Born to a daily wager, Mohammed Naser, who is a pushcart vendor, M Junofiya Begum did not have the opportunity to join a coaching centre. Regardless, through sheer hard work and discipline, she has bagged the top rank in the city's corporation schools, scoring 1158 out of 1200 including a centum in business mathematics.
She says she wants to write the UPSC exam and become an IAS officer. "I have always wanted to be an IAS officer and spend an hour every day reading the newspaper. I was also careful to follow the syllabus and timetable as per the guidance of my teachers," she said.
Parents of the second and third rank holder are also daily wage labourers, who could not afford to pay for special coaching for their children. K Anu, a student of corporation higher secondary school on Oppanakara street said her father was a cart puller and mother, home maker.
"I'm very interested in mathematics and want to be an auditor. Our family had to move to Dharmapuri as we could not afford to live in the city. I will join a government college here and pursue my higher studies," she said.
For A Thilakavathy, her father is the main motivator. "My father is a construction worker and his income depends only on the work he gets that day. So I knew I had to score high marks to get into a private college. I have applied at Avinashilingam university for women," she said.
Their headmistress, H Vasantha, said that most corporation school students have a difficult home life.
"There are many students who have alcoholic fathers, some lived in extremely difficult conditions with little or no food. But all of them have braved the odds and have scored really well," she said.
Junofiya Begum's mother, Mustiri Banu said since she was uneducated, she wanted both her daughters to study and become successful government officials. "I work in a dates company and am just a Class 9 pass. I want my children to make it big in life," she said.
The toppers said they would all work harder to achieve their goals and ensure they end up in good jobs. "I know that I can become what I want to be if I work hard. I will definitely become a collector one day," said Junofiya Banu.
She says she wants to write the UPSC exam and become an IAS officer. "I have always wanted to be an IAS officer and spend an hour every day reading the newspaper. I was also careful to follow the syllabus and timetable as per the guidance of my teachers," she said.
Parents of the second and third rank holder are also daily wage labourers, who could not afford to pay for special coaching for their children. K Anu, a student of corporation higher secondary school on Oppanakara street said her father was a cart puller and mother, home maker.
"I'm very interested in mathematics and want to be an auditor. Our family had to move to Dharmapuri as we could not afford to live in the city. I will join a government college here and pursue my higher studies," she said.
For A Thilakavathy, her father is the main motivator. "My father is a construction worker and his income depends only on the work he gets that day. So I knew I had to score high marks to get into a private college. I have applied at Avinashilingam university for women," she said.
Their headmistress, H Vasantha, said that most corporation school students have a difficult home life.
"There are many students who have alcoholic fathers, some lived in extremely difficult conditions with little or no food. But all of them have braved the odds and have scored really well," she said.
Junofiya Begum's mother, Mustiri Banu said since she was uneducated, she wanted both her daughters to study and become successful government officials. "I work in a dates company and am just a Class 9 pass. I want my children to make it big in life," she said.
The toppers said they would all work harder to achieve their goals and ensure they end up in good jobs. "I know that I can become what I want to be if I work hard. I will definitely become a collector one day," said Junofiya Banu.