“Growing up in an economically backward family, we struggled a lot to make ends meet. My dad was a carpenter and my mom a home maker. I was just someone who went in with the tide and never really invested much thought and energy into my plans for the future. This is when life brought in a divine guidance in the form of a family friend who became my mentor.

Right after I completed my 12th, I came to know about Marine Engineering. It was at a point in my life where I had to figure out what I wanted to be in this life. But enquiring after the course told me that I wouldn’t be able to afford the course fee. Hence I took up Mechanical engineering through counselling and graduated as an engineer. But here is where my original fascination towards Marine Engineering took over again.

Hailing from a village, it was a great struggle for me to adjust with my peers. I felt mostly isolated and strange as I couldn’t speak proper English. But still, it was all a great learning experience.

I was overjoyed when I found that with my Mechanical Engineering degree I would just have to do a certification for a year. I originally applied to one of the institutions for this one year program but my application was rejected. It did turn out to be the best thing that could have happened to me in retrospect. I completed my certification in a different institution and I was placed on my first job.

Everything fell into place just like how I had imagined. Even though it felt like I let everything to chance, I bow in gratitude to the almighty for all the blessings that came in the form of struggles, rejections and so on.

Today I spend 6 months on the ship as a marine engineer and it’s a completely different life here. Come to the land seems alien to me but still, I have grown accustomed to this life that I built. I believe that we all have that missed chance, opportunity that we regret missing all this time. But in retrospect everything works out for the best. If you have a dream, you should go forward to it with all that you have got.”