Shaping Minds :
There are many wonderful people around us who are contributing substantially to various causes. One such person is Laxmi Todiwan who is an Associate Professor & Head of the Department of Apeejay Institute of Hospitality. Laxmi has almost two decades of experience, is an educational counsellor who follows her passion of guiding young people in making good career choices.
But today is not about featuring her - it's about sharing an experience of her witnessing a successful journey of a passionate young boy which ignites a belief of " yes I can".
" I meet very interesting people as a part of my role as a trainer and counselor. One such meeting, lead to a great association with an individual who was extremely motivated and passionate about his life. He had dreams and made them a reality, I feel lucky to have witnessed the transformation and being a part of it.
One fine day I got a call from one of my professors saying that he was sending a boy to me and that I should counsel him. He told me that the boy comes from a humble background, had lost his father when he was young.
With this backdrop I waited for this boy to see me on the appointed day and time. He was there dot on time, He was Holsten D’Souza. We got talking, I simply loved his attitude and the sparkle in his eyes, an 18 year old self motivated person who could do wonders given the right direction and inputs. He told me that he was working part time at a famous cake shop in Mumbai, Theobroma. We exchanged a few thoughts. Counseling him was one of the best experiences that I have had, I knew fee would be a bit of a concern for him but knew that if there's a will, there's certainly a way!
With this backdrop I waited for this boy to see me on the appointed day and time. He was there dot on time, He was Holsten D’Souza. We got talking, I simply loved his attitude and the sparkle in his eyes, an 18 year old self motivated person who could do wonders given the right direction and inputs. He told me that he was working part time at a famous cake shop in Mumbai, Theobroma. We exchanged a few thoughts. Counseling him was one of the best experiences that I have had, I knew fee would be a bit of a concern for him but knew that if there's a will, there's certainly a way!
He took admission at the institute (Apeejay Institute of Hospitality). He was focused, took directions from his professors and constructively worked on the feedback given by them. He was not the most brilliant student but someone who was consistent and who worked hard. His attendance, was the best in spite of the fact that he worked in the evenings and weekends. He managed to get scholarship all three years of college. In academics, in the first year he was among the top 5 students, he improved on that, was in the top 3 in the second year and in the final year he topped the college in the university examinations. He had his own benchmark that he kept improving on. He was one student that I kept a watch on, admiring his passion and the level of commitment he showcased. His batchmates loved him.There are two gold medals awarded to the graduating students at the institute. One is awarded to the academic topper and the other one is given to the student all rounder with best values and attitude. He was the academic topper but for the second medal too he was one of the top contenders. Which is a rare incident in the institute.
Today it gives me immense pleasure in writing about Holsten. He taught us to believe in self and remained focused. I share his story to many of my other students to instill faith in the old saying that " there's no shortcut to success."
Today it gives me immense pleasure in writing about Holsten. He taught us to believe in self and remained focused. I share his story to many of my other students to instill faith in the old saying that " there's no shortcut to success."
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