From Dropping Out to Innovation: The Farmer Who Became a Microsoft Engineer

From studying under a spotlight in a remote village to working at Microsoft, Santosh Mishra has come a long way — and he’s raring to do more. Mishra, a software development engineer at Microsoft, opened up about his journey in an interview with Humans of Bombay.

He revealed that growing up he was called “stupid” (stupid) because no matter how hard he tried, he failed in school. “The words and numbers sounded vulgar to me. Everyone was saying, ‘Isse kuch nahi hoga’ (they can’t help it),” Mishra told Bombay-based Humans magazine.

Perhaps believing that his son would not do well in school, Mishra’s father asked him to start studying on the farm when he was in Class 9. The teenager would help on the family farm during the day and study at night

“Our village was in a remote area and we never had electricity. I used to read under the lamp. I hated him,” she admitted. But Mishra didn’t give up his studies — a decision that changed the course of his life.

When he was 14, a teacher noticed Mishra’s issues and took extra time to help him. “It was because of him & my hard work that I finished 10th place,” he said.

After completing Class 10, everyone around him thought he would pursue farming, but Mishra wanted to pursue further studies. He convinced his family to send him to Patna, but the transition from a remote village to a bustling city presented more challenges than Mishra expected.

“All my dreams in the city came true; City life was hard. Somehow I fixed my 12th. After failing the exam, I returned home & worked in the khet (farm) again,” Mishra said.

Despite working as a farmer, Mishra continued his education side-by-side through distance learning. He then moved to Tiruchirappalli after joining NIT for his masters degree, where he also had to contend with the challenges that come with living in the city — first of all his inability to communicate well in English

“People bullied me because of my lack of English. But I focused on myself–reading books, watching movies & teaching myself English. Life became easier after that, because now, I had the confidence to sit for interviews,” revealed Mishra.

He was hired when the university was founded but received the lowest stipend of his group. Frustrated but not discouraged, he kept working hard until, a year and a half later, he found another job that involved a lot of hiking.

Mishra’s success story didn’t end there, though it was a dream come true for him. Last year, he landed a job offer from Microsoft, again with an impressive salary.

“Life got better–I renovated my family home, invested in real estate, and even married my 2 younger sisters,” she said.

Mishra ended the interview with some thought-provoking words. “Aage bahut kuch karunga, kyunki wo kehte hai na, koshish karne walo ki haar nahi hoti (I plan to do more with my life, because those who try never fail),” he said.