‘Bridging management and life sciences, I write my purposeful future’

Her heart beats for nature and other corresponding living organisms that make up a part of it, since she is fascinated by the dynamic and ever-evolving field that explores the structure, function, growth, and evolution. Meet Ayushi Mishra, who passed out of Apeejay School, Greater Noida, in 2019. In a candid interview, she shares how her passion is driven towards achieving the pinnacle of bringing profound societal impact.

You incline to life sciences. How did it begin? What are the areas that require innovations?

Nature’s creation always awed me. I like the fact that something else is alive, just like the human body, but is also so different. Nature has designed many beautiful creatures, ones that are as big as redwood trees to as small as bacteria, as old as Greenland sharks, which live for more than 250 years, to mayflies, which live for less than 24 hrs. I love how these creatures function and together make the beautiful world that we live in. During my MBA internship, I was introduced to medical devices like dialysis machines and heart-lung machines. It made me realise how incredibly well-designed the human body is — what a large, 5-foot machine can do for just a few hours, a small organ the size of a fist performs effortlessly for years.

What’s your dream and goal in life?

I don’t particularly have defined goals and dreams, but I do hope I am working in areas that have a close association with the life sciences domain. As of today, I am doing my two-month MBA internship in a hospital and get to experience the amalgamation of management and life sciences, the two domains in which I have my undergrad degree and post-grad degree. Moreover, since I was a child, I wished to become a teacher/professor, so maybe I will pursue a PhD in future, but who knows!

Share your favourite nostalgia from school days.

A day filled with co-curricular activities and preparation for events was always fun. It was always exciting to hear things like: After-lunch classes are cancelled, and the rest of the day will be practising sessions for Annual Day, Sports Day, and Tarangini. Also, Class XI was the best. I improved my academics and was able to equally contribute to extracurriculars. I had my first and the only school trip in that class and got a lot closer to my classmates.

How did the teachers guide you?

The class strength was minimal, so teachers could individually focus on students. We would approach them for doubts at any time. We had a close-knit relationship with not only the teachers but also the Principal. The teachers had a clear vision to focus on imparting knowledge and learning, and not on cramming and getting good grades.

Any message for school students?

Focus on studies from the beginning of the academic year and do not miss out on extracurriculars. Approach teachers actively for studies and discuss your interests. Ask them to guide you for the future. Participate in Inter-school, state-level, and national-level competitions. Play sports and make sure to be self-disciplined and ethical.