A role model is a person you look up to and follow. He or she might be someone who excels in studies or sports, has an inspiring personality, is street smart and so on.

Youngsters mostly emulate their siblings, teachers, parents, actors or sportspersons. They follow their dressing style, way of speaking, walking and other mannerisms, which enables them to be identified among their social circle as a carbon copy of their role model.

I have not one, but many role models, who have influenced me in different ways. My grandfather is in his 70s, but young at heart. He follows a healthy lifestyle, goes for cycling and morning walks and is fit as a fiddle.

Next are my parents and teachers, who always encourage me to dream big and never give up. Whenever I am upset, I think of my parents’ golden words: “Honour your commitments and be good to everyone but don’t expect the same from others. Value your life and enjoy it to the fullest.”

Author Chetan Bhagat has also influenced me, although I have never met him. I have read all his books and regularly follow his columns in an English newspaper, which have motivated me to nurture the writer in me.

Finally, I wish to admit that I am the role model for myself, though I don’t consider myself to be superior. I just want to be a person who achieves something big, like becoming a successful doctor and writer, so that others look up to me and try to emulate my achievements.

Swati Suman Jena

Class X, Deepika English Medium School, Rourkela

MY TAKE

The beautiful spring

The path of mossy ground nestled

in between maternal hedgerows,

That overgrew atop, dimming down

Arrangement of flowers turned into an explosion of colours and a limitless exploration of creativity at the “Art from our Heart — Family Flower Fiesta” organised by the Sai International School, Bhubaneswar, last week. More than 150 students from Kindergarten to Class III, along with their parents, took part in the floral art competition, which blended the essence of nature with aesthetics and creativity. “The competition gave the participants scope to experiment and develop their own style of presentation, be it traditional or modern, while accommodating the innocent ideas of their children. Each piece of art was distinct from the other,” said school chairman Bijoy Kumar Sahoo. Pratyay Kumar Sahu, a student of KG-I, was adjudged the winner of the competition while Abhipsa Priyadarshini of KG-II won the second prize. B.K. Rakul of Class I bagged the third prize and Dibyaranjan Sahu from KG-I won a consolation award. Principal Arun Prakash, trustee Silpi Sahoo and academician Kenneth Joshua, the chief guest for the occasion, gave away the certificates to the winners and other participants. Telegraph picture

The brilliance

of the day.

Embosomed,

a calm-cool vision;

Abstract takes

of nature, in

leaf-spattered

green shades;

Stem-speckled brown hues;

Shards of sunlight

percolating

through the random flaws to up

glittering sprites upon the leaves. And avian chatter bounced along the burrow, smattered by the crosstalk of

busybody insects; but outside the green comfort zone, other worlds of other sounds of other life

otherwise gave

a hint of other dozy things going on.

Hawthorn filled the air, Filled the nose,

Filled the head;

Pungency had

overpowered all.

Gave the

late-spring-early-

summer haze.

Here and there

a break of colour:

Odd bluebells

escapees from

nearby woods

Blue-blushing

bell faces

glancing down,

Aware of their

erectness in the stem; the flaming wing of red

admirals broke through a hedge hole to break up the calm backdrop,

While flitting blue tits gave to

greater-bodied

animation.

Nature’s warm

narration; the

undertones of life.

Sumit Kumar Naik

Class V

St. Paul’s School, Rourkela