A visually challenged blind star swati saxena sharing her story.
Blind star Swati Saxena
If I have to describe myself, I would say I am a small-town girl with the courage to dream and the will and determination to make those dreams come true. I have had my share of hurdles in life and trying my best to overcome those hurdles with a positive frame of mind has been the story of my life thus far. I have succeeded and I have failed in crossing the obstacles; but I have never lost hope and I have never stopped dreaming big.
ब्लाइंड स्टार स्वाति सक्सेना – साहसी, सपने देखने वाली दृष्टिबाधित लड़की
Born in the city of nawabs- Bhopal- in a middle class family, I led a normal life with my two sisters till about the age of 9, and then everything went topsy-turvy. I started losing vision, no reason yet known. Doctors suggested corneal transplant and the procedure was performed a number of times, vision failing after giving false hope for a few months each time. Education was a struggle with vision coming and going but I kept fighting through. Tenth result was poor giving me a rude shock and bringing criticism without a care about my situation or feelings. However, I gathered myself and came out with flying colors in the twelfth board; the criticism this time being replaced with praises from every quarter.
Family has been a strength most of the times and a weakness sometimes. They have supported me in every endeavor I have undertaken, however, there have been times when they have failed to see things from my perspective- an irony indeed.
College life was fun, my teacher Mr. Rohit Trivedi help me bring the real Swati out from within and gradually an introvert girl was turned into an extrovert, ambitious one. I participated in all sorts of extra-curricular activities becoming very popular in the college. I put in a real effort to try for a top management institute. Even though I couldn’t get into top IIMs, I never regretted it since I secured a place in the prestigious Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai. My two months stint at TCS for a computer course earlier had given me the confidence to go out and face the world alone. The journey at TISS was a great experience though I faced a few bitter ones too. The faculty was excellent, so were the facilities and friends; however, Quite often colleagues treated me differently and some found it difficult to accept a blind girl among them competing equally.
EXL service, NOIDA gave me my first work experience, as HR manager. It was again a mix of sweet and sour memories; once again people often failing to see my viewpoint. Another corneal transplant, so far successful was perhaps the best memory from this period.
I haven’t stopped dreaming, just got selected for Neyveli Lignite Corporation, the lignite mining and power generation giant. Now looking forward to new challenges and new successes, absolutely ready to fly high.
