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My Alma Mater

Hello dear readers,

As the title suggests, this one's about all I feel for my school.

There are these happy places in everyone's lives about which even a thought makes us smile... Places which we dream about being in... Places which are next to heaven for us... Places where we have spent the most memorable times of our lives... And, the numero uno, in this category, for me, is undoubtedly, my school, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Vidyalaya, Malad.

Thirteen years... I have spent thirteen long years of my place in this institution. The early years of my life. The years, when you can mould either a marvel or a gangster of the kids, were spent there by me. The most primitive stages of my development and the process of evolving into a responsible individual took place in me here.

There I learnt there what are called the alphabets and then to speak and write sentences only to jump to essays and letters... The transition from time when we used to write our answers in just a word or two and wonder how the elder students wrote answers long as essays to the time when we just became one of them... The journey from being toddlers teenagers... Enroute the best destination in the world, my school...

The school building is so tall and vast that it actually gives shivers to the kids who enter the building for the first time. But, it doesn't take much time for them to realize that this building is there to protect and shelter them from the difficulties of the world...

In school, I have learnt many things... But, the most important of them all is, learning to be myself, that each individual has his own identity, and he/she should carry it with dignity and self-respect, that no one has ever been successful by imitation, but, by self-reliance and self-improvement.

I recently was felicitated at a school function for securing the highest marks in all the five branches of BCG in Sanskrit. Though, I shared the prize with eight other students, at that moment I felt proud of myself, and my school, which paved the way for this glory.

The best part of this function, in my opinion, was the lightning of the lamps, which was not done by a dignitary, or any of the teachers, principals or trustees, but, the School Captains of all the five schools. This was symbolic as it portrayed what BCG aims at saying, power to the students... It was a students' function, so, it would be unfair if anyone else performed such ceremonious rituals... This was when I truly believed, BCG will remain BCG forever...

I still remember my first walk into my school building with my mother. Though, I don't remember all the bits and pieces, I remember this part, that I didn't cry like many others around me. I was indeed happy to be in a place which eventually went on to become the sculptor of my personality.

In the passage of the thirteen years, numerous values got imbibed in me like, the core values of our Bombay Cambridge Gurukul (sensitivity, reasoning, courage, integrity), leadership, self-improvement, independence, the art of planning, responsibility, among many others.

My school has been the reason for me being what I am now. I completely owe myselven to my school. It's the reason for the existence of the guy, who writes such stuff whenever he wants to, 'Setu Shah'. The guy for whom his school is much more than just his second home, much more than just being with friends and learning with teachers, much more than the interactive sessions with teachers (and not lectures)...

Today, I have graduated from this institution, but, only my parents, friends and teachers can tell you as to in which regard I hold my school. Now, I am just another member of the alumni of this academy, but, I can be sure of one thing, that DSRV and BCG will always keep persevering for the progress of their students and contribute in that way to the betterment of the society on the whole...

I embarked the journey of learning, which will go on until I attain salvation, from my school and so, it will remain etched in my memory forever... Forever...

Hail DSRV, the creator of the winners!

So long...

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