Scholar Success Story - Sakshi Jain: An IDFC First MBA Scholar

“Real courage is being afraid but doing it anyway.” – Oprah Winfrey

Born and raised in Jaipur, Sakshi got inspired by her father who told her that “it is necessary for a girl to grow up and stand on her own two feet without depending on a man.” With such motivation, Sakshi decided to rise beyond her financial constraints and do something to bring the positive change. She took it upon herself to not leave any stone unturned until she gets what she deserves.

Buddy4Study had a conversation with her regarding her journey and how IDFC First Bank Scholarship proved to be of value.

This scholar success story has excerpts from the same.

Buddy4Study: Why did you want to pursue an MBA course?

Sakshi: I wanted to pursue an MBA because it promises to provide better career opportunities and wider exposure. It also creates a great base to meet new people and build a strong professional network which surely proves to be beneficial in the future. There are benefits that I have noticed in the course of my MBA studies! Like there is a great change in my communication skills and knowledge, and I have developed an in-depth view of the corporate world. With a new outlook on life and how it’s affected by the businesses around us, my survival skills and professionalism has enhanced, enabling me to develop into an exceptional communicator and advisor. Undoubtedly, these 2 years will develop my overall personality and growth as an individual.

Buddy4Study: What were the key challenges you faced while pursuing your MBA admission?

Sakshi: Well, my first challenge was selecting the college in which I had to pursue MBA. If I had to study MBA from one of the best b-schools in India, it would have easily cost 15-18 lakhs and above, which just wasn’t possible, considering my humble background. Therefore, after a fruitful discussion with experienced seniors, I selected the Jaipuria Institute of Management, Jaipur. Another challenge I faced was to keep myself motivated and negating the constant worries of the financial burdens which my family was and in fact, is still bearing.

Buddy4Study: What has been your source of inspiration which keeps you going for your studies?

Sakshi: My source of inspiration has always been my father who told me that it is necessary for a girl to grow up and stand on her own two feet without depending on a man. Even after not being so financially strong, he always encourages me to study more and do something great with my life.

Buddy4Study: How do you motivate yourself to overcome a challenge?

Sakshi: That’s an interesting and difficult question! First, I repeat in my mind the “I can do this” mantra and then I work hard to overcome the challenge. But as we know, to be successful, we need not just work hard, but work smart as well. So I keep my eyes and ears open at all times and never miss an opportunity to learn. To overcome any challenge, I always stay positive, never get disappointed with failure and never give up under any circumstance.

Buddy4Study: Despite the financial constraints, you decided to pursue an MBA course. How did your parents react when you told them about your ambitions?

Sakshi: Luckily, I belong to a family where everyone believes in educating the girl child instead of getting them married at a young age. So, when I told my parents about my academic aspirations, they were very happy and told me that I can study as much as I want and the most important thing in a woman’s life is to get educated and be successful and independent.

Buddy4Study: How did you come to know about the IDFC FIRST Bank MBA Scholarship? What was the process you followed to avail the scholarship?

Sakshi: I came to know about the IDFC FIRST Bank MBA Scholarship from Jaipuria Institute of Management, Jaipur. A link was shared with us, via the BUDDY4STUDY platform which provided different scholarships for different categories of students. Through this platform, I came to know that IDFC FIRST Bank is fulfilling its corporate social responsibility by educating MBA aspirants who are not financially strong.
The process which we had to follow was replying to the email with the required information and documents. After filling the form, those who fulfilled the eligibility criteria were shortlisted for a telephonic interview. Students who qualified the interview were awarded this scholarship.

Buddy4Study: Which B-schools did you qualify for?

Sakshi: Since I scored 87.86 percentile in the MAT exam, I qualified for many prestigious colleges like the Xavier Institute of Management, Bangalore; SIMSREE Mumbai, IFIM Business School Bangalore, Christ Institute, Balaji Institute Pune, etc., but due to the financial burden I didn’t prefer to move outside my city. Hence, after deep research, I found Jaipuria Institute of Management, Jaipur which is considered one of the top management colleges in Rajasthan.

Buddy4Study: What goals have you set for yourself in the future?

Sakshi: Since I have a keen interest in finance, my goal is to be a successful Financial Analyst and reach the position of a Chief Financial Officer in a reputed organisation eventually. I want to join one of the top management accounting firms or banking firms. The Big Four companies such as Deloitte, KPMG, PwC, EY are some of the firms I’d like to target.

Buddy4Study: What advice would you give to the young ones who face various challenges towards pursuing higher education?

Sakshi: My message to the ones who are facing challenges towards pursuing higher education is to never fear the difficulties and rather try to cope up with them. There is no way you’ll not face challenges but to overcome them is the only way forward. We should not be afraid to try new things and never get demotivated with the failures. If you are doing good, you’ll definitely find a way. Just focus on your work and daily routines.

Buddy4Study: How are you going to utilise your scholarship funds?

Sakshi: The scholarship fund has reduced my fees burden considerably as previously I was thinking of opting for an education loan. Also, I wanted to do some additional certificate courses which, at first was a difficult task because of the costs involved. But now I can do these courses much more comfortably.

Buddy4Study: What are your thoughts on giving back to society, once you start your professional life?

Sakshi: Being social-minded, I always love to help the under-privileged kids and people who are really poor and vulnerable in my own small ways. Once I start a professional life, I would definitely set apart some share of my income for the upliftment of the needy ones and to educate them.

What do you think of Sakshi’s story? Does it motivate you enough to forget about your shortcomings and focus wholeheartedly on getting what you want? If yes, start your search at Buddy4Study. Maybe it will be your story who will inspire people next.