Some childhood memories remain deeply etched and more so, if they changed one’s life for good. I remember my family shifting from Triplicane to Perambur in the then Madras when I was studying in 1st standard. It was an unplanned shift in the middle of academic year. I was an average student and found the new school, class, environment etc. difficult to cope.
It was then my parents met a family friend who came to the rescue. My teacher Mohana miss offered evening tuition. The kindness and affection showered along with the teaching suited my learning style was great. In the next few months, I started securing higher grades in the exam and there was no looking back.
 
Years rolled, and I was in my 11th standard running the rat race to get an entry into a professional college. While I was doing fine in most subjects -Mathematics remained a concern. Those were the days when coaching centers where just mushrooming in Chennai. There were limited options in my locality and commute to other places would eat away the study time. A neighbor referred me to a teacher near my home. Dinakara Pandian Sir was a tough but kind master. The classes for a small group would start at 5.30 am in the morning. Teaching higher secondary mathematics is not an easy task but my master had the magical touch to turn a mediocre person in to Ramanujam. His teaching helped to gain admission in a government engineering college on merit.
 
While I am deeply indebted to all the teachers who shaped my life, above two teachers have a special place in my heart as a #MyLamp, #MyLadder and my #Lightboat.