From a STUDENT to a LEARNER

- By Saloni Thule

Hello Everyone! I am Saloni Thule. I am 17 years old and I recently appeared for my grade 10 examinations. My education journey started in a small English medium, government school in Pune. Being a shy student with the ugliest handwriting in the class, I was regularly beaten up by my teachers. Learning was never fun until Teach For India teachers came to our school. This was the time when I started discovering my strengths and tried to face my fears. During this journey, Mugdha didi, my TFI teacher, constantly encouraged me to explore new things. She is the one who believed in me, and my potential to do good in academics.

As Mugdha didi was leaving school, she left me with a life-changing opportunity. The chance to get into Avasara Academy, a place where girls are empowered to lead lives of distinction and impact. During her two-year fellowship period, didi had already prepared me for the tough admission process at Avasara. But the real struggle started after I joined Avasara in grade 6. The high learning standards set at Avasara really pushed me to work harder. In these five years, at Avasara, I have really grown into a strong personality. Now I know who I am!

My understanding of computer science was limited to books and complicated theories. I got introduced to the fascinating world of computing and creating games by Pi Jam Foundation, a non-profit organisation working in Pune. Sessions conducted by Pi Jam Foundation were a place where I got to explore, experiment and create with technology. One thing which I learned is that technology can be the solution to many problems. I dream to be a problem solver, a Change Maker.

The curiosity to learn new things has always made me seek opportunities. This summer I really wanted to experience something new and different. So I decided to intern at Leadership for Equity(LFE) - a non-profit organisation working towards building effective public education systems in India. In my opinion, every child needs to get a quality education in order to be the best version of themselves. Interning at LFE gave me the opportunity to learn more about education in India. During my one-month of internship, I engaged in writing blurbs and designing graphics for social media posts. I also indulged in reading LFE’s publications, which helped me understand Indian education policy in a better way. The publications introduced me to several different perspectives to think about the education policies in India.