MADURAI: Defying hardships, M Shalini, a student with visual impairment, has passed the Class 12 boards with flying colours. Speaking to TNIE, she said, "I am very happy to have scored 542 out of 600 marks. My friends and teachers used to read out texts to me from my childhood itself. Then I learned to use the Braille code. Details stick to my memory fast and this helped me score big in the exam."
Shalini hails from a middle-class family in Theni district's Lakshmipuram. Her mother is a homemaker, while her father works as a driver in Kerala. With support from her parents and teachers, the girl has now attained the first position in Class 12 boards at St. Joseph's Higher Secondary School for Blind.
"I can't watch TV or play on the phone. So, I have fewer distractions compared to the other students, and this helped me to really focus on my studies. I am indebted to my scribe, school headmistress, teachers, and parents for my board exam performance. My ambition is to become a teacher and guide so many students," Shalini signs off.