A city school preparing to celebrate 25 years this June is marking the milestone not just with reflections on academic success, but by spotlighting stories of resilience, inclusion and belief from its alumni.
The Heritage School last week hosted an interaction titled Fear to Faith, inviting former students who overcame learning challenges — and their parents — to share their journeys with current students with special needs and their families. The aim: to replace anxiety with hope and confidence.
Among those who came to the interaction was a former student with dyslexia and ADHD who now works in a multinational company, and another who has carved out a career in farming and entrepreneurship, managing a holiday resort started by his parents on the outskirts of Santiniketan.
“We have always been an inclusive school. But what I see is that even today, parents carry the same fears and concerns that they did 25 years ago,” said Sheela Menon Mukherjee, head of the department of special needs at The Heritage School.
The school believes its success lies not only in academic excellence, but also in helping children discover their strengths and find their calling.
“We want people to know what we have achieved in the last 25 years, but it isn’t just academic excellence. Not everybody is academically excellent, but they have other special abilities that need to be identified and honed,” said principal Seema Sapru.
“When children are young, especially in primary classes, they may appear lost and parents feel distraught. But there is hope, and we want them to see that. With motivation, handholding and support, many of them go on to become achievers,” she said.
The interaction has been divided into three segments: Nursery to Class II, Classes III to V, and Class VI upwards.
Parents often experience fear immediately after a diagnosis and are worried about their child’s future, said Menon Mukherjee. “In the second stage, intervention begins, but parents take time to come to terms with the condition and manage co-morbidities. Early intervention helps in mainstreaming children,” she said.
In senior classes, anxiety shifts to board exams and career prospects.
Thirty-year-old Anok Hajra, who now manages the Santiniketan resort, shared his journey. “I struggled with reading and writing, but with support from my teachers, I overcame many of those difficulties,” he said. “I don’t think I have achieved something big, but if my journey inspires others, that would make me happy.”
The impact, the school believes, lies in hearing these stories directly. “Seeing former students speak with conviction has a different significance than hearing about them from us,” said Menon Mukherjee.
Parents echoed this. “They told us the interaction helped clarify doubts and explore possibilities,” Menon Mukherjee said. “One parent said it made them realise that not everything is as hopeless as it once seemed. That is exactly what we hoped to achieve.”