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Hello everyone! I'm Deeya, a student and an avid Java Programmer. Life now is so different from the one I left behind. It's worth taking a look back at the journey that made me who I am today.

Practice and patience lead the way to perfection. After I realized the value of this simple notion, my life changed.

How could a girl with such low grades in Middle School Computer Science be a National Topper not once but twice in the Indian National Board Examinations in Grades 10 and 12 in that subject? Well, the answer is far simpler than the process itself.

It was at the end of Grade 8 that I got to choose Computer Science as one of my main subjects though we had it from Grade 3. I was looking forward to learning Java programming from Grade 9. I thought, "How hard can it be for someone who has a father who mastered the subject years ago, and also, a cabinet piled with Java books?"

With lots of wishful thinking, Grade 9 Computer Science classes started. I found myself staring blankly at the board with every lecture going tangentially out of my brain. It was September; I witnessed my grades deteriorating in Computer Science. In India, we have a National Board Examination which is said to measure the skills of students all over the country. My examination was in March and I was afraid that I might fail in Computer Science!

Then, I got the reference of a Computer Science tutor. She arranged a test for me where I scored 19/52. After seeing my score, she reprimanded me and compared me to another student and said if someone else could ace this subject, so could I. I felt humiliated at myself for not working hard. So, I challenged myself and began to believe that I could do it. After returning home, I sat with my books and copies and studied hard. I wouldn’t look up at the clock until I felt the need to wrap up for the day.

Time passed so quickly. The results of the National Grade 10 examination were declared. I got a 100/100 in Computer Science; I also won a Gold Medal for that. But, after all this, my biggest reward was not the Gold Medal but the love and passion I developed in the process. I didn’t even realize when I fell in love with Computer Science- the time, effort, dedication, practice and everything else. Amidst the hard work and sleepless nights, I found myself, I found my mission. I dreamt big and worked hard for it and strived for excellence. Maybe, the journey of discovering my true mission and vision has ended, but for me, a new journey begins here and now.