Preethi

B.S. in Nursing

Preethi is an avaricious reader and a bright and ambitious young student. She won a prize in her nursing program, making a pillow of garlic peels! She has also developed a disinfectant with lemon rind. Preethi’s father who works labor-intensive farming jobs does not have the means to support his daughter’s academic aspirations. The Tiyara scholarship has made all the difference.

Vaishnavi

Vaishnavi’s childhood dream was to work in the medical field. She is grateful for the opportunities she has had to give health and hygiene classes in the gynecology ward and to help in the emergency ward and the Operation Theatre. Vaishnavi’s father left when she was young, and her mother works as a daily wager. Vaishnavi has a deep desire to educate herself and her two younger sisters. She is a dancer and enjoys the Indian sport of kabaddi.

Lakshmi

During her Nursing program rotations, Lakshmi speaks of being particularly impacted by “the real-life experiences of psychiatric patients, and exposure to cancer patients.” From a community known as Dalits, a word which means “oppressed”, breaking the cycle of social injustice and its consequences are an uphill battle for Lakshmi. Her father is a daily wager, her mother is a housemaid, and they are a family of five.”

Divya

Divya’s parents are both daily wagers, barely making enough to support the family. Divya says that after she gets her nursing degree, she wants to take care of her parents and build a house for them. Divya finds a way to stay positive through her love of singing, dancing and choreography. She has also learned to communicate in multiple southern Indian languages to make herself accessible to patients.

Monika

Monika enjoys listening to songs, playing carom board, painting and participating in quizzes. The oldest of four, Monika aspires to complete her degree in Nursing on a Tiyara Board Scholarship to care for the sick and her own family. Ever since her father abandoned them, Monika’s mother has been striving to support the family as a day laborer. Despite constitutional protections, Monika and the 160 million people known as Dalits or “oppressed” are denied equal access to education, financial resources, places of worship and housing among other rights because of their caste.

Pushparani

Pushparani comes from a single parent household of 4 after her father died. Surviving on no more than $85 per month, Pushparani belongs to a community categorized as the “most backward class” by the Indian government, based on 11 criteria, including economic, social, and educational categories. Without a Tiyara scholarship, Pushparani would be in danger of losing her dream.

Abhinaya

A talented painter and singer, Abhinaya says she has especially enjoyed community and field exposure in her Nursing program. Abhinaya comes from a loving family of six, and higher education is often a losing financial battle with her father’s meager daily wage earnings. The Tiyara scholarship has winged her dreams, and Abhinaya says she wants to serve as “a good professional nurse and help the needy.”

Tamilmani

Tamilmani enjoys reading and public speaking. She is grateful for her recent opportunity for a posting in an ICU Pediatrics Unit. Empowered by a Tiyara Board Scholarship, Tamilmani longs to help ease her mother’s burden. Tamilmani’s father is an alcoholic, so her mother single-handedly supports their family of 5, on her meager daily wages whenever she can find work. The family belongs to the Dalit community, socially labeled as the “lowest caste” in India and South Asia.