Bokaro, May 17: The best way to succeed is to firmly believe you can.

Three brave teens from Bokaro cocked a snook at the emotional roller-coaster of life to do just that. They fought every odd — from poverty to prejudice — to reach the zenith of academic achievement.

Meet Gaurav Kumar Gupta, Sanyukta Rana and Mini Droli. While St Xavier’s boy Gaurav is the son of a schoolteacher of Bokaro Ispat Vidyalaya, schoolmate Sanyukta is the daughter of a stenographer. Close friend Mini comes from the family of a small-time trader.

Gaurav saved the grace for Bokaro boys with his 96.42 per cent score in ICSE.

The teenager, who wants to crack IIT-JEE, said his modest background was his highest source of inspiration. He said his heart never craved for luxury items like car, but bled if he scored poor in studies.

So, what stoked his determination to succeed in the board exam? “Once I stood second in class and some of my friends who came from well-to-do families mocked my social status. That day I decided that I will never look back as far as academics is concerned,” he said. “Today, I saw my parents in tears of happiness. No luxury can beat this.”

Sanyukta, the fourth among six siblings, studied hard to prove to some prejudiced neighbours that by giving birth to a daughter her parents had committed no crime.

The St Xavier’s student has scored 94.75 per cent in ISC commerce. “Financial ups and downs are part and parcel of life. I want to crack the UPSC and prove to the world that girls can do what boys can,” the girl whose father is a clerk at St Xavier’s said.

Mini was in Ramgarh when the results were announced. “My parents rang me up and we were all in tears,” she said. Like best friend Sanyukta, Mini too scored 94.75 per cent, albeit in science.

“I want to make it to Delhi University and become a chartered accountant. My key to success is hard labour and the encouraging company of good friends. My father runs a shop, but he has great perseverance. He was and always will be my role model,” the girl said.