Daughter of school helper beats odds

Tribune News Service

Mohali, May 26

Beating the odds, daughter of a school helper topped the school by scoring 95.2 per cent marks in the CBSE Class XII exams.

Elizabeth Lakra, a student of commerce stream at St Stephen’s School, Togan, scored highest marks in the school where her mother has worked as a helper for more than 15 years.

Overwhelmed by the results, Elizabeth said: “My mother moved here from our native place in Jharkhand. Since she could not complete her education, she toiled hard and made sure that I get proper education. She broke down when the results were announced on Saturday, but chided me for scoring slightly low (93) in English.”

Elizabeth wants to become a Chartered Accountant since “it is one of the best paid professions” and has started preparations for the CA foundation course.

“I did not expect to top the school, but it is a nice feeling. I studied for five to six hours a day between breaks,” she said.

To unwind, she read novels and went for a run around her school hostel.

“Running helps me focus and beat the stress. I also like reading novels, especially the Harry Potter series,” she said, adding that she did not expect to get so many phone calls.