Shraddha Sonawane

I’ve always been the kind of student who sat in the “first bench”—always eager to learn. My journey began at D.S. High School in Sion, Mumbai. This school means a lot to me because it’s where my love for learning truly started. I was a focused student and proudly earned a Distinction in my SSC exams.

After finishing high school, I joined D.G. Ruparel College for the Electrical Maintenance program. I worked hard in my HSC, CET, and AIEEE exams, hoping to get into engineering like many of my classmates. As a backup, I also enrolled in the BSc. IT program at Ruparel College, where I had done my HSC. However, after two rounds of engineering admissions, I found out that I couldn’t get a seat in my preferred college or stream. This unexpected turn of events led me to explore Information Technology.

The transition to IT was challenging, and everything initially felt foreign. But once I commit to something, I put my heart into it. I decided to dive into IT and gradually found my passion for this new field. By the time I finished my B.Sc. in IT, I not only made it through but excelled, earning a first-class degree.

After graduation, I wanted to pursue an MCA. Unfortunately, I couldn’t attend the entrance exam, so I decided to go straight into an M.Sc. in IT instead of taking a gap year. During my M.Sc., I thrived and was delighted to earn an O grade, becoming the top student and a gold medallist in my class. This was the time when my love for IT grew, as I discovered new concepts and fell in love with programming.

After completing my M.Sc., I aimed to become a software developer in the corporate world. However, my parents encouraged me to stay close to home and consider teaching instead. As a recent topper, I received a call for an interview at Ruparel College. I was nervous about becoming a teacher, especially since I struggled with stage fright. But my mentors believed in me, and with their encouragement, I began my teaching career in 2016. The wonderful feedback from my students during my first year really boosted my confidence.

Over the past eight years, I have had the privilege of playing many roles, including mentor, external examiner, university paper setter, chairperson, guest lecturer, project guide, moderator and Avishkar co-guide. Each role has taught me valuable lessons and deepened my understanding of the field.

As I continued teaching, I learned many new subjects and programming languages. My love for programming grew deeper, and teaching became something I truly enjoyed. During this time, I remembered the words of Albert Einstein: “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” It became clear to me that trying new things is part of the journey.

In 2024, a new chapter opened when I had the privilege of joining Vidyalankar School of Information Technology. Reflecting on my path, I am reminded of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s inspiring statement: “Life should be great rather than long.”

If I had to sum up my journey, it would be this: Embrace every opportunity, because the beauty of life lies in the journey itself.