Finding myself in the world of dreams and determination

The day I woke up a little early, and maybe for the good

It was the morning of February 11th 2026, I woke up grumpy as always, not even in the slightest mood of attending college that day. Suddenly, I started getting flashbacks of the night before, promising my friends with utter confidence that I am definitely going to attend the Internship Fair, “so what if I have to wake up early the next morning, I have to grab my first internship and this is my chance” FAMOUS LAST WORDS of the motivated me :)

Thankfully, I printed out copies of my resume last night, at least some things were taken care of. The dress code for the event was formal, and after checking my closet with no apparent hints of formal, I decided to put on whatever looked good enough. I touched up my makeup, and after an overwhelming 1 hour and 15 minutes journey, we were finally at our destination.

With my friends, I was checking out different companies, NGOs and startups to look for something suited for freshers like me, and then I saw this one banner with big bold texts “PEHCHAAN The Street School”. It piqued my curiosity because of the word Pehchaan in it so, I looked up about them and after finding out about the humanitarian cause they were working for, i.e. providing free education to underprivileged children, I walked up towards their booth and interacted with the representatives of Pehchaan The Street School, they told me about the NGO’s initiative and asked for my brief introduction and surprise!! Now I am here as a content writing intern working with a team of 450+ members on articles and write ups, where every week I get to share not just the community working and collaborations but my own version and story of what I see happening in the colorful world of Pehchaan The Street School.

And at last, by instances like this, you realise that maybe our parents are right when they say subah jaldi utha karo, sab accha hoga which translates to wake up early, everything will be good.

This was all about how I got introduced to Pehchaan The Street School but the real magic happened when I started working here. I remember when I wrote my first article — it was a menace. After around 400 words i was stuck. I had the content directions but not the story. I had the contributions, but not the narratives and in moments like those your brain chemistry shifts, and then you start thinking differently. Now, for you it’s more about what the impact is.

It’s like when you are told that stationery kits are donated for the students — you don’t just see the kits; you start imagining a path. Not just any path, but the one where you envision the bright future of the students. It’s like a time loop unfolding right in front of your eyes, where you see children — once smiling with their notebooks and goodies then they slowly and gradually grow.

You can see some of them being lawyers, their white collars and black gown shining. Some of them are artists creating music and literature. Some seem to be in universities trying to catch up with the professors’ teaching. And the surprising thing which you don’t realise is that somewhere between the quiet corner of your room and the glow of your laptop screen, your thoughts had already travelled beyond words, beyond the screen — picturing these students not as they are today, but as the people they are capable of becoming.

Stories of Determination

In our childhood, we all have watched or read those stories where there is a protagonist with supernatural powers. The protagonist is usually a normal person, and their supernatural powers are a secret and how they juggle their double life as both a normal person and a super hero fascinates us. We all think that they only exist in movies or stories, but that’s not the truth. They exist in real life too, and we are fortunate to have so many of such heroes at Pehchaan The Street School, as volunteers, interns and members.

People who show up not for themselves but for others, for the simple purpose of bringing joy and opportunity into someone else’s life. One such hero is Shubham sir, the centre manager of GTB branch of Pehchaan The Street School, who helped the two students Ayush and Gaurav, achieve their dreams by helping one of them get admission to his dream school and the other pursue his career in the commerce stream.

Here is a glimpse of how their inspiring journey unfolds:

Dreams often begin quietly in classrooms, in conversations or in moments when someone simply believes in you. For students of Pehchaan The Street School, that belief became the foundation of their inspiring journeys.

One such story is of Ayush, a student from the GTB Nagar centre of Pehchaan The Street School. From the very beginning he dreamt of becoming an engineer, and when he got to know about a special academic program by the Delhi government that provides students with specific and focused guidance from class 9th onwards in fields they are interested in, like engineering, medical, humanities or finance etc. He was determined to give it a try.

He approached the centre manager, Shubham sir and asked for his help and support in preparing for the entrance test. The time was limited, but Ayush’s determination was not. He started preparing diligently under Shubam Sir’s guidance.

Neither of them had very high expectations because of the limited time and heavy syllabus, but they decided to give their best. Shubham sir even accompanied Ayush to the examination centre for support. To their joy and surprise, Ayush successfully cleared the entrance examination and secured his admission.

Today, Ayush is studying in class 9 and moving one step closer to his dream of becoming an engineer because of simple things like dedication, passion and hard work. His journey is an example of how hard work and showing up every day never goes in vain, and giving your best is always worth the shot.

Another such story we have is of Gaurav. His journey is a great example of determination and support. Unlike many others, Gaurav was not originally a student of Pehchaan The Street School. However, he approached the team because he needed guidance with his studies. His dream was to pursue Commerce in class 11, but his academic performance in class 10 was not strong enough to secure admission in that stream. However, as they say, when one door closes, another one opens. He was granted the chance to improve his performance and clear an entrance test to get admission in the commerce stream.

With only one month left for preparation, Gaurav reached out for help, and Shubham sir became his guiding angel. Through thick and thin, he helped him throughout the preparation and helped him focus on the key topics of the test.

Despite the limited time, Gaurav continued his preparation with consistency and effort, and as a result, he got what he wanted, what he worked hard for. His efforts finally paid off, and he cleared the entrance test, allowing him to finally pursue the career he wanted.

Today, Gaurav is studying in class 11th in the commerce stream and stands as an example of pure efforts and consistency.

These stories remind us that when children are given the right support and resources, their potential can truly flourish. With that, I would conclude this by stating that sometimes it’s not just about the results or the win. It’s more about the process and the journey towards learning, growth and passion.

Because at the end of the day, you become the person you are today by your experiences and not your milestones. Your skills, habits and personality are outcomes of your journey and that is what we aim to teach the students at our NGO too, that the goal is not winning, getting the first position or being a rank holder. Rather, it’s more about giving your best, giving it your all, and maybe in the process you end up getting what you want, which might not be the win but something much more precious than that :)

If you wish to support our cause of making education accessible for all, then do check out our official website and social media handles. You can contribute your services by volunteering, interning, or applying for membership. You can also contribute and support the cause through monetary donations, which help sustain and expand the organisation’s initiatives.

Please open all these links & check who we are & what we do.

Website: https://pehchaanstreetschool.org

Google: Pehchaan The Street School

Address: Indraprastha Metro Station, Delhi 110001

Contact: 097117 18972

Email ID: pehchaanschool@gmail.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/pehchaanstreetschool?utm_source=ig_profile_share&igshid=181sger2fozl7

To Donate via NEFT: https://pehchaanstreetschool.org/donation/

YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXd4gnTazJh3JugKENt5yog

Twitter : https://twitter.com/Pehchaan_School?s=09

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pehchaan-the-street-school-trust/