‘Do not let your past define your future’, like all phrases, this too is easier said than done. When someone is going through a hard phase in life, it is understandable that they would overlook the short happiness life gives them. However, with time, life usually takes its best turn, and soon everything falls right back in place. Similar is the story of Shreya Jain, a BCIS student at UFV.
Shreya has been fighting all odds since her parents separated when she was in 6th standard. Too young to understand what was happening, she never really fathomed how her childhood was cut short, unlike that of her peers. Shreya with her mother and elder sister started living with her maternal parents at their residence after the separation.
The struggle was real since back then single parents were still a taboo in the country. Societal pressure and the inevitable bickering had now started to take its toll on Shreya’s education, but she persisted and kept working hard towards her dreams — crack the JEE entrance exam or pursue her education aboard.
Shreya gave her all to crack one of India’s toughest examination, but her efforts fell short when she couldn’t make her mark in JEE Advanced.
Choosing to go abroad, Shreya came across UFV’s pathway programs that could not just send her to Canada, but also prepare her to live her dream. Even though moving abroad for higher education was her second option, Shreya calls joining UFV as ‘all the difference that mattered’.
Since the day she joined UFV, her graph has been off the charts. Soon after enrolling in the program, she took up leadership roles as the Vice President for both the UFV India Toastmasters club and the Serving Humanity Club. From maintaining an above average grade point of 4.28 to becoming an SLG Leader for COMP 150 to being a research assistant to her professors, Shreya has done it all. Winning a scholarship for continued academic excellence last year wasn’t as far-fetched either.
Learning the basics of working and using Android as a development platform were the initial steps that Shreya took as a research assistant. Shreya was part of the six-student team who assisted Professor Sunil in this project. In this assignment, she had to learn Java, Android Development Studio, SQL, and XML.
“All these were already in my course, but the thing I learned in this project was how three different technologies are combined; this made my entire learning evolve. Everything in my course was now more relatable.”
All these experiences helped Shreya generate interest in AI or Artificial Intelligence. It’s irrefutable that the future is all about AI and its impact on everyone’s life. She now plans to transfer to Canada and further her learning about AI.
A teacher’s ideal student, Shreya also has a lot of fun with the amazing friends she has made who will stay with her in not just India but might also transfer with her to Canada, “This will certainly help smoothen my transfer as we will get to take our friendship across borders just as it’s supposed to be.”
This warrior chose to rise above and move ahead from the patriarchal notions that everybody around her held. From moving in with her maternal grandparents to dealing with her sister transferring aboard, from failing to clear JEE advanced to building her profile at UFV, Shreya took every challenge head-on.
She is now all set to go to Canada this fall with clear eyes and a heart full of joy and happiness. Since day one, Shreya had been laser-focused to set things right and to reach the pinnacle of success and from anyone’s vantage point, looks like she is almost there and her hard work is paying off.
