, Vijayawada, followed by her B.Sc degree from Ravindra Degree College for Women, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh. Aparna later earned her M.Sc. in Zoology (2021–2023) from Sri Venkateswara University,Tirupati.
Aparna hails from Kottalacheruvu and as a child, she dreamt of becoming a doctor. The fact that the Nandyal Chatralayam provided access to basic education that was missing in Kottalacheruvu became a decisive factor in Sri. K. Adinaraya and Ms. K. Prasanna Lakshmi enrolling their young daughter in this hostel way back in 2005.
After that, there was no looking back for Aparna. In school, she liked English and science and her passion for the latter continued through her graduate and post graduate degrees. She also loved to participate in various cultural programmes and activities and after coming back from school, Aparna hung out with her hostel buddies, Prameela, Ooha and Naaga Jyothi.
Aparna is currently preparing for the Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) Group examinations with the aspiration of securing a government job. Reflecting on her days at the Nandyal Chatralayam, Aparna states that AIM for Seva is is like family to her. In a way, the Nandyal hostel became her second home, thanks to the love, care, support and affection showered by the hostel staff, Virabrahmam Tataiya and Bhaskar Babu Tataiya.
“If I hadn’t joined the Nandyal Chatralayam, I won’t have had any career. I never stopped studying and even now, I am learning something new every day.” Aparna feels very strongly that many children from rural India still face barriers to education, especially girls.
In the end, she urges the young girls that come what may come, “never give up on your dreams.”
That’s the way and we are loving it!