Berhampur: He was born with deformities in both legs, which were corrected with months of physiotherapy. His struggle did not end there. Seven years ago, his father died of a heart attack, leaving the family in penury. His mother worked as a domestic help to make ends meet.
But rising above financial hardships and personal adversity, Santosh Kumar Gouda (15) of Laxman Nagar in Silk City secured an A-1 grade by obtaining 480 out of a total of 500 marks in the annual HSC examination, the result of which was published on Saturday. Adarsha Shishu Vidya Mandir, where he studied from Class 1 to 10, felicitated him on Monday.
Gouda, who pursued his board studies without any private tuition, said he studied from textbooks while clearing doubts with teachers. “I am satisfied with my marks and will pursue Plus II in science,” said Gouda, who aims to become an IAS officer.
His mother expressed pride and hope. “He is a hardworking boy and studied eight to 10 hours daily. He has achieved good results with the blessings of others. I hope he succeeds in life,” she said.
Success Stories from Rourkela
In Rourkela, two boys—the son of an auto driver and another of a carpenter—both secured A1 grade and 90% marks in the Class X examination of the Board of Secondary Education, Odisha.
Abhirup Das is the elder son of Dilip Das, an auto driver, who stays with his family in a rented quarter at Jhirpani. Abhirup studied from classes I to VIII in an Odia-medium school and classes IX and X in Pragati Vidya Mandir, Jagda, a government-aided school. Abhirup scored 540 out of 600 marks, securing an A1 grade. He said, “I am happy but I was expecting more marks. The teachers and headmaster of my school were very supportive. My father taught me maths, which proved fruitful.”
Abhirup intends to pursue the science stream and aspires to become a doctor.
Subhankar Sutar, another student of Pragati Vidya Mandir, Jagda, and son of a carpenter, also scored 540 marks. Subhankar studied from classes I to VIII in a private Odia-medium school before completing classes IX and X at Pragati Vidya Mandir. A meritorious student, Subhankar reacted by saying, “Hard work and dedication are key to my success. I was constantly focusing on my studies and studying eight hours daily apart from school.”
