“Never Give Up” Are The Words Class 10 Topper Vazeela Swears By

When the Kerala State Board Exam results were announced this year, Vazeela S, a class 10 student from Cotton Hill High School, Trivandrum, had a reason to celebrate. The A+ on her marks card announced that she had scored the highest grade in the exams! A wonderful moment in the academic life of any student, this milestone was all the more special for Vazeela because it carried the story of remarkable grit while overcoming adversity. The amazing academic achievement of this 10th grader was as much a result of studying as it was of her positive attitude and “never give up” spirit.

Team Storyweavers caught up with Vazeela earlier this month to know more about the incredible journey of this bright young student.

A Fateful Incident

Vazeela was felicitated by the Governor of Kerala, Mr. Arif Mohammad Khan, for her amazing academic performance

An aspiring IAS officer, Vazeela humbly acknowledged the praises for her fantastic performance. “I don’t think of myself as a topper. I think I got these marks because of the wishes of my loved ones and a little bit because of my hard work,” she said. But the modesty of this intelligent 10th grader doesn’t do justice to the strength and courage she has shown at such a young age.

On a December day late last year, when she was heading home from an exam, Vazeela met with a terrible accident. Severely injured, Vazeela found herself in the hospital with both legs fractured and in excruciating pain. With the right medical attention, Vazeela was treated immediately, but she had to spend close to a month in the hospital under supervision. With her board exams just a short while away, Vazeela’s entire routine was thrown off by this unfortunate incident. That’s when the determination of this young student was put to the test. Showing remarkable strength, Vazeela decided that she would not give up and persevered with her studies.

A True Learning Companion

With help from her school teachers, Vazeela started attempting to catch up with her subjects. But due to her condition, she still wasn’t able to attend any classes. That’s when she found a solution in BYJU’S.

“The funny thing is, we had got BYJU’S – The Learning App just a few days before my accident and throughout my time in the hospital it helped me keep up with my classes!” recounts Vazeela. “I couldn’t put in the kind of preparation I wanted for my board exams because I was still recovering. But whenever I could study, I used the BYJU’S tablet, and I found it very helpful,” she recalls.

What Vazeela found to be incredibly helpful were the visualisations in the interactive videos and the option to learn at her own convenience while recovering from her injury. “The visualisations in the app are very memorable and attractive. I wasn’t in a position to revise many times, but seeing the videos on BYJU’S just once cleared my concepts. I momentarily forgot my pain when I was learning from the app, and for that, I would like to thank all the teachers at BYJU’S,” says Vazeela, recounting how BYJU’S helped her in a time of need.

Being the modest girl that she is, Vazeela is quick to acknowledge the positive influence of her BYJU’S Mentor, Ms Anjana. “She (Anjana) called me so many times and motivated me. She kept reminding me that this is not the end and that I should push myself. She always told me that I could do it. That was beneficial, and it inspired me a lot. It influenced me a lot,” says Vazeela.

Along with her academic learning companions, Vazeela also found support from her training as a Student Police Cadet. “My accident could make me feel a little low sometimes, but my training as a Student Police Cadet for two years helped me a lot. Their classes and counselling are amazing. It helped me a lot to withstand and overcome this situation.”

A Message For Aspiring Students

With a formidable combination of resilience and the drive for academic excellence, Vazeela’s motto is crystal clear and can be summed up in three words: “Never give up!”. Encouraging other students to take a leaf out of her book, Vazeela offers a few pearls of wisdom that far exceed what one expects from a 15-year-old. “Believe in yourself. Accept the situation you are in and never think that you can’t do something,” she says. “I never thought ‘I can’t’. Both studying and writing exams were difficult for me, but I never gave up. Only you know your strength so believe in yourself, love yourself, and don’t give up.”

Truly inspiring stuff, isn’t it?

The positivity, strength and willpower Vazeela has shown is very rare to come by and truly commendable. We have no doubt that great things are on the horizon for this spirited and phenomenal young student! With that thought in mind, we wish Vazeela the very best of luck for all her future endeavours!

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