“I am proud to call myself a teacher today,” Soni says with a smile that carries both relief and pride. At just 19, she has started her first job as a Pre-Primary Teacher at Amity International School, standing tall in front of children who look up to her.
The road here was not easy. Growing up in Gomtinagar, Lucknow, in a family of six with her father farming and her mother managing the home, life was simple but often uncertain. After finishing her 12th in the Arts stream, Soni felt lost, with little confidence and no idea of what her future could be.
“Then I found Lighthouse. A friend took me there, and honestly, it changed everything,” she shares. “The Foundation Course gave me confidence I never had before, and the ECCE course helped me discover my creativity and purpose.
“It didn’t feel like classes, it felt like someone constantly telling me, ‘Try again, you can do this.’ One day we did this exercise where we had to imagine our future, and I saw myself so clearly standing in front of a class. Today, that vision has come true. Yes, my heart still races when I walk into school, but now it’s excitement, not fear. When I look at my students, I just feel proud- proud I didn’t give up, proud I found my voice, and proud I’m building a future full of hope”- Soni says with a bright smile.
