KOCHI: “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” says Febin Mariam Jose, a dreamer and a woman of substance. Visually impaired, she secured the first rank in MA Philosophy from the University of Kerala.
Febin faced the biggest setback in her life at 16 when her family suffered a chicken pox outbreak. She was given a chicken pox preventive vaccination. Within two months, she lost her eyesight due to side effects of the vaccine. Febin moved to Kerala and finished studies through the Open School System.
It was difficult for her to find a scribe for exams as CBSE-NET has specified conditions for selection of a scribe. She passed NET and Junior Research fellowship in the first attempt itself. Currently, she’s pursuing her civil service dream and preparing for her doctoral fellowship programme in Philosophy.