Guided to Grow: A Journey Through Mentorship and Meaningful Learning - Aayush Kumar Singh

Here’s what Manisha Khanna shared—check it out!

https://www.joyoflearningdiaries.com/2025/07/drive-force-behind-success-manisha.html

This is a truly inspiring reflection, and I’m Aayush Kumar Singh, Class 10 A, Sunbeam School Ballia, writing this after attending the session by Mrs. Manisha Khanna Ma’am!

It all starts with a simple yet profound thought: What truly makes a school good?

Manisha Ma’am’s journey beautifully illustrates that understanding isn’t just about getting answers handed to you—it's about the incredible process of figuring things out for yourself, especially when you have wonderful guides.

Finding Direction with Gentle Nudges

It’s clear how important Neetu Koranga Ma’am was in helping Manisha Ma’am find her initial direction. Instead of just giving answers, she offered “scaffolding”—a beautiful way to describe how a mentor enables you too to build your own understanding step by step. This really hits home: true guidance is about empowering someone to discover their own path, rather than simply telling them where to go. It’s like being given a compass and the confidence to use it, not just a pre-drawn map.

The Spark of a Dream

Then came Sandeep Dutt Sir, who helped Manisha Ma’am tap into her dream. It’s so inspiring to see how a mentor can spark something within you, not just by showing the way, but by truly walking alongside you. Giving Manisha Ma’am the freedom to correct, create, and eventually lead shows immense trust. And that trust is crucial for a dream to truly take root and flourish. It’s about being trusted to grow, to try, and even to stumble, knowing there’s support every step of the way.

Thank you and Jai Hind!

Aayush Kumar Singh

Sunbeam School, Ballia

DRIVE: The Force Behind Success - Manisha Khanna

“From First Steps to Full Circle: A Journey Rooted in DRIVE”

It began with a question: What truly makes a school good?

I didn’t have the answer then, but I had curiosity. And sometimes, that’s enough to begin.

Neetu Koranga, my mentor, didn’t hand me the answer—she offered scaffolding. Gentle nudges, reflective pauses, and space to explore helped me see that a good school isn’t defined by buildings or rankings, but by its soul—its people, its purpose, and its practices. She let me climb at my own pace, not rushing the learning, just guiding it. That’s where I found my first ‘D’—Direction.

Then came the voice behind the movement— Sandeep Dutt. A mentor, not in instruction but in inspiration. He didn’t just show the way; he walked with me. From helping shape my first student post to allowing me the space to correct, create, and eventually lead, he helped me tap into my second ‘D’—Dream.

The rest followed like ingredients into a simmering pot:

From designing graphics, writing reflections, to conducting a session in Hindi for students on a Sunday—it wasn't just learning, it was living the learning. Each effort, every retry, every Sunday spent refining my thoughts taught me the value of Dedication.

And when I stumbled, as learners often do, it was the fire within—the silent push to continue—that revealed my own Determination.

Together, these four pillars became my foundation. And like any good recipe, it wasn’t just one spice but the perfect blend that brought flavour to my journey.

“When You Dare to Dream, Direction Finds You—And Drive Takes You Further.”

To everyone who walked beside me in this journey, thank you for the patience, the belief, and the freedom to grow without limits. My Good School didn’t just change how I see education—it changed how I see myself.

Chasing questions, catching sparks — Manisha Khanna