I was an introvert by nature and also a shy person. when I joined St. Mary’s, I always saw myself on the other side of the stage. However, I did enjoy my classmates taking charge of events conducted at college. I preferred to help them on the backend.
“All change is hard at first, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end”- Robin Sharma
Hi! I’m K Manikanta of B. Com Computers (2018-2021 batch).
It was not until the Second Year that I finally opened up and became more participative. I started taking photographs for intra-college events, like the Orientation Programme for freshers. I also started participating in various college events as a coordinator. With the encouragement of my teachers and mentors, I also started taking part in my department’s events as a participant. In fact, I participated in all of my department’s events that year, even in a Moot Court event exclusively conducted for the third-year students. I also participated in inter-college competitions, and was involved as a coordinator for some of the inter-college events hosted by our college. I got to be a part of the student council, acting as my Class Representative.
In the midst of this extremely happening year, the pandemic struck and all of us were forced to stay at home. However, this did not deter the college, as they continued to provide us opportunities and avenues to keep us learning and engaged. All college activities, therefore, shifted online. The various clubs seized this moment and started conducting various online events, and I organized and participated in many of them. I even won in a few of them. Seeing my name in the organizing team for the events made me very happy. I got a lot of recognition from my juniors, and I had become the active and participative senior that I once looked up to.
Apart from college activities, I also gained a lot of professional experience. I pursued about 10 different internships, most of which I got through our college’s Placement Cell. I even worked for prestigious organizations like Rotaract and GECF, which were also possible due to the network I built in college. I even made a short film last year.
All this continued well into my final year, and the college was encouraging all the way. I’ve always had the full support of my teachers, the principal and all the faculty members of the college to pursue my interests and express various avenues, and giving me the freedom to learn and grow. Not to mention the various opportunities that I got directly through the college itself.
Now that I am finally graduating, I can confidently say that I’ve come a long way both personally and professionally, going from a silent introvert to an extremely active and involved person. And a lot of credit for that transformation goes to the college. These three years were highly impactful and memorable for me, and St. Mary’s College forms a huge part of this period.
I am proud to have been #MadeInMarys!