Question 1- Kindly give a brief introduction about yourself.
Answer- Hi, myself Manya Singh, a eighteen year old BA (Hons) Economics student at Miranda House, University of Delhi. I have always been interested in co-curriculars along with academics. I am a national level horse rider and an international level dancer, managed this with Humanities with mathematics in twelfth. And this was my journey to pursuing Economics (hons) at Miranda House. Apart from this, I am keen about debating and have won many MUNs and keep on exploring new things. I have also done a variety of internships in PR and marketing.
Question 2 - How did you come across ‘Kruu maker Fellowship’ and what made you apply to it?
Answer - This fellowship was a part of Minders, wherein I was registered as a student. I used to attempt a few quizzes here and there and soon became the top 1% student there, which landed me this Kruu maker Fellowship. A section of only 10-12 students were selected for this five day long fellowship. Despite being an online program, we interacted with many CEOs, motivating and opening the dimensions of the young minds towards Entrepreneurship, which I believe was the aim of this fellowship. It was truly an incredible experience.
Question 3 - What aspects of this program stood out to you the most?
Answer- Usually if you attend the session of officers of companies there isn’t much interaction, especially if it is with a bunch of eighteen year olds. But here at crew we had the opportunity to have to and fro conversation with them. We had the chance to take part in different kinds of activities such as on the first day we were asked to describe ourselves using different words. A really simple activity like this used to make the entire session interactive and thought-provoking as well.
Question 4- How did this program add to your personal and professional growth?
Answer - From a professional standpoint, I would say that engaging with people at a particular level in the professional sector gave me a confidence boost. Even though I was previously confident in my speaking abilities, dealing with the crew's CEOs opened up a new dynamic stage for me. Although the fellowship lasted just for five days, it taught me a lot of things, including the fact that no matter how good you are, there is always space for progress, and this applies universally.
Question 5- Being a first prize winner in ‘Odyssey of Mind’ at a national level is for sure a remarkable achievement. What would be your most memorable moment from that event?
Answer- We won at a national level and were given the opportunity to further present ourselves at an international level, yes, a proud moment for me. That competition, that team is really close to my heart. It made me grow in ways I can not imagine. It opened up new dimensions for me, the way we brainstormed and put out our most creative selves for that event was really laborious yet rewarding at the same time. I remember we had to design a tiny structure which could withstand heavy weight, say around 80 kgs. So I would describe this whole event as something unconventional, breaking the barriers of creativity. I initially participated randomly but winning the spontaneous round with my team was an intenseful learning experience. I must say that I would always feel proud of my win in ‘Odyssey of Mind’.
Question 6 - Could you elaborate us on your preparation journey leading you to the national CBSE Aerobics.
Answer - My friend introduced me to aerobics. I realised that aerobics, which is a combination of dance and gymnastics, can be extremely intense. It was difficult at first to coordinate with so many team members while also excelling at this activity on an individual level. I was concerned about the flexibility and stamina required for this activity. My first Aerobics competition was at the national level, which was frightful. We had no notion we'd bring home a victory, and the overwhelming joy that washed over us was unparalleled. Aside from the victory, sports pushed me to maintain my physical fitness. Another aspect of athletics is the connections and cultural variety that you are exposed to through events.
Question 7 - Your poem ‘Birds of War’ got published. What was the inspiration behind it?
Answer- As I mentioned before, I love trying new things. So I wrote this poem during the lockdown period. I was watching a patriotic movie, revolving around sacrifice and freedom. I was quite motivated and had to pen down my thoughts. I showed the poem to my parents and from there came the motivation to publish it.
Question 8 - Reflecting back on your journey, we can say you have achieved a lot. So how do you effectively manage your time, allocating slots for every activity?
Answer - Everything comes with a prize. Here at Miranda, academics are really rigorous. From attendance to tests, everything is pretty stringent. I am a part of western Dance Team, Enactus as well as Finance and Investment College. Managing this with Economics (hons.) is actually tough. The only tip I can give is to be consistent, even if it means solving just two questions per day. This consistency would get a lot more work done. Also, as you tune into your surroundings, you learn to manage things more gracefully as you did in the beginning.
Question 9 - Any advice for people aiming to get into fellowship like ‘Crewmakers’. Any particular skill set which is required to sustain such high intensity programs.
Answer - Be your authentic selves and don’t let the societal norms define you. Internships and fellowships make you open up your personality, so just do what you really enjoy rather than competing with others. At the end of the day, it’s just you against you; so explore as much as you can. My life would not have turned out this way had I stopped exploring.
HIGHLIGHTS-
●Being a top one percent student at ‘Minders’, she has done a fellowship at Crewmakers
●National level first prize winner at ‘Odyssey of Mind’ and got the opportunity to represent herself at an international level.
● Represented and won a National level CBSE Aerobics competition, showcasing excellent skill and teamwork.
●Budding writer, she has published her poem ‘Birds of War’ in a daily newspaper.
●Presented a TedEd talk on ‘how Dance Makes Me a Better Person’, balancing academics with excellent co-curriculars.
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