The Wonder Girl-Sophia Sinha !

Good Students are rare
Good students are remembered
Teachers often discuss about these good students!

Some teachers at Picket discuss about the abilities of a good student for a certain number of days.Some teachers at Picket discuss about the abilities of a good student for a certain number of months.But there are some students who are discussed for years. They are the role model for the other batches.They excelled in studies..They were extremely good at extra curriculars and they have made an impact in the Big World.Meet one student like that on the Women's day

Miss Andhra Pradesh 1998 and the Star Miss Hyderabad…. Brand Management at Infosys Technologies ltd,….Get to know more about Sophia Sinha, a product of K.V Picket …




Could you please tell us something about yourself, your childhood days and places where you have done your schooling?

I started my schooling in New Delhi’s Carmel Convent School. I remember when my sister would get all dressed up to go to school; I would cry and make my mom make me dress up too. They would walk me to the bus stop and then bring me back. I just loved the idea of school.

Following that we were in Pune and then at Air Force Academy Dundigul, Vayu Sena Nagar, Nagpur and finally KVP. I finished my schooling at Air Force Bal Bharati School New Delhi, though I was there only for one year.




For how many years were you in Picket and for which all grades?
I joined KVP in 1989 in the Primary block of the old building. I do not remember my class teacher but my English teacher was Mrs. Irene Paul. I still remember the fun days in the primary block. I was in class Vth C and our class was separated from Vth D section with loads of benches that would be piled up halfway through the room. We would crawl under those and play pranks all the time.
I met my first rakhi brother, Raji also at this time. I will never forget my days there. I made so many friends and some of them are still in touch with me. I was in KVP until 1996, when I left for New Delhi. During those years, I really became the person I am today and I give full credit to my teachers at KVP. I left KVP at the beginning of XIIth for New Delhi in 1996, but I have always considered myself to be a COMPLETE Picketian.

Did you like going to school then? Why or why not
I loved school for all the pranks I used to play. All the teachers knew me as one-helluva naughty kid but they loved me nonetheless. I guess the competitive streak in me also developed at this time. During morning assembly I was invariably called to give the command when the mike would not work – no doubt I have a booming voice to-date. Biswajit will remember this clearly as they (Biswajit and Krithika) would force me to scream out the command. My male counterpart was Dhruva. My favorite class and subject was always English and I always scored one of the highest in class.

Can you name a few teachers who taught you? Any favorites?
My favorite teacher has always been Vidya Maurya Ma’am. I love her! She was so amazing. I was great when it came to written Hindi but was terrible when I spoke it, but she would be so patient with me. She would always refer to me as ‘Munna’, I got into lots of mischief but she always laughed it off.
I remember this one incident, we at the Tritya Swapan Testing camp for Bharat Scouts and Guides at AFA Dundigul in 1993 and I was the KVP Troop Leader for the Guides. At night I woke up and put shoe polish on all the Guides faces. All 60 of them woke up with black faces. I could have been punished, but Vidya ma’am was a great sport and told me that I would wake up blue the next day. She immediately knew that it had to be me who would be so naughty.
I was also always getting hurt in school as I was this over active kid. Each time I would fall, Vidya Ma’am would be there with a bottle of tincture benzoin and cotton along with Valli Reddy Ma’am scolding me for being so careless yet again.

What were the subjects you liked the most?
English, without a doubt! Biology came in a close second. Hilda Ma’am used to teach us and boy was she strict and great at the same time. She had this new system of teaching where she wanted us to enact the stories in the books. I remember CBSE had started a new version of books when I was in the IXth and ma’am was excellent with it. She was so particular about grammar…
For bio we had Venugopal ma’am. She was amazing too. I wanted to become a doctor when I finished school and that was only because of her; it’s a different story I went into advertising and brand management. We then had Sudha Raghavan Ma’am for two years after Venugopal Ma’am retired.

Did you participate in the extra-curricular activities at school. Do you think all that has had any influence in the way your personality has shaped up.
Totally! I was forever on stage. Once again it was Vidya Ma’am who influenced and inspired me. The first time I went on stage alone was in VIth and I had to recite a poem in Hindi, which I forgot, and I was so embarrassed that I started crying on stage!
Vidya ma’am did not give up on me. She made me sign up for speaking on stage during Sarojini House week. I still remember it was a Wednesday and the topic area was Sports and I spoke on ‘Fencing’. When I finished, I saw her give me a big smile; that was it! I have never forgotten that day and the fact that she did not give up on me and was always pushing me to do better.
I was an active participant in dancing, elocutions, debates, etc. In fact, I was the youngest winner of the regional level elocution contest at KV Trimulgherry when I was in the VIIIth Std. Hilda Ma’am had accompanied me and if I remember correctly, I had spoken on “Quit India Movement”.
Apart from that I won many awards for dancing, acting and of course Youth Parliament. I was adjudged ‘Best Parliamentarian’ at the National Level in 1996. I give all the credit for my current confidence and competitive spirit to my teachers in school. I learnt a lot while at Picket. My zeal to succeed comes from my teachers who did not let me quit; even if I was throwing up right before I went on stage

Any memorable incident that happened to you during school that you’d like to share with us?
Yes. I was in Vth and during the Annual Day Celebrations my class was putting up the skit version of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”. I was to play Snow White and when I went on stage I had to faint when I ate the poisoned apple. I did do my part and fainted on cue, but then to the amusement of the audience, kept talking to the dwarves (my friends) and smiling!! Boy! Did I get Irene Paul ma’am, who directed the play, angry at me!

How would have the teachers in school described you?

If I judge them correctly they would call me the tomboy who would always be with boys, fighting and playing rough games on the field. Apart from that they would call me the most talkative student they ever knew. And maybe on a serious note, the competitive go-getter who never gave up!!

Did you hold any leadership position at school? Any sports medals that you won.
I was School Vice-Captain 1993 – 1994 (Old Block); School Captain 1994 – 1995 (Old Block); and School Vice-Captain (New Block) 1995 – 1996. Apart from that I was Troop Leader KV Picket for Guides for the Bharat Scouts and Guides.
I did not win any medals per se for sports but I represented the school in Table Tennis from 1992 – 1994 at the sub-regional meets.

What did you do after your XIIth? From where did you graduate?
I studied Commerce at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s College in Hyderabad; thereafter I transferred universities and went to the US to study Advertising and Media. I graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. During college I also did a brief stint in modeling and won the Miss Andhra Pradesh 1998 and the Star Miss Hyderabad but soon got bored of the make up and moved bag and baggage to Austin.



When did you move outside Hyderabad? And how has the experience been?
I first left Hyderabad in 1996. I finished school in Delhi and then came back. I left Hyderabad after college in 2000 and went to live in the US for 4 years. I returned in 2004 and worked in Mumbai for a bit in Advertising before moving to Bangalore and Infosys.
US was a great learning experience. Where KV Picket molded me, UT Austin gave me the form and color to be where and who I am today. Life there was very different. I learnt to respect work and learnt of something called ‘dignity of labor’.
I also worked in the US and that was a great experience too. I made so many friends from different ethnicities that I know more about the world today than I ever did living in India. But I had to come back! I love my country too much to stay away for too long; so when I got the chance, I rushed back home.

Tell us something more about your family. ?
My father was in the Indian Air force for 31 years before he took premature retirement. My mother is a doctor and was practicing till recently; now she is into more social work. My sister, also a Picketian, is an Engineer and is currently working in Hyderabad. She too was a very popular Picketian – Marium Rumana Sinha!

What is your current profession? How did you get into it? Do you like it?
I am currently working with Infosys Technologies Ltd. I do Brand Management for them and handle a few initiatives and my profile is Assistant Manager Marketing. I was actually working in Advertising, doing Business Development for Contract Advertising, Mumbai when I got a call from Infosys. As my parents live in Bangalore, personal reasons were important in my taking this decision to move to Bangalore.I do enjoy my work and it’s not only because it is close to the advertising world, to which I belong, but also because of the other stuff I do.Off and on I handle Event Management at the Corporate Level, organize culture shows on campus here at Bangalore and also do loads of ad hoc work that is very interesting and prove as proves as great learning experiences.I love my job but my dream is to do something away from the corporate world! Inshallah, I see that happening 3 – 4 years down the line.


( Sophia receiving the 'Excellence' award at Infosys from Shabana Azmi and Narayan Murthy)

Would you be willing to guide any enthusiastic Picketians who wish to pursue a similar profession as yours?
Definitely! What is important is to follow your gut instinct and your dreams will unfold themselves.

Thinking about it now, what do you think was the biggest learning/lesson you learnt at Picket?
To never give up! This one strength of character that I have in me is due to the perseverance of my teachers who made me get up and try again. Catherine Phillip ma’am told me once, “Nothing is impossible; the word itself says I’m – possible!”

Did you have crushes on any one back then?
LOL! Yeah, there was one!!
He was one of our super-duper seniors – Ajay Singh. I was in Vth and he was in XIth!! He was my sister’s senior and I used to call him Ajay Bhaiya. I was totally in awe of him.

Had you been in India and in Secunderabad, would you have sent your children to KV Picket? Why or why not?
When I do have kids, inshallah, they are definitely going to a Kendriya Vidyalaya and if I am in Secunderabad – they are going to KVP.
Why? Because no other school can do justice to building a strong and independent personality, the way Picket does.

Do you think there is anything that the school/education system desperately needs?
I think theoretical knowledge is aplenty at our schools; what we lack is the practical application of it. More projects, more interactive assignments, more public speaking and presentations will help the student better prepare themselves to face the college and working world.
Students should be encouraged to participate in group as well individual projects. Team building, management and leadership should be encouraged. At the individual level, language proficiency, presentation skills, other soft skills such as mannerisms and business etiquette can also be taught. Today we are competing with the world, we have to do all we can to stay ahead and catch up with competition.

Did you attend the first Picket reunion? How was the experience?
Unfortunately, I was away on business and could not make it though my sister was there. I hear it was a resounding success and I look forward to attending the next meet.

Is there anything more that you would like to add?
When I look back and think of all the accomplishments I have made in these past 25 years of my life, I feel glad that I studied in Picket. Be it modeling, advertising or working in the corporate world, I have made myself who I am only because of a strong foundation that was created at school. I know wherever I go; I will always be a Picketian. Like my sister quoted at the Alumni Meet recently, “You can take the Picketian out of picket, but not Picket out of the Picketian!”

Sophia likes blogging. Her blog is http://www.aihpos.blogspot.com/.