Reminiscence

From the time I remember I always started my day with a small prayer. Today when I look back, I realize that this habit was instilled in me from my school days. My memory is still fresh of those days when all of us were made to stand in one straight line with shirts and trousers neatly ironed and tucked and shoes brightly polished. We used to start our day hands folded and with prayers on our lips. I remember being extremely irked and annoyed by the ritual day after day, year after year. Today I am glad to my teachers for instilling this habit as my small conversations with God every day have made me humble, thankful and confident.

“POORNA PRAJNA” is a school that stands for its name in its real sense. This is a place that not only made me literate but also prepared me to face the world with self-confidence, persistence, hard work, and passion. This is the place where I learned that there are only three things to get to the top talent, ambition, and initiative. It provided education in the truest sense.

Today I am a successful Computer Engineer, but it was in school that I was first introduced to the big, bulky, scary machine called the “Computer”. I remember being awed by the machine which simplified even the most difficult task. The teachers in school even 

encouraged us to look beyond what the computer does and look at what it can do for the future. Today when I write various programs for companies, I still cannot forget the first important lessons I learned in school.

Our school was famous for having some of the best science exhibitions. I was also a member of the science club. It was here where the most complicated experiments in my science textbooks came to life in the labs. There have been so many instances where I did not get the required result in the labs and I would be deeply disappointed. I remember my science teacher saying quitter never wins and a winner never quits”. These words of encouragement are etched in my mind to date, which helps me overcome some of the worst problems. One of the best things I learned when preparing for the science exhibition was teamwork. There were times when certain experiments and concepts I could not understand. In such cases, the support came from my classmates, who looked from angles I never looked at and questioned theories that had not crossed my mind. We were encouraged to push to envelop and look at better ways of doing a task by our teachers

As they say,  to be successful in any field mathematical and logical skills need to have a strong foundation. We were lucky to have teachers in our school who had in-depth knowledge about the subject, and who made even the dreadful geometry and trigonometry sound simple. It was their hard work and dedication which led the school to churn out the best engineers year after year.

Civics and history classes would be fun sessions. Our teacher made sure that the classes would not be filled with just dates and numbers but also information, facts, real-life examples, and anecdotes. I remember being extremely fascinated by wonderful stories of civilizations and pre-independence eras. These lessons gave good examples of human resilience and indomitable spirit where they emerged victorious in spite of the hardships faced. Lessons on the pre-independence era and freedom fighters inspired us.

Language classes were filled with lessons, poems, grammar, etc. Sometimes I used to find these classes extremely overwhelming because  I was not familiar with certain languages. But our teachers made this herculean task so simple by giving us individual attention. Some grammar concepts which were difficult to understand were simplified by our teachers. Today I am extremely grateful to my teachers because learning more languages has expanded my horizon, made me connect to more people, and also helped me understand and appreciate

different cultures.

Sports day was one of my favorite events. The school was divided into 4 major groups red, blue, yellow, and green. On the field each of us was pitted against each other, but when in class we were back to normal. There were instances where we would give our best and not win, but our teachers never made us feel that there were losers and winners on the field. Participation and team spirit was placed above individual victories. Though there was a competitive spirit it was the sportsmanship that always got the best out of us.

There were various cultural competitions like singing, dancing drawing, debate, poem recitation, etc which used to be organized in the school throughout the year. These events were eye-openers to various facets of the world we live in. During debates, a lot of information would be exchanged which made me inquisitive and made me read about those issues. I was transported to a beautiful world of imagination when listening to beautiful poems composed by Kuvempu, D.R. Bendre, Kabir, Prem Chand, Elliot, etc., from my fellow classmates. Singing and dancing competitions would always be welcomed to thunderous applause and the entire place would be infused with enthusiasm. Independence Day, Republic Day, Teacher’s Day, Children’s Day, and Annual day would be celebrated with much flair and aplomb. Our teachers would put in their best to put up a great show and would always succeed in this feat. It was heartening to watch our teachers practice with us, put in their blood and sweat just that make sure that at the end of the day, our school is presented in its best form to the public. Our teachers were the epitome of knowledge and wisdom. On one hand, they were stern on the other they were kind and gentle. Not only did they provide us with intellectual input but they also provided us with mental and emotional support when required. They instilled qualities like hard work, humility, courage, confidence, discipline, strength, etc in each and every student every day, every year and they continue to do that selflessly even today.

It is here where I met some of the most intelligent people, amazing individuals, and lifelong friends. During my formative years, my classmates and seniors did have a huge role to play. Though there used to be internal friction and fights among us; we were always united when pitted against other schools. Today all of us are spread throughout the world and carry the legacy of our school. However, the love and respect towards school and fellow students still remain. Each student of POORNA PRAJNA is a brand ambassador of the values this school stands for and we should always make every attempt to keep up the reputation of our school and teachers high.

Harsha Chakravarthy. M.S

EMC Data Storage System Pvt. Ltd.

Bangalore