Young Achiever: Fostering creativity and confidence through education

There is a quote by Gladys Bejani: Achievers are not born talented but they possess the, ‘I can do it’ attitude. Fostering the natural and yet-to-be-revealed abilities of young individuals is essential for their all-around growth. Institutions such as Apeejay Education excel not just in offering an outstanding academic framework to their students, whether through the CBSE or IB systems, but they also create opportunities for these young minds to display their talents. This holistic approach ensures that students can explore and develop their unique abilities alongside their academic pursuits.

Meet one such student – Niharika Sagar Patel of Jr KG at Apeejay School, Nerul. This young, eager, and talented achiever says that her school life is filled with curiosity and a desire to explore various fields, making every day a new adventure in learning.

“Throughout my time at school, our school has organised numerous competitions, fostering a spirit of healthy competition and personal growth. I have had the privilege of securing first place in several categories, including dance, fancy dress, and English recitation. Each award has been a stepping stone, encouraging me to reach higher and dream bigger,” Niharika said.

Excerpts from the interview.

How did you develop an interest in dancing, painting, and even theatre?

My interest in painting and dancing comes from watching my family members engage in these art forms. Creativity runs in our family. This inspired me to follow in their footsteps and find my path in drawing and dancing.

How do you prefer to create your artwork, with crayons or colour pencils?

Although both mediums have their charm, I love to use colour pencils. How my drawings come alive when I use colour pencils fascinates me; it is like magic. It is so nice to see my drawing come to life when I put colours into it.

You played the role of Dora in a play. Is she your favourite character? What do you admire about her?

I love Dora! She loves to go on adventures and make new friends, just like me! When I see Dora having fun and exploring, it makes me want to go outside and see cool stuff and meet different people too. Pretending to be Dora isn’t just playing; it’s like being a real explorer and wanting to learn about everything!

How much effort did you put into preparing for the play?

We started getting ready for the play like a whole month before! It was a big, fun art project with my teachers, grandma, grandpa, and mom and dad helping a lot. They were there every day, practising with me, and that’s how we made Dora come alive on the stage.

With all the stuff you do, how do you keep from getting too busy?

My family helps me make a plan for every day so I can do all my favourite things like singing, dancing, and painting without feeling too busy. We make sure everything fits just right, so learning feels like playing. I get to do everything I love without missing out on anything!

If you had to pick between dancing and drawing, which one would you choose?

Dancing is my favourite. Dancing lets me show who I am and I get to do it with my friends. We have so much fun, make up cool moves, and feel super happy together. Dancing with friends is the best thing ever!