Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam – The Dream Follower | Talk by Sreepad S | Holy Grace Academy
Dream, Dream, Dream Dreams transform into thoughts and thoughts result in action. Very good morning to all I am Sreepad S, studying in Holy grace Academy, Mala in 3rd standard. Here I would like to share an inspiring life incident from the life of a great personality Dr.A P J Abdul Kalam, whose space can never be filled. The incident tells about how to shape grate scientific minds through unforgettable experiences; how Dr.Kalam succeeded in designing a fighter jet when he was a young boy; how he started his career by designing a small helicopter. Here goes his narration. As a young boy, my friends and I walked home back from school at Rameswaram. On the way, we often rested on the banks of our village pond. While my friends practised skimmed pebbles over the rippling water I would sit and watch the cranes and seagulls soar in the sky. The sight of those birds inspired me and I dreamt of my future. As I grew older my goals became clearer. I knew I had to go into Engineering to realize my dreams. The Madras Institute of Technology, popularly known as MIT, was the best institution for technical studies in South India. I studied hard to win a scholarship that allows me to study in such a well-known college. But it wasn’t until the date entered MIT that I saw my goal standing before me. The MIT campus boasted of two large aircraft that were only displayed. I remember sitting near them, long after other students had gone back to the hostel. I was fascinated by the details of the design and wanted some days to create such an aircraft. At my final project at MIT, I was asked to design a fighter jet with a team of four other classmates. We distributed the work among us. One day my teacher rewed my progress and exclaimed “Abdul I’m really disappointed with your plan, I had expected much more from you” I offered several excuses but my teacher refused to listen to me. ‘Sir, please give me one more month I’m sure I will come up with a better design” I pleaded with him. He looked at me and said, “Look, young man, I will give you three days, if on Monday morning you failed to show me better design, I am afraid your scholarship will be cancelled. I was speechless. The scholarship was my lifeline without it I would be helpless. I had no choice but to keep on working all day. That night I remained awake all night toiling on the project. The next morning I took hours break, ate very little and came back to work. On Sunday morning I had almost completed the task when I suddenly felt a presence behind me. I turned around to discover my teacher peering in my drawing. after examining my work he patted me on my back and said, “I know I was putting you under stress by asking you to meet an impossible deadline. I never expected you to perform so well.” Not only did I keep my scholarship I also graduated from MIT with outstanding marks. It was amazing to think that just like the seagulls I had observed as a child I would soon soar in the sky.