Offers pour in for Road-side Food Server’s daughter who shined in JEE Main!

CHENNAI: Here we talk about the rising star Chennai again! On this Saturday itself, Fathima Shadana and her family were worried if she could pursue engineering after having succeeded in the JEE Main 2014

Sunday brought hope for the family in dilemma, as Fathima was flooded with a flurry of calls from people offering her financial support after her story of toil and grit was published all across the internet. Software professionals, bankers, industrialists, engineers, private organisations and trusts expressed interest in supporting the 17-year-old girl’s higher studies for times ahead. Fathima, the hard working student, who lives in Saidapet, is qualified for the upcoming JEE Advanced with 83 marks in the JEE Mains, which also makes her eligible to apply for a seat in the NITs and the IIITs.

A software employee, Yogeshwari said, “I am touched by her story. It’s really sad that children who are good at studies cannot afford to study. My friends and I will try to provide as much help as possible.” And Bala Karthika K, the chief manager of a nationalised bank said, “Our bank would like to offer Fathima an educational loan.”

An elated Fathima chirped, “I received calls from many people offering financial aid for my studies. I am extremely happy”. With all the help coming her way, now she has decided to pursue computer science or chemical engineering as she had always dreamt of doing. “I don’t want to give away the opportunity. Now I am going to work hard towards achieving my goal.” said Fathima.

Bahira Begum, mother of fathima, said gleefully, “We are happy that people are coming forward to help us at this time. We will put in all our efforts to provide her the best opportunities.”

Fathima is among the three corporation school students, who have cleared the JEE Mains. She was among a few students selected by some coaching institutes , to provide free coaching for bright students from economically backward sections of different regions across India. The family had earlier not wished to send Fathima for JEE coaching being apprehensive about the expenditure the future studies would incur, but was persuaded by her school headmaster S.K. Balasubramanyam.

JEE Main 2014: Roadside Food Server’s daughter shocks Chennai