Tamil Nadu village school student overcomes odds to get IIT-Bombay aerospace seat

Yogeswari, a student from a government school in a village in Tamil Nadu’s Virudhunagar district, has secured admission to Aerospace Engineering at IIT-Bombay,

Her transformation from not knowing what Aerospace Engineering was to securing a seat at the prestigious institution reflects remarkable determination. Yogeshwari studies at Padanthal Government School in Sathur village, her father works in a tea stall while her mother works in a firecracker factory.

For her, the breakthrough came via Chief Minister MK Stalin's flagship programs ‘Naan Mudhalvan’ scheme and ‘Kalluri Kanavu’ scheme, which provide introductions to various college courses and guide students with applying and preparing for competitive exams. Yogeswari did not know what the JEE exam was until she attended these programs.

“When I attended a program, they told me about JEE and how to apply. I passed JEE Mains and then they took me for JEE Advance Coaching. At first it was a bit difficult as it was in English but with time I studied and cleared JEE Advance. I’m happy that I have got admission in Aerospace Engineering at IIT-Bombay,” Yogeswari said.

She credited District Collector VP Jeyaseelan's for introducing her to higher education opportunities and JEE application processes. The programs provided crucial guidance on exam preparation that enabled her success. “Naan Mudhalvan and Kalluri Kanavu programs were organised by District Collector Jeyaseelan and through that I got to know about higher education and how to apply for them. They helped me with applying for JEE and how to study for it because of which I was able to clear the exam.”

She thanked Chief Minister MK Stalin and District Collector Jeyaseelan, who has assured continued support for her higher education, calling these schemes a boon for children from poor economic backgrounds. “I thank Chief Minister MK Stalin and District Collector Jeyaseelan who have assured to help me with my higher education,” she said.

Hard work and perseverance were the only weapons Yogeswari had to pursue such a massive dream. She wants to achieve in aerospace technology like her role models Sunita Williams and Kalpana Chawla.