MB#14: 𝘼 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙜𝙚 𝙎𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙍𝙚𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙨 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡.

[MemoirBlogthon #14] In 1996, I returned to my alma mater, SRR & CVR Government College, to address 200 students on the "Career as Company Secretary." This memoir captures the powerful experience of being honored on the same stage where I was once a student, sharing my journey from a struggling MPC student to a distinguished professional. It explores my father’s principle of "going back to the alma mater" to give back and the profound shift in student attitudes I witnessed decades later.

MB#14: Career as Company Secretary, a guest lecture at my alma mater, SRR & CVR Government College, Vijayawada.

Back to the Bench: A College Student Returns as a Professional

In January 1996, while visiting my parents for the Sankranti festival, I had the privilege of addressing the commerce students at my alma mater, SRR & CVR Government College. This 10 a.m. session on "Career as Company Secretary" was the first of three career events I had scheduled for that single, busy day.

From MPC Student to CS Professional

Standing on the stage of the renovated college auditorium, I looked out at the 200 commerce students and shared a crucial piece of my history: I was once them, only a student in the MPC group (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry), pushed by my father's hope that I would gain admission to engineering. Failing to obtain an engineering seat due to low intermediate marks drove me to B.Com and ultimately toward becoming a company secretary.

This journey story about embracing destiny and finding a path through commerce immediately captured the students' attention. The students listened with "apt silence," a stark contrast to the casual attitude I remembered from my time there in the early 1970s.

The Legacy of Giving Back

The moment the college principal presented me with a memento was deeply moving. Being a struggling student in that college and now receiving honors on the same stage as a professional brought me immense joy.

This act of returning to my college premises was a direct result of my father's philosophy: "You just go around to see the premises, meet those who are working there... see the infrastructure developed, and offer what and how best you can contribute in kind or cash or otherwise."

Keeping that counsel in mind, I chose to contribute by sharing my experience and guiding the next generation. The ultimate satisfaction came from knowing that my journey helped students grasp the finer points of the CS career and explore it as a viable option for their future.

MB#14: Quiz

MB#14: Question:** The author returned to his alma mater, Vijayawada SRR & CVR Government College, to address students on the career path of what profession?

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• A. Engineering.
• B. Banking.
• C. Company Secretary.
• D. Journalism.

MB#14: Quote

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." – Mahatma Gandhi