“Motivation to grow, comes from my Mom”
In our 20’s, we often think that education must be a limited process. But, for my mom, Urmila Sheokand, education was an ongoing & never ending process. In 2003, after my Post graduation in Mass Communication, I came across an ad regarding admission for a 2 year PG Diploma in Human Rights (through correspondence) from Indian Institute of Human Rights, New Delhi in a newspaper. My mom was sitting next to me, she said, “you must give it a shot”. “Only if you will accompany me in completing the course”, I replied. “Yes, why not”, she reacted happily. That is how our journey started together. We took admissions in 2004, at the time I was unmarried and Maa was 44 years of age. We reside in Hisar, Haryana but the exam centre for both the years was in Delhi. We stayed in Delhi for 10 days (each year) during the exams and supported each other while preparing for it. The course is equivalent to MA degree and it was complete by 2006. A thesis (of 200 marks) was also to be submitted, for which Maa did research on the theme “women & children” and secured first division.
Marriage in 1979, graduate & a mother in 1980, a PG in 2006 is indeed an inspiration which is still ongoing and had not stopped till date. She made four children; one is a Gazetted officer working in the State higher education department, one is a scientist in ICAR-NDRI, one is a British Council Masters (full) Scholarship holder and a Doctor working with the USAID & another Doctor working in Asia’s first Agricultural University Hospital.
She is now a published writer of five books (now on international platforms along with Google Books), a vlogger, a certified Interior Decorator, a vaastu advisor, a Tanjore painter, a motivational speaker, a founder member of a non-profit organization, “Firoza-e-shahar” Club, a YouTuber and above all, she has her own website at the age of 62 years i.e. urmilsheokand.com.
My father, Sh. Dilawar Singh Sheokand pushed & supported her in every phase of her life and today, we are blessed to have both of them as our parents.
