‘Embrace difficulties and believe in your skills’: Director, PwC India shares success mantras for students

In 1879, Thomas Alva Edison is said to have created the first commercially practical incandescent light. But, he was not the only person trying to invent an incandescent light bulb. Some historians claim there were over 20 inventors of incandescent lamps prior to him.

However, his version was able to outstrip the earlier ones due to a combination of three factors: effective incandescent material, higher vacuum and a high resistance that made power distribution from a centralised source economically viable. So, Edison kept perfecting his innovation for years and devoted his life to working upon ground-breaking research.

To promote the same spirit of creativity, innovation and talent, Forum of Radical Computer Experts (FORCE), a club of computer wizards at Apeejay School, Panchsheel Park, organised an Inter-School Computer Symposium, “FORCE FEST 2022.” The event began by students welcoming the esteemed guests, teachers, staff and participants.

The Chief Guest for the day was Mr. Vikash Jaiswal, Director, PwC India. He, along with the school’s Principal, Mr. Sandeep Singh Kathuria, and other judges, lit the ceremonial lamp to mark the beginning of the two-day fest. Students also sang the ‘Saraswati Vandana’ that filled the atmosphere with a magical aura. And shortly, a classical dance performance was showcased which included graceful movements and rhythmic beats.

Welcoming the gathering, Mr. Kathuria said, “Greetings to all! I welcome Mr. Jaiswal today, an ex-IITian and a thorough tech-based achiever. His expertise ranges from topics such as Python, MATLAB, quantitative analysis, just to name a few.”

Highlighting the vision and mission of Apeejay Education, he continued, “In 1975, the foundation stone of our school was laid by respected Chairperson Mrs. Sushma Paul Berlia, a leading woman entrepreneur and educationist. She is the only child of Dr. Stya Paul who is the inspiration behind all Apeejay Education institutions. Apeejay School, Panchsheel Park enjoys a rich legacy of over five decades of excellence in education and we have grown from strength to strength. Our focus has been to provide quality education of global dimensions leading to man-making and nation-building.”

FORCE has been a successful endeavour of the school since decades. The fest is organised yearly to encourage the technological know-how of students and enrich their talents. “Thanks to Mr. Aditya Berlia, who was once a student of the school himself, this initiative has become massive and increased our ability to innovate and collaborate. The exciting events over two-days, this year, will challenge and chisel the skills of the students. It will make them understand how a simple idea can do wonders. So, may the force be with you! God Bless,” said Mr. Kathuria.

Addressing the students, Mr. Jaiswal said, “I am honoured to be here. Technology touches our lives in every manner possible, be it ordering pizzas or booking tickets. So, acquiring technological skills is essential in every field. But one must remember that success does not come easily and can sometimes be coupled with failures. Therefore, my advice to students is to embrace difficulties and believe in your skills. I now declare the fest open for students!”

The President of FORCE, student R. Akanksha shared, “The theme for this year is retro-futurism. It was a movement in the creative arts showing the influence of depictions of the future produced in an earlier era. Characterised by a blend of old-fashioned retro-styles with futuristic technology, this theme will allow us to imagine and produce depictions of the future. This is our chance to depict something outside the ordinary and the best thinker will win this competition.” Shortly, a power-packed video introducing the school’s club was showcased. The video further motivated young learners to put their best foot forward in the fest.

Closing the inaugural ceremony, Prateek Rout, Vice-President of the club said, “I would like to thank Principal Sir for his benevolence and encouragement. Putting up this show would not have been possible without the support of our teachers, staff and students.”

Twelve out of 15 events were conducted on November 04. These included events such as web designing, console gaming, robo-wars, photography, animation, movie-making, just to mention a few. On the following day, others such as programming, interactive quiz and app development are to be held.