Dharwad :

Coming from a poor agriculturist family in a parched village of Harlapur in Kundgoltaluk of Dharwad, ShridharBhandiwad could not have dreamt of having a lucrative job in a software company in Bangalore. But his determination to convert the challenges into opportunity has helped him achieve what was once considered impossible.

A fresh engineering graduate, Shridhar is now a software engineer working for BEL at Bangalore and earning a salary package of Rs 6.4 lakh per annum. What is more commendable is Shridhar bagging four gold medals for securing highest marks in the BE Computer science course.

Shridhar, son of Yallappa Bhandiwad and Sulochana did his schooling at Government Kannada Medium School in Harlapur and secured 91 per cent of marks in SSLC. He joined Karnatak Science College in Dharwad for PUC but money was a major constraint to pursue education further.

With an annual family income of Rs 15,000, Yallappa was unable to fund his son’s education. It was at this time that a friend Arvind Joshi informed Shridhar about NGO Vidyaposhak which is helping the deserving economically weak students to pursue education.

Shridhar’s efforts to contact Vidyaposhak clicked. Once in the ambit of Vidyaposhak, Shridhar had no worries over financial arrangement till he completed his BE. Vidyaposhak which studied his family background, economic status and academic performance ensured that he was helped with funds and study materials.

He got 72 per cent in PUC II year science and could get a seat at the University BDT College of Engineering in Davanagere for BE in computer science.

Shridhar did not disappoint those who helped him. Studying hard he managed to remain a topper during the course and secured highest aggregate marks (87.45 per cent) in B E final year and also highest marks in Computer Science subject and won four gold medals.

“But for the support from Vidyaposhak I could not have achieved anything. Right now I have some loans to be cleared and soon I want to start donating to Vidyaposhak,” Shridhar said.

Shridhar wants to do his MTech and help the needy.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> City> Hubli / by Gururaj Jamkhandi, TNN / Dharwad, April 01st, 2013