PALAKKAD: "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing," said US author Helen Keller who was the first hearing-impaired and visually-challenged person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.
True to her role model, Shilpa Ravichandran, a student of Sreekrishnapuram Higher Secondary School secured A + in all subjects in the Plus-II examinations.
Daughter of Ravichandran, a carpenter, and Vasanthakumari, a housewife, Shilpa did not let her shortcomings hamper her ambitions to outshine many others to excel in her examinations.
"I had completed my studies up to the Class VII at Helen Keller Centenary Memorial Model School for the Blind at Kottapuram. I joined Sreekrishnapuram HSS in Class VIII where I was the only visually-challenged girl in the class, who came from a different school. My classmates had opted for Thottara HSS to continue their studies. But still, I felt at home as all the teachers and students were so
friendly," Shilpa told TNIE.
My mother used to read the lessons for me and I used to write it down in Braille script. In Plus-I, I could secure A+ in only two subjects. But in the second year, with the help of resource teacher Sreeja and other teachers, I was able to thoroughly learn and write all the subjects, added Shilpa of Murichira, Mannampatta in Sreekrishnapuram, who had secured A+ in all subjects except for one
in the SSLC exams.
Recalling his student, R T Biju, a teacher at the Helen Keller School, said usually no one would opt for commerce stream with computer applications for their Plus-II course since it involves calculations. But Shilpa dared to take the plunge since she was confident.
Biju says that at home, Shilpa's parents often ask her the mobile numbers of their relatives and friends instead of checking the directory. She has an excellent memory which makes her stand apart. At the state-level special school work experience mela, she had bagged many prizes for her craft works in bamboo. Moreover, we had taken her along with other students to Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, Silent Valley National Park and also Mahabaleshwar in Pune to give her much exposure, he said.
"Sreekrishnapuram block panchayat gave me a laptop and it was very helpful in doing my accounting lab works. It was equipped with screen reading software. I had written the examinations with the help of a scribe who should not be above ninth standard," said Shilpa.
Shilpa said she is yet to decide on her future plans and most probably she would opt for a degree course. Her elder brother Shashikumar is an ITI student.