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WALL OF DREAMS
CHAPTER 2023
“You have to dream before your dreams can come true”.
Inspired by the famous quote of APJ Abdul Kalam, we asked our students one question.
“What are the dreams that keep you working hard?”
My diverse experiences have fuelled my commitment to promoting diversity on Planet-I. Hailing from a conservative Muslim family, I’m among the first in my lineage to receive a conventional education. I attended a Catholic school where I interacted with peers from various backgrounds, including different religions, ethnolinguistic groups, and political affiliations. This early exposure was just the beginning of my journey into cultural adaptation.
Securing admission to a top engineering college in India’s central forested region resulted in a shift in location, which further broadened my perspective. In college, I engaged with members of indigenous tribes residing near my college, broadening my understanding of their distinct traditions. Later, as a summer research intern at a San Francisco-based public policy think-tank, I absorbed Western work cultures and engaged with public figures, election officers, media outlets, and political leaders.
My ongoing learning journey at IIM Indore reinforces my commitment to diversity and inclusion. My dream is to leverage my education to make a tangible impact on the lives of these diverse talents. After completing my MBA, I aspire to work in the finance industry, developing financial solutions that benefit marginalized communities. Specifically, I aim to create training programs and financial literacy initiatives that empower underprivileged individuals to achieve financial independence.
After three generations, I am the first girl child in my home, and I was showered with so much love. But with it came the self-inflicted assumption of responsibility that I must dream big, become a CEO in the long run, and ultimately have my own company to leave a legacy behind. The goal was known, but I had to figure out the means. Initially, I worked with the State Bank of India for about two years. It gave me an understanding of the throat-cutting competition and survival experience in the corporate world, but I strived for more knowledge. Thus, I took the CAT exam and secured admission to one of the top B-schools to acquire the necessary thrust to advance. Now, I give my 100% in academics while simultaneously trying my hands at different things, e.g., sports, extracurriculars, and case competitions. I am hopeful to achieve my dreams and hustle till they come alive.
Whenever one has asked me about my dreams, it has always been to be a part of the current startup culture that has brought along with it the scope to innovate and dream big.
One of the primary reasons I have always dreamed of joining IIM Indore is because of what this institute can give out. It has attracted some of the brightest minds in the country, and being able to interact with them, understand the diversity of cultures, and learn and grow with them allows one to develop holistically.
The institute has had a history of promoting innovations and new ideas, which have developed into fully scaled businesses. I, too, have my hopes and aspirations to innovate, work on new ideas, and convert them into a startup, just like my seniors did, that would benefit society and the country altogether.
IIM Indore provides me with the ideal first step to make my dreams a reality, and I am prepared to work day and night to achieve those.
“Dream is not what you see in your sleep, but it is the very thing that doesn’t let you sleep,” as eloquently coined by APJ Abdul Kalam, is what sublimely encapsulates my voyage to Planet-I. Being from a place where the stereotypical engineering-favoring mindset prevails, I was coerced to take up science during my HSC days. In a twinkling, though, I realized that it was not something meant for me, and I decided to strive for something that would potentially change my life forever.
Now that I am finally in IIM Indore, I strive to make a name and place in the corporate sector and the globe. The inquisitiveness to learn and the zeal to make my parents proud have risen to unscaled heights.
There are moments when I feel exhausted, and the thought of giving up creeps in, as it does for most of us. But this is the time when a voice comes from within and says, ‘Never give up, for dreams do come true!’ and reinvigorates my determination.