Mystory@Mukta Pillay: How I made my career – Challenges and successes

Brought up in Ahmedabad, I was always an independent girl. A student of Mount Carmel, with perfect height of 5 feet 7 inches, lots of aspirations to do something different and with dreams in my eyes I chose Commerce field at graduation level.

I did extremely well and passed Class XII with distinction. Commerce was the area chosen by all in Gujarat, so, I also automatically chose Commerce at my graduation level and did it with flying colors. But I was always fond of teaching.

Then a twist came in my life, that is, I got married and shifted to a small town in Mahrashtra – Akola, where there were no jobs for a girl like me who dreamt to pursue a career in Commerce stream. But I never gave up, I strongly felt that I was not made to be a housewife only, so I pursued my BA (Additional), MA and BEd. At the same time I managed a joint family and got appointed as the Principal of the best school in the city. I work as an administrator and also try to create awareness among students regarding possible career options for them and also help them select the best choice for them.

Yes, I feel that I chose the right career for myself. My only mistake was selecting the wrong subject at the graduation level. I followed the herd mentality and chose Commerce instead of Arts because I was worried about what would people would say. But now I have learnt that a student should be clear with what he wants to become because life isn't about wasting precious years, it is about doing good for yourself and becoming a good human being. When I look back, I feel that I was able to achieve everything only because of the emotional and physical support I received from my parents and husband. It was only because of them that I have been able to achieve all that I have today.

I feel that it is important to understand what you really want from life. It is important to understand the subject strength and weaknesses while selecting a career. Also, one should never follow the crowd. Everyone is special in their own way and so one should decide their career path after a lot of research and should also follow their dreams.

About the Author:

I am Mukta Pillay, I am the Principal of School of Scholars, Kaulkhed, Akola, a school whose part I have been since 14 years. I love reading books and also love teaching and interacting with my students. I have also had an opportunity of visiting UK where I went to many schools at Gloucestershire and got an opportunity to exchange a lot of teaching methodologies.

Mystory is a new Shiksha initiative to provide students a unique platform to share their experiences right from college admission to career selection. Here’s your chance to get published on India’s leading education portal. We’ll be happy to publish your story.   Write in to us at: mystory@shiksha.com