Some experiences stay with you long after the day is over.

As part of the DreamPath Foundation team, I recently had the opportunity to visit a Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya for a career-counselling session with Class 12 science students in Malagi, Panchavati, Mundgod Taluk, in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. It was one of the most humbling experiences I’ve had in a while.

For those who don’t know — Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya – JNV are free-of-charge, fully residential, CBSE-affiliated schools set up by the central government to give talented rural children a real shot at breaking out of poverty and disadvantage. Everything — education, boarding, food, uniforms, textbooks — is completely free. 75% of seats are reserved for talented children from rural areas, with a third reserved for girls, and the entrance exam starts as early as Class 6.

We conducted our session for Second PUC (12th standard) Science students. Here’s the part that stayed with me — the entire session was conducted in English, and these students, from humble, rural backgrounds, followed, responded, and participated with complete confidence throughout. Not a moment of hesitation.

Listening to them talk about their dreams — becoming IAS officers, doctors, engineers, CAs — was genuinely humbling. Without a school like this, many of them may never have had the resources or exposure to dream this big. And here they were: articulate, curious, and utterly determined.

We were also fortunate to attend their morning assembly — a sense of discipline, warmth, and possibility that’s hard to put into words.

It left me deeply grateful that our government has something like this in place — a system that doesn’t let a child’s postal code or their parents’ income decide the ceiling of their potential. Walking into that campus felt like walking into proof that when it’s done right, education truly changes lives. These schools don’t just teach a curriculum — they open doors that may otherwise have remained closed.

Grateful to DreamPath Foundation for the opportunity to witness this, and to play even a small part in their journey.