Opening Doorz

By Our Correspondent | Opening Doorz Editorial | January 16, 2018

Born into a family of modest means, Deepak Sheshnath Gupta saw several lows before riding the waves of success. He attributes much of his success to the efforts of his parents and the Don Bosco Night Study Class.

Name: Deepak Sheshnath Gupta
Age: 23
Stays at: Sion, Mumbai
Passed SSC: 2008-09

Deepak Gupta has graduated in Business Management and has a postgraduate degree (M.Com) in accountancy. He is pursuing a postgraduate diploma in finance. His thirst for knowledge seems almost insatiable! He now wants to enroll for an M.A. in Economics and also apply for the LLB course before heading into research!

“We were four children and my father was the only earning member,” he recalls. “He was a roadside hawker and we had to struggle a lot. I’ll never forget those days!” Having to survive on a meagre income did not, however, deter Deepak’s parents from educating their children. Deepak, his two sisters and brother went to Shri Sanatan Dharam High School, Mumbai. Because they lived in the crowded and noisy Sion-Koliwada area, it was practically impossible for Deepak to concentrate on his studies.

Turning Point

Since the atmosphere around him was not conducive to studying, Deepak was desperate and was looking at options. The solution came in the form of DBNSC. A neighbour who seemed equally worried about Deepak’s progress, told him about the facility. The first time Deepak set foot into DBNSC, his reaction was “Wow!” Wherever he looked, he saw happy, relaxed faces. He saw kids playing football, basketball and volleyball. He went on to learn to play these games. That was not all. He learnt all about computers and even developed his creative side thanks to the exposure to dance and music. His subject-related doubts were cleared by the faculty at DBNSC. He did not know it then, but his association with DBNSC would deepen with time. Twelve years on, Deepak is still very much a part of the institution.

Stepping Stones to Success

Deepak’s association with DBNSC enabled him score a first class in the Std X Board examinations. Then came the actual highlight in Deepak’s success story—he was given the opportunity to teach in DBNSC. This not only gave him the confidence to speak in front of several other people, but also taught him soft skills like people management, teamwork, discipline and patience. This enabled him do well in his Std XII, graduation and post-graduation examinations as well. Right now, he is pursuing a postgraduate diploma in finance. But his thirst for knowledge seems almost insatiable: he wants to enroll for an M.A. in Economics and also apply for the LLB course before heading into research! Currently, he is holding a full-time job with Accenture Solutions Private Limited where he has been working for the past three years as a Senior Analyst.

Parting Advice

Deepak visits DBNSC every Saturday to help those like himself. He would also be happy to see a few changes implemented. For example, the high school faculty from Don Bosco coming in to teach the kids in the night school, according to him, would make a world of difference.

For the students themselves, he is a walking example of what grit, determination and hard work can do. Ask him for advice and you can see he is not too good at doling it out. All he manages to express is gratitude for those at DBNSC who made his success story worth documenting. “Me, and several others like me, owe everything to DBNSC. They give people like us a platform. The rest is up to us,” he says.

(From the book Forever Grateful to Don Bosco: Success Stories of the Young at Risk)

Also Read: Humanity is the basic religion at Shelter Don Bosco: Radha Shukla