New Delhi, January 15, 2023: Scholarship Awardees from various scholarship programmes implemented by Buddy4Study, shared their achievements along with heart-warming stories of their struggle and perseverance during Scholars’ Day celebration organized by Buddy4Study on the occasion of National Youth Day on January 12, 2023.
The event was organised at Birla Institute of Management Technology (BIMTECH), Greater Noida. The event was graced by the presence of eminent academicians, including Prof. Harivansh Chaturvedi, Director, BIMTECH, the Chief Guest, and Dr. Abha Rishi, CEO of the Atal Incubation Centre and Chairperson of the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development at BIMTECH, who was the guest of honor.
Many scholars who were awarded scholarships during the past 2 years participated in the celebration and shared their inspiring journey during the event.
Prof. Chaturvedi, in his motivational speech, highlighted the disparity in educational opportunities in society and how visionaries and educationists like Savitribai Phule and Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar struggled to close this gap by enabling the downtrodden. Prof. Chaturvedi also lauded Buddy4Study for its efforts to help needy students. “I would like to commend the noble idea behind Buddy4Study, which connects disadvantaged students with resource-endowed corporations and enables them to create a better society,” Prof. Chaturvedi said.
Addressing the scholars, Mr. Ashutosh Burnwal, CEO and founder of Buddy4Study, reflected on Buddy4Study’s 11-year journey and shared its goals for the year 2030. Through a detailed presentation, Mr. Burnwal showcased the milestones achieved by Buddy4Study over the years. He said that Buddy4Study has so far helped more than 51,000 students get scholarship and mentoring support; and the platform is now helping more than 48 lakh registered students to get matching scholarship information.
While encouraging the scholars, Mr. Burnwal said, “For achieving success, it is crucial that there should be selfless love—an intention for the exchange of time and resources, an objective of building trust through sustainability, and a noble purpose.” While emphasising the importance of educational support, Mr. Burnwal also asked the scholars to work for a society where empowered individuals like them can create opportunities for others through empathy and commitment.
The event was also marked by engaging panel discussion and an open mic session. Moderated by the leaders from Buddy4Study, the sessions witnessed deliberations on topics including -“Success: What are the aspirations and expectations of scholars?”; “Crossing the Barriers: Why education is the driving force“; and “Values that today’s youth admire.“
During the event, the scholars shared their achievements along with heart-warming stories of their struggle and perseverance. While sharing her story, one of the scholars, Nishya Mary John, said, “It was because of Buddy4Study and the IDFC First Bank Scholarship that I got the courage to make my journey from a small town in Kerala to New Delhi to pursue my graduation. I am deeply grateful to everyone who has helped me accomplish my educational dreams.”
Another scholar, Yashika Behl, also shed light on how the assistance from Buddy4Study and the Ericsson Empowering Girl Scholarship Program helped ease her family’s financial burden and gave her the confidence to excel in her studies. “These difficulties teach us that we should never underestimate the importance of small things in life and that we should regard them even if we become extremely successful,” added Yashika.
The scholars also spoke at length about how they want to create a positive impact in society through their innovative and inclusive ideas.
Towards the end of the event, Mr. Aditya Bose, founder and CEO of Student Counselling platform, ProBano, encouraged the students by sharing the exciting journey of his start-up while also emphasising the importance of discipline and perseverance despite failures.
The event concluded with the oath-taking ceremony, where all the scholars came together and made a promise to give back to society. Certificates of participation were also awarded to all the scholars.
