Even as COVID continues to cast a shadow over the future of millions of students, Manu Chauhan’s path is set and come September, he would be flying to USA to fulfil his dreams. With a 100 per cent scholarship from Stanford University, Manu is confident that his dreams are about to get a face. But it was not always as easy. . We reached out to Manu to understand his journey from Aligarh to Stanford University.

Son of a village salesman, Manu is no alien to limited income households. His father, a small insurance salesman in UP’s Akrabad village in Aligarh district, struggled to meet the daily needs of his family. Manu, a bright student, was aware of the same but determined to use the only resource he had in abundance, his intellect.

Start of a Journey

“I studied in the local government primary school in the village of Akrabad till grade 5. At the end of the year, I appeared for the entrance exam for Vidyagyan school and got selected. That was the year 2014,” Manu shares, as he narrates his journey.

Vidyagyan School is, a residential school run by Shiv Nadar Foundation for the underprivileged in Uttar Pradesh. Every year about 2,50,000 students from the smallest villages appear for the entrance which selects only 250 students. In 2014, Manu was one of the 250. Cracking that scholarship and the school was the first step to the journey of his life.

Thanking his school, Manu shared that the school, with various efforts and a driven force, helped hone his talent and drove him towards excellence. The teachers and the peer group, all helped him find his niche and get a purpose. Motivation from the teachers at every step of the way helped him realize his academic goals but it was the conversation with his father that helped him find his ambition.

“When back home during vacation, I would often hear my father and family talking about various policies. I was still young but when in a conversation I added my opinion, I was appreciated for the thought process. It was then that I knew that policy-making, political science was what I aspired for,” Manu says.

Determined to achieve bigger milestones at every step, Manu excelled and scores 95.4% in his Class 10 board examinations. He also won outstanding performance award in Assessment of Scholastic Skills through Educational Testing twice; became the best speaker in intra-class debate competitions and won gold medal in Open State Level Table-Tennis championship in 2018.

On asking about his choice of program in International Relations and Economics he shared that his dream was to work in the United Nations for the children of the world. “Education can change everything. In India, we can provide infrastructure but the mentality of the people have to change. The teachers in government schools, especially in village like ours, simply aren’t interested in teaching. I want to change that.”

But why Stanford?

“It is among the top universities of the world and the research infrastructure is excellent. Indian Universities do not offer the opportunity of research. I want to bring change and that requires the right access which Stanford provides me,” Manu explains.

But how did he manage? When asked about the start of the journey he shares that it was his school that gave him the required support and guidance.

“The application process begins from Class 11 itself. I was counselled by the school counsellor and even had access to counsellors in Delhi who helped me understand the process and fill out my application form. I appeared for SATs and scored 1470 out of 1600.”

What about the cancelled Class 12 Exams?

“There was no real impact. Admissions to universities abroad is subjective and the class 12 board marks were not that important. The admission was based on the performance over the years and the overall application. The essay also plays a crucial role,” he explains.

As to whether he was happy with the decision of Class 12 getting cancelled, Manu shared he was rather disappointed. “I was looking forward to the examinations and wanted to score over 95%. But now I don’t know.”

Expenses for Application and Study Abroad Exams?

While he has been awarded a complete scholarship which covers his stay, tuition as well as his travelling expenses, the application process is not cheap either. When asked about the same Manu shared that he paid for them through scholarships.

“College Board’s scholarship paid for my SAT exams. My school helped me with the application process. In fact, there are many people and institutions that help students who don’t have the means but have the will and the determination.”

A Local Hero

Speaking on the pandemic, Manu shared how he was able to help and do his bit when the pandemic hit the country.

“I was at my village when the national lockdown was announced. I noticed many migrant workers from Bihar who had no work and no means of travel. My family did not have enough to help but I knew that something needs to be done. I ventured and asked my neighbours to donate the old newspapers. I personally went and collected the same and sold them off to get enough money to arrange for a bus for them. It was just 12 people but I was happy to be able to help them.”

Way Forward

As parting words for students who aspire to study abroad, he says go for it. “It is possible. There are many institutions and organizations that are there to help you. Keep your eyes and ears open and work towards it,” he says.

Manu is super excited to start the next chapter in his life. He has already gotten his first dose of the vaccine and is waiting for the second dose. He hopes to fly in the first week of September.  He would be pursuing a bachelor’s program in International Relations and Economics at Stanford University. Times Now wishes him the very best for his future.