Daughter of a small eatery owner scores 597 out of 600

Ariyalur student scores 597/600 in Class XII board exam, credits parents and teachers for success.

For K. Aswitha, the daughter of a former ‘parotta’ master in Meensuriti here, it is indeed an extraordinary achievement. She scored 597 out of 600 in the Class XII board exam, the results of which came out on Monday.

By securing centums in the four core subjects — physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics — and 99 in Tamil and 98 in English, Ms. Aswitha has brought laurels to her father Kondalraj, 44, a school dropout, and mother Seethammal, 39, a homemaker.

Ms. Aswitha, a student of Gokilanbal Matriculation Higher Secondary School at Anaikarai, credits her parents and teachers for the four centums.

“It was not easy for my father to bear the cost of education. He had to work very hard, without employing anyone at the eatery, to pay the fees and take care of the requirements of the family. To meet the expectations of my parents, I studied hard. I feel that hard work has paid rich dividends. I cannot underestimate the able guidance of my teachers to do well in the examinations,” says Ms. Aswitha. Studying without being under any pressure greatly helped her ace the exam.

“It was a pleasant surprise to know that I have scored centums in all core subjects. I did not expect this achievement My family’s poor financial situation inspired me to do well in the examinations. Both my mother and father supported me well and did everything they could to enable me to focus on my studies,” Ms. Aswitha added.

“I wish my daughter becomes a doctor. Hopefully, she will pass in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test. But, I don’t think I can afford the expenditure for her higher studies,” says Mr. Kondalraj, who used to worked as a ‘parotta’ master before starting a small eatery recently.