‘I miss the special bond with my school teachers’

She has trained over 900 girls in self-defense and is the Brand Ambassador of बेटी बचाओ बेटी पढ़ाओ scheme initiated by the government. She is also the Brand Ambassador of Maharani Lakshmi Bai Brigade which aims for girls’ empowerment. She is privileged to be a lifetime member of the Red Cross Society. If this was not enough, in her sports career, she has earned 91 Gold, 10 Silver, and 9 Bronze medals at the International, national, state, and district-level championships in Taekwondo.

A true patriot, this alumna of Apeejay School Faridabad in Sector 15 wants to serve her country and sit for the Civil Services exam. Meet Yashika Khurana, a first-year Gargi College student holding the DAN 2 Black Belt. But her list of accomplishments doesn’t end here. She has over 25 letters of recommendation for her contribution to society; at the international level, she has participated in over 11 events in places like Jordan, Vietnam, and Malaysia to name a few. To list all her accomplishments, it will require at least 10 pages!

In a candid interview, Yashika, who recently won a bronze medal at the All India Inter-University Tournament for Taekwondo, talks about how she misses the school and the bond she shared with the teachers there.

Tell us a little about yourself.

At present, I am pursuing a BA in Political Science Honours at Gargi College, University of Delhi. I will be going to the second year soon. Since I will be taking the Civil Services exam, I decided to pursue Humanities in class XI and now Pol Sc in graduation. It just makes it easy when you sit for a competitive exam like the UPSC.

Can you tell us a bit about your school life? Were you there from nursery?

I joined my school in class II and even though it has been a year since I left, there is not even a single day when I don’t miss my school days. The school provided an encouraging environment for all students, with cooperative teachers, making my school days some of the best memories of my life. More so, since I was also the School Captain (from my batch). Each memory that I have here is something that I will cherish.

You mentioned being a school captain. What did you learn from this leadership role?

As head girl, I learnt about guiding and encouraging our juniors and working together with teachers. I also learnt major leadership skills through this role. These skills are coming in handy now that I am in college and my various capacities as a Brand Ambassador.

You are also an international Taekwondo player. How did you get interested in Taekwondo?

I started learning Taekwondo at my school and then took private classes, gradually increasing my participation in various levels of competition.

Do you prefer school life or college life?

It has to be school hands down. I miss the special bond with teachers from my school days, which is different from the relationships in college. Also, I was at Apeejay since class II, you make so many friends and you live in a carefree environment. The school teaches you so many things and gives you a sense of belonging. My school played a big role in my personality development, helping me transition from being introverted to becoming more interactive and friendly.