HYDERABAD: “I am the first person in my family to graduate from a college,” says 20-year-old Aruna N. Hailing from an agrarian family based in Mahbubnagar, Aruna lost her father a month ago, threatening her prospects of higher education. But today, Aruna was awarded a gold medal for her outstanding academic performance during the graduation ceremony of University College for Women, Koti.
Not just that, Aruna, who studied B.A. Telugu from the University College for Women, is now pursuing her masters in political science from Delhi University. “This is an emotional moment for me,” says Aruna speaking to Express. “I never saw myself coming this far.” Being one of the seven gold medal winners, Aruna was felicitated by the Chief Guest of the occasion Vice President Venkaiah Naidu.
“The highest point for me today,” Aruna beams, “was when the Vice President highlighted the importance of mother tongue.” She always felt that people who conversed in Telugu were looked down upon here, she says. “As a student who really loved Telugu literature and excelled in it, the Vice President’s speech on mother tongue was very moving for me,” she says.
Studying in Kamla Nehru college in Delhi now, Aruna recalls how shifting from Mahbubnagar, where she completed her schooling, to Hyderabad for graduation was scary for her. Since then Aruna moved again from Hyderabad to Delhi and switched her mode of study from Telugu to English. “I was very scared moving to Hyderabad. This would not have happened if not for my mother and teachers,” she says. Aruna’s parents are farmers who cultivated ragi and jowhar for a living.
About a month ago, after her father passed away, Aruna’s mother had to dig into money from insurance claims to ensure her education is not disrupted. “My mom was even contemplating selling her jewels but we managed to get past that crunch without having to do so,” she says. “Since our father isn’t with us anymore, I need to find a job fast, maybe in the next three years. I am planning to give a shot at civil service exams as that is my real passion,” says Aruna.