My father is a laborer who works on daily wages and it was difficult for him to make ends meet. I grew up watching my mother save every penny; she dedicated her life to me and my elder sister. Even with a meager family income of INR 25,000 annually, my parents never let me miss school for even a day. Maybe we all understood that education was the only doorway to a brighter world for me and my family. 

My elder sister has also studied till high school, but she had to sacrifice her education dreams as my family could only afford one of us pursuing our studies. I somehow completed my Class XII. 

When BR & CR Shetty Foundation came up with their scholarships for underprivileged children (so they could pursue B.Sc. and Diploma courses in Allied Medical Sciences),  word spread like fire in our small town of Karkala (Udupi district). You’d be surprised to know how many children like me are devoid of the right help to achieve their dreams.  Today, I am pursuing BSc in Optometry from Manipal University! While my course fee is  INR 1,85,000 yearly, BR & CR Shetty Foundation paid INR 60,000. To manage the rest of my tuition fee, my father took a loan. 

I’m working hard to achieve a good score this year to continue to get the scholarship amount. I’m waiting for the day when I will keep my first salary in my father's hands so that he never has to do odd jobs ever again to fill our stomachs. And that day will surely come, thanks to BR & CR Shetty Foundation.