Oratory and mathematics.
To me, these two abstract topics are linked by just one person. Someone whose guidance and relentless efforts have shaped me into the person I am today. Her influence extends far beyond just these three areas. My neighbor, teacher, guide and inspiration – Ms Sowmya Rangarajan, has influenced me in a monumental way and has changed my very perspective about the world. In the nineteen years she’s known me, she’s done things which have cemented in me the belief that I will never meet someone who is as brilliant, as versatile and as gifted at just about everything. Apart from teaching me mathematics outside of school, she has also been a critical evaluator of all my speeches and has forever been a constant and unwavering pillar of support in my life. From when I was little, I had heard from my parents and older friends about the unique way in which she taught mathematics and how math was truly something different when it was taught by her. While math was her specialty, my initial interactions with her were on the lines of something else entirely.
In grade 1, I discovered my natural talent for public speaking when I put up a puppet show and was exhilarated by the highly positive response I received. Amongst all this adulation however, there was one person who focused more on how I could improve as a speaker and do complete justice to my oratory ability. Sowmya “Aunty”, as I address her, became my public speaking guru and over time, as I moved on from puppet shows to elocutions, plays, and debates, practice sessions at her house were the norm. She introduced me to the many facets and intricacies of public speaking and slowly, I became a confident orator; something which happened only because of her immense dedication.
Until grade 8, I was not very fond of mathematics. I was different from the rest of my family who were all math wizards. I disliked math and grew to hate it and was convinced that I would not opt to pursue the subject in my higher grades.
Then, something changed.
Just a couple of classes with Aunty and I discovered a passion for math. “Fun with math” is what she called those classes because she taught us about things like magic squares and Sudoku puzzles. For the first time, math seemed interesting and exciting.
Gradually, math became my favorite subject and I surprised myself by looking for math everywhere and I began seeing patterns in nearly everything around me.
Aunty was the driving factor behind this transformation. She impacted me so positively that I am now pursuing a degree in physics and economics, because both those subjects are highly math intensive and further, they bring me immeasurable happiness. She made Mondays and Thursdays, the days I studied with her, the absolute best days of the week because of the way she could make any topic enticing. She changed the way I thought.
I look up to her and learn something new from her with every encounter. She embodies the adage “Practice what you preach”, like no one else. Attending her classes made me believe that it’s my duty to work as hard as possible simply because of the commitment and perseverance I’ve seen her put in.
Not marble nor the gilded monuments shall outlive the legacy she has set. A legacy built on perseverance and on the sheer happiness one receives when doing mathematics in the best way – her way. A legacy which has inspired generations of students. Behind this legacy lies the person.
The person who awakened the child-like curiosity within me.
Few people can influence, inspire, motivate and encourage. Sowmya Aunty does all of this so effortlessly and that’s why I believe she has influenced me like no one else has, and like no one else will ever be able to.