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HuffPostIndia|ByIndraniBasu(/indranibasu/)

Posted:07/04/201512:52IST Updated:07/04/201512:53IST

SonOfKanpurMechanicGetsFullScholarshipToMIT

OnPiDay(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pi_Day)thisyear,whichfallsonMarch14,seventeenyearoldAyushSharmaletoutashriekthatbroughthismotherrunningtohiminalarm.Ayushwassittinginfrontofthecomputerandincomprehensiblyscreaming.Youcouldhardlyfaulthim.

ThesourceofhisexcitementwastheadmissionresultspostedonthewebsiteoftheMassachusettsInstituteofTechnology,commonlyregardedastheworld'sforemostschooltolearnengineering.TheKanpurboyhadjustfoundouthehadgotinwithafulltuitionwaiver.

"IhadheardaboutMITwhenIwasinclass7or8whenIwouldreadaboutoneortheotherpathbreakingresearchtheirstudentsorprofessorsweredoingintheinternationalpagesofthenewspapers,"Ayushsaidoverthephonefromhishometown."IhadnevereverconsideredIwouldbeapplyingthereasitseemedsooutofreach."

Thesonofamechanicinthestatepublicworksdepartmentandaretiredemployeeofthecentralreservepoliceforce,Ayushwillbethefirstofhisfamilytoenrollina"proper"college,hesaid.

"Noneofmyparentshavebeentoafulldegreecollege,"hetoldHuffPostIndia."Myfatherhasadiplomaafterwhichhestartedhisjobasamechanic."

JourneyToMIT

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"Noneofmyparentshavebeentoafulldegreecollege,"saidAyush.

"AyushreturnedfromYalecompletelytransformed."

ThepathtoMITwasnoteasyforAyush.Hecamefromafamilyoflimitedmeanswherestudyingabroadwasadistantdream.HewasenrolledinthelocalKendriyaVidyalaya(governmentrunschool).ThoughhiswrittenEnglishwasfair,hehaddifficultyspeakingandcommunicatinginthelanguage.HehadnoideahowapplicationstoUSschoolsworked.

Inclass11,asallhisclassmatesscrambledofftovariouscoachingcentresandengineeringprepcoursesassoonschoolletout,Ayushresisted."Mostoftheseclassestookawaytheexcitementofscience,"hesaid."Ididn'twanttodoequationsbyrotelearning."

HeheardaboutAvanti,asocialenterpriserunbyIITalumni(http://avanti.in/)whichreliesonpeerlearningmethodstogiveaffordablecoachingtostudents."Themethodofteachingappealedtome,"saidAyush.

Towardstheendofclass11,withthehelpofAvantisforeignapplicationsprogramleader,TaylorGregoireWright,AyushhadappliedforYale'sGlobalScholarsProgram(http://globalscholars.yale.edu/),ashortsummercourse.Wright,aYalegraduatehimself,

wasatfirstdoubtfuloftheoutcome.

WhenIfirstassessedAyushforourstudyabroadprogram,Iwasnotsurehewouldbeabletocope.HiscommunicationskillsneededworkandtherewaslittleprecedentofmiddleclassIndianstudentsqualifyingfortopUSschools,hesaid.

However,notonlydidAyushqualifyfortheprestigiousprogram,hereceivedfulltuitionwaiverfromtheIvyLeagueschoolaswell.HestillneededfundsforhistraveltotheUS.Throughanamazingcrowdfundingcampaign(https://www.crowdrise.com/ayushgoestoyale),heraisedtheentireamount$1,500(90,000INR)injustsixhours.

TransformativeExperience

AyushreturnedfromYalecompletelytransformed.Hewasmorearticulate,hadabroaderworldviewandwasconvincedthathewantedtogotoMIToranothertopUSuniversityforhisundergraduatestudies,recalledVarunVarma,aUniversityofMichiganalumnusandAvantisheadofsales,whoAyushcreditsforhisopportunitytostudyabroad.MumbaibasedadmissionsconsultancyTheRedPenofferedprobonoassistancewiththeprocess.

Ayushrecogniseschangesinhimselfthathefeelswillcarryhimwellthroughlife.Hesaidthathehasbecomebetteratworkingwithpeople,andcanexplainconceptsandthoughtswell,whichwereveryusefulduringtheYalesummerprogramandcementeditfurther."I'vealsodevelopedtheabilitytotakeonchallengesandrisks,"hesaid."NowIknowIcandosomethingwhichisnotentirelyfamiliartome."

ThoughpeerlearningatAvantiandtheirsupportforhisapplicationandfundingprocesshavebeenkeytoAyush'spathtoMIT,hesaidoneofthepersonalobstacleshehadtoovercomewasspeakingEnglish."ItwasonethingthatIreallyhadtodoonmyownandnoonecouldhavetaughtme,"hesaid."TherewerefewpeopleamongmyKanpuracquaintanceswhoIcouldspeakinEnglishwith,soIwouldenduptalkingtomyself.Littlebylittle,Iimproved."

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Ayush'sparentsaredelightedandproudoftheirson,butapprehensivetoo."TheyareunderstandablyworriedaboutmehowwouldIlive,howIwouldcopeonmyowninanewcountry,etc."

Whilehesaidhisparentshavebeenincrediblysupportive,theywereatseaonwhatexactlytheirsonwasattemptingtodo,whilepreparingforadmission."IwasdivertingtimetosomethingquitedifferentthanjustIITpreparation,"hesaid."TheywereunfamiliarwithwhatIwasdoingandwereapprehensiveabouttheentireprocess."

Yet,itwashisfatherwhotookhissontoLucknowforhisTOEFLexamination,andthentoDelhiforhisSAT.

ThePathAhead

Now,AyushislookingforwardtoexploringasmuchofMIT'sofferingsashecan.WhileheplansonbroadlypursuinghisinterestinPhysics,heisunwillingtostarttheprogramwithdefinitiveideasinhishead."ThebestthingsthathappentomearetheonesIleastexpect,"hesaid,laughing."IwanttoexploreasmuchasIcanbeforepickingamajor."

TheMITscholarshipamountstomorethanRs1croreoverfouryears.

Hislongtermplansaretoworkontheeducationsystemofdevelopingcountries.ThisispartlyfromhisownexperienceinIndiaandthepositivelearningenvironmentatAvanti,hesaid."ThelevelofscienceeducationinIndiaisjustnotgoodenough,"saidthe17yearold."Manystudentsdon'treallygettoappreciatewhatsciencemeans."

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SujayAnandVirginiaTechSincewhenarestudentadmissionslistpostedonMIT'swebsite?AndMITgivesfullridescholarshipstointernationalundergrads?Somethingdoesn'tquiteadduphere.ReplyLike FollowPostEditedApril14at5:05am4

KshetraMohanItishardworkandusingyourintelligencetogetoverdifficultiesandobstaclebywhichyouhaveovercomelanguageenglishandothersubjects.Itgaveyoustrongwilltoovercomeobstacleofyourlife.Youhavetogolongwaytoreachtopofyourmotto.ReplyLike FollowPostApril12at6:12pm2

VimalaRavindran TopCommenterAyush,youacedyourselfkiddo!!!andmadeyourparentsandyourcountryproudofyou.Congratulationstoyouandtoallinyoursupportgroupyourparents,Avanti,RedPenetc.Nowgoandcreateapathforwardsuccessfully,sothatotherkidsmaytravelinyourfootsteps.Wishyouallthebest.ReplyLike FollowPostApril10at12:53am1

AshokBhandarihowcanihelphimwithrs5000/hemakesmefeelproudasacountrymanReplyLike FollowPostApril10at10:22pm1

DaUndertoad TopCommenterBangalore,Indiawelldone,Mr&MrsSharma.That'ssomekidyou'vegotthere.AndAyushkeeptruckin'dude.ReplyLikeFollowPostApril14at1:09pm

HansaR.ShahBrighamYoungUniversityverynice.proudof17yearoldAyushandgoodlucktohimstartingatMIT.MOSTIMPORTANTLYCONGRATULATIONTOMUMBAIBASEREDPENWHOCONSULTHIMONADMISSIONPROCESS.ReplyLikeFollowPostApril9at3:43am

HenryNathan AsstManagerProcurementatBatteryLoversGoodonyou,Ayush.Youhavetaughtalltheparentsandstudentscaughtintheratracehowtotothinklaterallyandsucceed.Yourparentsshouldbeveryproudasweare!ReplyLikeFollowPostApril7at6:47pm

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RehanTalreja TopCommenterAssistantEngineeratSiemensLimitedAWESOME...AWESOME.....AWESOMEReplyLikeFollowPostApril7at4:24pm

RamakrishnanParameswaranBangalore,Indiaglobalisationhasdisadvantages,citizensdon'tthink.ReplyLikeFollowPostApril8at1:53pm

SudhaSanthanam Pune,MaharashtraAstheysay..wherethereisawillthereisaway.Theboyhasfireinthebelly..GodBless.ReplyLikeFollowPostApril8at3:09pm

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