Suwash Khatri (Bachelor in Computer Science & IT)

Second Cohort

Suwash is a talented young man who has faced difficult odds in his journey for better opportunities through education. His father works as a driver, but is only hired for short term contracts. Because of the nature of his job, he sometimes remains unemployed for long stretches of time. His mother runs a small roadside stall selling cigarettes to keep the family afloat. However, Suvash draws strength from his economic situation and wants to pursue a better life for himself.

Suwash was awarded a Samaanta fellowship in 2013, and he completed his secondary schooling at GEMS school. He is a fast-learner, as he has never owned a computer but he taught himself to use one in three months by using a public desktop in his hostel. He is determined to excel in his new environment, and his combination of hope, expectation and will-power to succeed are exemplary.

Suwash wants to study Science and go on to pursue a degree in electrical engineering. He has always been interested in electrical appliances, and he enjoys playing with light bulbs at his house. He also helps out his parents at home whenever he can, and enjoys watching movies and hiking.

In 2014, Suwash applied for a United World Colleges (UWC) scholarship to enrol in a two year International Baccalaureate (IB) course. Although he did not get the scholarship, he impressed the selection committee so much that they recommended him to attend a summer school. With help from Peter Sutoris, a UWC alum, Suwash was accepted to attend a UWC-approved summer course in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Academia Internacional awarded him a scholarship that covered all his expenses in Mexico, and Samaanta Foundation raised the funds to cover the associated costs of his trip. He thus became the first person in his family to get a passport, fly internationally (first to Delhi and then to Mexico via Germany), and become a part of this global meeting. He got to participate in many new activities such as kayaking, ATV riding, bird watching, rock climbing and sightseeing around Colonial Mexico. He also got a taster of carrying out independent research (on migration) and presenting to an audience. In his own words, this was a life-changing experience for him.