CHENNAI, INDIA
Mani Kumari: From Village Girl to Engineer-in-Training
When St John’s School opened in 2014, Mani was just four years old. Born into a poor Dalit family in a village with no school, her chances of receiving an education were slim. As the youngest of four children, and a girl in a community where educating daughters was rare, her future seemed predetermined.
That changed when Karnas and Sandy Gosa, the founders of St John’s, encouraged her parents to enrol her. Despite financial struggles and cultural hesitation, they took a leap of faith—and for Mani, it was the beginning of a journey that would transform her life.
Mani thrived in the classroom. She was curious, hardworking, and eager to learn, excelling in her studies and competitions. But in 9th grade, she faced self-doubt and her parents considered transferring her. With the encouragement of St John’s teachers, Mani persevered and went on to score an outstanding 535 out of 600 in her 10th-grade state exams.
Her dream was to study engineering—but her family could never have afforded it. Then came life-changing news: Mani had been accepted into the Indian Institute of Information Technology at Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge and Technology. Alongside her acceptance came a prestigious government scholarship worth 35 lakh (around $45,000 USD), covering six years of tuition, housing, and expenses.
For Mani and her parents, this opportunity is beyond anything they could have imagined. Her journey from a village with no school to a top engineering program is a powerful reminder of the doors that education can open.
Her message to the students who follow her is simple:
“Believe them. Follow them. And you will have success.”
Her story is a reminder of what’s possible when we invest in the dreams of young people.
