‘Apeejay students are bold, have impressive personalities and ooze confidence’

Gomti Aggarwal has done MBA and M.Phil. in Finance from Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab. Her spouse, Gaurav Aggarwal, is a Chartered accountant who is into private practice. They are proud parents of Parishi Aggarwal, a class 5 student of Apeejay School, Model Town, Jalandhar. In a candid interview, Gomti explains why she is happy with Apeejay. Edited excerpts:

What made you pick Apeejay?

I had carefully observed Apeejay students from my locality and found out that they are bold, have impressive personalities and ooze confidence. I am also well-versed with the ethos of the Apeejay group, as my brother is an alumnus of Apeejay College of Fine Arts, Jalandhar. He has the confidence and clarity of thought while dealing with life challenges. That’s why, I was pretty clear from the beginning that I will enroll my child in Apeejay.

Tell us about the progress you have seen in Parishi since joining Apeejay?

Parishi was enrolled in Apeejay in class 1. Since then, I have noticed that my 10-year-old has become more independent with daily routines. I never desired my child to be a bookworm. Parishi has always been good in Arts and Crafts, so apart from academics, I wanted the school to hone her non-academic skills as well. I am glad the teachers did exactly that. Parishi has participated in almost every competition be it painting, poem, calligraphy, debate, dance, etc. In fact, since class 2 she started winning a lot of competitions.  

You said that you didn’t want your child to be a bookworm. Why do you think parents’ nowadays are giving so much emphasis on extracurricular activities?

Extracurricular activities teach you how to face real-life challenges. No matter what you do in life you are bound to encounter hurdles. In such a difficult situation, one needs to have the resilience and the maturity to face obstacles. Our family gave huge importance to academics. Parishi’s Chacha and Chachi are doctors while her father and Dada ji are both CAs. I hold a MBA and an M.Phil degree. However, we all have to deal with daily challenges. Being involved in extracurricular activities is instrumental in building mental resilience and self-confidence.

Tell us about the teachers.

The faculty is extremely particular about ensuring the well-being of each student. Being emotionally sensitive, Parishi receives extra care, understanding and counselling from teachers. The faculty have also given confidence to every child to approach them in case of any difficulty. A child can perform to his/her potential only if a conducive environment is provided. Talking about the pandemic, Apeejay teachers did a fabulous job to ensure that learning doesn’t take a hit. They kept an eagle eye on every assignment and homework submitted by the students, and also kept the parents in loop about the progress of their children.

Share with us your fondest memory.

Parishi won a semi-classical dance competition in class 2. She put her heart and soul into the competition and to see her effort being rewarded gave me immense joy and happiness.