Hello,
My name is Shanabi Shaikh, and I am from Pune, India. I am recently living in Vancouver, Canada for the purpose of pursuing my Masters in Energy Management from New York Institute of Technology.
First of all I would heartily thank ISACA for granting me the She Leads Tech bursary since it has relieved me from paying a major chunk of my tuition this semester. I can now utilize that time for studying. I would like to share with you all that I belong to an extremely low-income family where bringing the food on the table at the end of the day is still a challenge.
My parents have never gone to school but always dreamt and given their best to educate their children. I have 5 siblings in all, and I am the first child in the family to pursue a master’s degree that too from a foreign university.
70% of my entire education has been possible because of the scholarships and tuition waiver schemes and I have no shame in sharing this with you all. After pursuing my bachelor’s degree, I worked for 4 years to collect the initial sum of monetary funds required for my Masters. Education loan was never a solution for me since I had no assets to provide as collateral to the banks in India. So, I started jotting money day after day for 4 long years. Finally, the day arrived and here I am in Canada pursuing the education of my dream.
Becoming financially independent and successful has always been my dream no matter which field I choose. I don’t want any other person in my family now and in the upcoming generation to struggle with their - basic right of education and I am aiming to bring this change.
I greatly appreciate She Leads Tech bursar to get off that tuition burden from my shoulders. Meanwhile, I am working 20 hours off campus to support myself as well as save for my tuition. Now I will be able to give more time to my core subjects that are crucial for my career. This bursary will help me work less and emphasize my studies more.
I would encourage every student especially females, no matter where you come from, which country you belong to, be determined towards your education goals, and try to tap every opportunity on your way. As someone rightly said, “Education is the most powerful weapon in the world”. Stick to your goals, dream big and work towards your dream. I promise with time everything will come true.
Thank you!