CHENNAI: There is one thing that sets Chathriya Kavin D J apart from other students. And it isn’t just her glowing mark sheet.
Unlike most of the beaming faces of Class XII students who found out they topped the State on Tuesday, for a super determined Chathriya, the news came as no surprise. “I prayed for this every day for a year,” recalls the student of Good Shepherd Matriculation Higher Secondary School. “And I worked really hard, so I knew I would get it,” she states with confidence. Chathriya falls among students in the category of those who did not opt for Tamil as their second language, with her choice of French. However, her all round score of 1195, is the same that the State government-recognised topper also got.
As the daughter of the Director of Museums for Tamil Nadu and former District Collector of Namakkal, it’s evident that ambition runs in the family. So much so that the teen recalls, “I expected to make State topper in my 10th itself, and the fact that I didn’t make, gave me that much more ammunition to study harder.”
So what is Chathriya’s secret? As Student Pupil Leader, frequent orator and a black belt holder in karate, this teenager doesn’t have to tell us that studying 24/7 is not her mantra. “I’m not one of those nerdy types,” she laughs off the association. “Exams or no exams, I go for parties, weddings, whatever comes up. And when you have a gang of 13, trust me there a lot of birthdays that you can’t miss,” the teenager gets real.
With no tuitions or study timetable, the youngster shares, “Here’s the secret - it’s Focus.”
Even during the floods, when her half yearly exams were on, her mother recalls that despite power cuts and a house bustling with relatives, Chathriya chose to isolate herself with her books for an hour or two every day. And if that means cutting off distractions like the ever beeping WhatsApp notifications, do it, she says. “I actually uninstalled WhatsApp on my phone for three months in the run up to my board exams,” she recalls.
As for what she is praying for next, it isn’t about which college or what major. “I want to be Prime Minister,” she states emphatically.