Opening Doorz

By Bosco Rodrigues | Opening Doorz Editorial | October 30, 2021

DBL Diamond Jubilee Celebrations

My tenure at Don Bosco Lonavala was a very exciting experience. We were always encouraged by our teachers and the Priests in charge to emulate the values of St. John Bosco. As boarders, we were always pushed to our limits not only to be a better person but also to explore our many talents.

At the end of my schooling life, I felt a little hesitant and apprehensive about what the future held for me since life outside the portals of the serene and secure atmosphere at Don Bosco Lonavala seemed a lot more challenging.

I pursued my further studies at Khalsa College and then St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, and obtained my BA degree. Yet, I was undecided about my vocation. I did try Computers, a fairly nascent career at the time and even did a course in Radio Mechanics but at the end of the day, I wasn’t happy.

Discerning my future…

I took a moment to contemplate and discern what I felt my calling was. Memories of having enjoyed being creative at decorating the Notice Board and participating in Drawing Competitions at the Boarding School came rushing back and that is when I realised that I wanted to use my creativity and choose a career that would be fulfilling and help me unleash my potential.

At first, I had no plans to join a Catering College as no one I knew was in that profession. At the time, Catering was an attractive career choice as it promised a rewarding future both financially as well as by way of job satisfaction. I enrolled for the three-year course at the Hotel Management Institute, Dadar, (Mumbai). Not having fared well at the entry-level did not deter me from choosing an alternate career. I joined a Craft Cookery course and found the classes to be very interesting and to my liking.

On completion, I joined the Oberoi Hotels as an Apprentice and stayed on for five years during which time, I learnt a lot from the professional chefs. It was time to move ahead so I began looking for a job overseas. I did get a call from a shipping company but at the same time, I also received an offer to join a prestigious Golf Club in Dubai which seemed more lucrative.

Finding my calling in the desert…

At the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club, I was fortunate to have got the opportunity to work in different outlets and prepare Continental cuisine. I loved my job and my workplace as I had good Professional Chefs as my mentors, awesome work colleagues and I also felt content with my work.

I steadily rose in my position at the Club due to my sheer grit and determination to excel at my work and give it my 100 per cent. As the years passed by, I became a Sous Chef and also worked at other properties of the same company. My job has been satisfying as each day I learnt something new and also how to be innovative.

All this I owe to my humble years at Don Bosco, Lonavala, and my mentor Fr. Glenford Lowe.  Bro. Glen Lowe, as he was known then, instilled in me a sense of discipline and hard work, values that I have never compromised upon. We were also guided to be prayerful and to accept every challenge with a smile and aim to do our utmost best. Teamwork was a given at the Boarding School and that has assisted me tremendously in shaping my leadership skills at my workplace.

DBL also emphasized the overall development of the students through extracurricular activities like sports. Hockey and Football were my favourite sport and later at my workplace, I also learnt tennis and Golf which I now enjoy playing in my spare time.

Looking back, I can confidently say that my creativity blossomed at Don Bosco Lonavala and the profession I am currently in was in many ways nurtured in that beautiful Boarding School I still call home.

Bosco Rodrigues spent three years at Lonavala from 1981 to 1984.

(If you have been a Boarder or a Day Scholar at Don Bosco Lonavala, and want to share your story, feel free to write to us at borges.melroy@gmail.com)

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