Help 28,000 Indian Children Get Quality Education

My name is Sukanya Tripathi, and I’m from Madhya Pradesh. I have a background in Mathematics and am currently in the second year of the Fellowship. Over the past year and a half, I’ve been working with Grade 1 students—gaining hands-on experience and deepening my understanding of the challenges and possibilities within the education system. The Fellowship has helped me develop essential skills in research, community engagement, and program implementation. Outside of work, I enjoy traveling and photography—both of which keep me energized and creatively inspired.

What inspired me to join the Fellowship was witnessing the stark inequity in education around me. I saw how a student’s future could be shaped not by their potential, but by their background. I wanted to challenge that reality. Teach For India’s vision of educational equity deeply resonated with me—not just because it was about teaching, but because it was about reimagining what’s possible for every child. I was especially moved by stories of Fellows who were creating real impact in classrooms.

I joined the Fellowship to be part of something bigger—to grow, to serve, and to help build a more just and hopeful future. My vision for my students is for them to become joyful, independent learners who believe in themselves and their ability to grow. As someone who often felt unseen in the classroom, I want to create a space where every child feels safe, valued, and capable. I want them to experience learning as something exciting and meaningful—not just about marks, but about discovering who they are and what they care about. I dream of my students becoming critical thinkers, confident readers, and empathetic problem-solvers. More than anything, I want them to know that their dreams are possible through education.

I still remember my first day in the classroom. I walked in full of excitement—but also fear. My students were everywhere: shouting, climbing benches, testing limits. I had spent hours preparing that lesson, but nothing went as planned. I stood there trying everything I could, but nothing worked. I went home exhausted and
in tears, questioning if I was the right person for this. Now, when I enter the classroom, I see a space filled with warmth, routines, joy, and mutual respect. My students have grown—but so have I.

From chaos to connection, from doubt to deep purpose, it has all come from showing up, again and again, with love and relentless belief. One of my proudest moments during the Fellowship came right after the summer break, when I held classroom elections to choose our class monitors. The energy was electric. Students were excited, preparing speeches, and cheering for each other. When it was one particular student’s turn to speak, he stood up... and froze. Despite encouragement from me and the class, he couldn’t say a word. My heart ached for him. But when the votes were counted, I was stunned: out of 30 students present, 28 had voted for him. In that moment, I realized something powerful—leadership isn't always loud. In just one year, the classroom had become a place where kindness, empathy, and belief in one another mattered more than perfect speeches. That vote was their way of saying, “We see you. We believe in you.” It reminded me that the true impact of teaching isn’t always immediate. Sometimes, it shows up quietly—through the values our children begin to live by. 

Links:

• TEACH FOR INDIA