Paridhi Verma, a 21-year-old visually impaired student of IIM Lucknow amazed everyone by receiving a placement offer from a micro-finance bank. Boldly accepting her disability at the placement drive, she said,
“YES, I HAVE A DISABILITY. I SUFFER FROM MACULAR DEGENERATION WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENT UP TO 90%.”
She got the offer of a customer relationship executive from the bank.
Paridhi’s problem was detected when she was a student of Class 5 when a number of eye tests were conducted on her by reputed doctors. However, she never let her disability come in the way of achieving her goals.
She was the youngest student of her batch at 19 years when she got a spot at the reputed IIM-Lucknow. Managing her studies with the help of readers and scribes, she cracked the Common Aptitude Test (CAT) in her first attempt.
Apart from excelling in the academic field, she also won the under-18 state level football championship, learned to play the guitar, formed a college band and even performed professionally at a number of concerts.
She didn’t forget to thank her parents for constantly supporting her.
“I AM A SINGLE CHILD. MY PARENTS NEVER LET ME GO TO ANY SPECIAL INSTITUTE. THEY CHOSE TO MAKE ME STUDY IN REGULAR REPUTED SCHOOLS.”
In Paridhi’s own words, “The challenge in life lies in overcoming difficulties and laying a successful path for yourself.”
Women like her are the real inspiration for anyone who thinks they can’t pursue their passion just because life has been unfair to them.
More power to you, Paridhi