Tamil Nadu: Daily-wagers' girl dwarfs the odds, engineers path to IIT-Bombay
VIRUDHUNAGAR: A few years ago, S Yogeshwari of
Tamil Nadu
had no idea what aerospace engineering was. Today, she is set to join IIT-Bombay to study aerospace engineering. For a rural Virudhunagar girl suffering from dwarfism, it's been a journey powered by hard work and perseverance, and a helping hand from her teachers and the government.
Yogeshwari's mother, Kanagavalli, works as a daily wage labourer in a fireworks unit, while her father, Selvam, is employed at a tea shop. She did her class XII from a government school near Sattur.
"I was drawn to science from class VII, initially leaning towards medical science. In class XII, I discovered aerospace engineering through programmes like the Naan Mudhalvan scheme," Yogeshwari said, adding that her parents always encouraged her and her two elder brothers to pursue education.
Though never a topper, Yogeshwari was eager to learn. Inspired by her brothers - one is pursuing BCom, the other physical education - she decided to appear for JEE-Main after class XII.
"I scolded her at first for scoring below 450 marks (in class 12), but she challenged me that she'd do well in JEE. And she did - my tears of anger turned into tears of pride," said her mother.
Yogeshwari attended a 40-day residential JEE-Advanced coaching camp in Erode, despite her parents' initial worries. "Coming from a Tamil medium background, JEE-Advanced was tough at first. But with my teachers' help, I cleared it," she said.
Virudhunagar district collector V P Jeyaseelan has assured her full support as she prepares to join IIT-Bombay.
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