I was born into a middle-class Maharashtrian family and we lived in the central suburbs of Mumbai. Being the only child in my family, my necessities were always fulfilled. While both my parents were off to work, I used to be at a crèche. During this time, I learnt the importance of self-dependence. I remember spending my school vacations at our native place in Sangmeshwar, near Chiplun. The peaceful environment and surrounding greenery were very much cheerful and pleasing to the eye. My grandmother had taught me basic gardening skills which I cherish even today.

My college days were a blend of joy and hardship. While graduating from V.G. Vaze College, Mulund, I had taken up a part-time job to cover my educational expenses. After this job, I used to take home tuitions. So balancing studies and work was quite difficult. However, it was a fruitful period when my college professors believed in me and motivated me to learn further. I graduated with flying colours and was overjoyed to see my name on the college result board for being among the top five achievers. I continued to pursue Masters in English Literature through correspondence as I had started working full-time as a ‘Content Editor’ in a multinational firm. My sincere efforts and dedication had borne fruits, when I secured the first place in Part – I of MA at the University of Mumbai. However, at this time my mother’s health started deteriorating and I struggled to make ends meet. I left my corporate job to look after her’ as it was daunting to manage both things simultaneously.

At this point of time, I realized my interest in teaching, as I believe that while teaching others, we tend to learn a lot. I took up my first job as a ‘Communication Skills’ Lecturer at Vivekanand Polytechnic, Chembur. I received positive feedback from my students there, and I was also involved in other student-centric activities like being a part of the college annual fest and admission entries. Later, I started working in Thakur Polytechnic as a full-time faculty where I worked for four years and I was appreciated for 100% result-oriented performance.

In 2018, I joined the prestigious Vidyalankar Institute of Technology as an Assistant Professor. I have been engaged in multiple activities here that give me scope to explore my capabilities. Along with being an Academic Co-ordinator, I am the editor for ‘VIBGYOR’, a Departmental e-newsletter published quarterly and for ‘V-Express’, the college annual magazine. As a Co-convener of Literary Council, we organize various literary activities for students such as Debates, Just-a-minute, Face-offs, Open Mic and many more.

The continuous guidance and inspiration that I receive from my senior colleagues in the Department and the supportive Management has encouraged me take up new responsibilities and learn various tasks during my tenure so far. The tech-savvy environment prevalent in the Institute has enabled me to explore technology-enabled pedagogy, which has indeed been an enriching experience. Apart from teaching, I love cooking various cuisines. I am also a trained classical singer. As my mother has taught me, I always give prime importance to empathize with others and try to build relations on the grounds of honesty and integrity.