Swathi M G

Sports Council Member, IIM Calcutta

When I had joined one of the top engineering institutes of Bangalore, BNMIT, things weren’t smooth because of two reasons.

The demise of my father, leaving behind my mother and two younger siblings, and the inability to gel with a city like Bangalore. Fortunately, I came across Katalyst at one of the toughest times of my life.

The program manager and my mentors made Katalyst a second home for me. It was their selfless support and down-to-earth nature that helped me bag the ‘Ideal Mentee’ award in the Katalyst Annual Convention. To me, Goa conventions were not just an annual Katalyst meet, but a benchmark for the life I wanted to lead.

I wanted to pursue higher studies but being the sole earner of my family, I had to hold on to my job. After working for two years at Accenture, I decided to attempt CAT. I had to juggle around 10-12 hrs of work, 2 hrs of travel, and 6 hours of study every day. Although it seemed too draining, the dream of pursuing an MBA from one of the country’s premier B-Schools kept me going. I now study at the IIM, Calcutta.

It’s not the destination but the journey that makes one more resilient, and stand out in a crowd. I’m thankful to Katalyst for being the launcher of my journey.