Auto driver’s daughter studying in govt school among Chennai’s toppers

Chennai: For years, V Sandhya, a commerce student of Govt Girls Higher Secondary School Ashok Nagar, watched her father R Saravanan, an autorickshaw-driver, stretch every rupee to keep the family afloat. Often suppressing her own needs, Sandhya sought help from relatives and friends to buy books so that she doesn't ‘burden' her father. On Friday, Sandhya, 17, turned those struggles into triumph, scoring 595 out of 600 in the Class XII board examinations and also emerged as one of the highest scorers in the city. Elated and emotional, Sandhya credited her parents and teachers for her success. "I promised myself I would not use the phone and log onto social media except for checking academic updates sent by school and my teachers on WhatsApp. My score is higher than what I expected as I had only between 570 and 580 in my revision exams. I want to thank my Tamil teacher who treated me like her own daughter," she said. With three centums — in accountancy, commerce and economics — Sandhya now wants to shift her focus on a foundation course in Chartered Accountancy that she has enrolled in. Saravanan is equally elated at his daughter's success. "I couldn't afford her education fees after she completed Class X. Her school, which was govt-aided, offers Class XI and XII under a private curriculum. So I admitted her to this govt school. My daughter scored 464/500 in Class X and she decided to pursue commerce. The teachers at her school have been very supportive," said Saravanan, who earns around 20,000 a month. Headmistress K Vasuki said, "Govt schools like ours continue to support students from underprivileged and financially struggling families."