I want to first thank the whole WAS staff (both junior and senior) with all my heart, especially the present Principal, for making our visit one of the most memorable one ever as an ex-student. During my stay for those couple of days in Mussoorie I repeatedly heard from the Principal that Wynberg Allen children are not like the others, they are different. I agreed with his views in totality but at the same time wondered what it is in all of us that make us stand out from the rest. Why are we passionate about our school, our friends and towards our work? I thought on this and even discussed with fellow batch mates and concluded that the sense of trust, equality, belonging and achievement that one has developed due to this prestigious institution, is what makes an Alwynian stand out from the rest.
As an ex-student visiting school I would have loved to share some useful experiences and thoughts, but due to shortage of time and pre- planned program I thought It would be better if I send the message through an email later. There are few suggestions which I would like to put forward to all of you which have been very useful in my own life. I consider this as my duty and my way of giving back something to my alma mater. The biggest asset I have gained by studying in WAS are my friends. I would suggest you all to make as many friends you can during your time here, as it is these friends that you will be in touch, can rely, trust, be comfortable and enjoy company of, for rest of your life. You may make friends in college or your work places, but believe me you wouldn’t find that comfort and mental compatibility as your old Alwynians. This I say after speaking to many of my friends I have met after leaving school.
Another important suggestion would be to take part in as many extra-curricular activities as possible, especially those involving oration skills like debates and elocution competitions. By taking part in quizzes, you can overcome stage fright to certain extent. Additionally you cement those exciting momentary victories in your memory bank of which you will have flashbacks your entire life. These qualities which enhance your presentation skills and confidence, remember my words, will not only push you ahead of others, but also increase your confidence and self esteem in this fast paced, global and competitive world. Participation in Sports, those moments of victory will be the memories that will drive you when you are in the trough phase in your life or career (at least it does in my case, I still day dream of my hurdles victory in inter school athletics competition, or the cricket century I hit during school days.
Another important attribute which you should work upon is Attitude .It is one of the most powerful words in my opinion in the English dictionary. Working towards your goal with the right attitude is the key to jumping the hurdles with ease. Working hard is important, from one of my favorite movies - “Two little mice fell into a bucket of cream. The first mouse quickly gave up and drowned, but the second mouse, he struggled so hard that he eventually churned that cream into butter and he walked out.” To add to this thought, what is equally important is working smart. You can keep working hard but if it’s not in the right direction it may bring disappointment and eventually you loose interest. So work hard, but work smart!
Career choice is another key dilemma faced not only by students in higher classes but in India it is even a grave concern for the parents of the students. I assume most of you (maybe not all) have decided to
pursue a career either due to what’s in vogue, field that is paying the most and more commonly what your parents think you should do. The first two reasons are easy to come to terms, but the parental influence is the toughest one. If you are good in what you do , you will not only be setting the trend but doing well financially as well. In my experience most parents are mostly quite close to what may be best choice for you, but not always. So my suggestion is never fear to venture and explore spheres you think you would enjoy indulging in, whatever they may be, and choose a profession you are willing to do your entire life. I had never imagined myself as a Scientist while I was in school or for that matter in medical college. I kept exploring new avenues which caught my interest and eventually fell into a line where I am enjoying my work. Career choices in my opinion are not static; they keep refining mainly because it is not always that one makes a right choice in one go and also because what one wants from his or her job keeps changing as well. Having said that, what one should be cautious about is to make sure their choice is close, if not the same, to what one finally wants to do in life. This is for simple reason –to meet the requirements of the field and education system in our country. For instance if one wants to switch from medicine to engineering he should have taken maths etc… or else it wouldn’t be possible.
To end, I would like to go back to the assembly taken by the Headmaster few days back on the day our batch attended the school assembly in the Gymnasium. He talked about how the birth order affected personality traits. He very encouragingly gave examples of famous people in almost all categories and briefly touched on different traits for each. In my opinion this concept holds true for most children but maybe not entirely applicable for WAS students, as the environment (of equality ) provided to all students of WAS overshadows these effects and results in a brigade of bright and future leaders irrespective of their birth order. This reaffirms my conclusion and is in accordance to the Principal’s statement that WAS children are not like the rest. Hope these words have not been sedative, wishing you all the very best in life and may each one of you achieve what our school stands for – Excelsior.
Thank-you once again, for an excellent hospitality and a lovely cricket match to add to the fond memories associated with the school.
Anchit Khanna, ISC Batch, 1997.
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