MB#43: 𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙌𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝘼𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙈𝙞𝙙𝙙𝙡𝙚-𝘾𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙨 𝙇𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙘𝙮.

[MemoirBlogthon#43] For my father, professional success in a middle-class family was built on two elements: relentless self-improvement and the proud display of one's academic journey. It wasn't until I salvaged his documents late in his life that I fully realized the astonishing depth of his lifelong commitment to learning and professional excellence.

MB#43: This is how my father used his qualifications on letterheads.

The Lesson of the Lifelong Learner

My father, Sri Susarla Subrahmanya Sastry, often instilled a foundational truth in us, especially crucial for a middle-class Hindu family without inherited wealth: success must be built from the ground up. He insisted that we needed to always strive for two things: first, keep acquiring academic qualifications and professional body memberships, and second, always showcase them in your profile, CV, or biodata, demonstrating a flair for academics. With these two elements, he believed, we could accomplish great things and leave a legacy.

I knew he was an engineer, a graduate of the Government Engineering College, and a respected member of the Institute of Engineers. But it wasn't until his last stages, when he advised me to salvage and organize the records kept in various boxes, that the true picture of his intellectual ambition came into focus.

As I glanced over the documents, his commitment to lifelong learning was beyond imagination:

His formal engineering degree from Andhra University was just the start. The certifications flowed for decades:

The Institution of Engineers (India): He became a Fellow in 1980 and earned the prestigious title of Chartered Engineer (India). He later served as a panel member of arbitrators.

The Institution of Valuers: Not content with engineering, he expanded into valuation, becoming a Fellow and Life Member, even being elected as a Council Member for the entire Andhra Pradesh State Zone in 1996.

Specialized Bodies: He held life memberships in the Consulting Engineers Association of India and the Indian Roads Congress, demonstrating commitment across all facets of his profession.

More than the degrees, I discovered records of intense specialization courses—a seven-week Post Graduation Refresher Course in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Roorkee in 1960 and a three-week concentrated course in Systematic Plant Maintenance at the National Institute for Training in Industrial Engineering, Bombay, in 1965. Even in his retirement years, he was attending seminars on property valuation.

He wasn't collecting paper; he was collecting expertise.

It looks like the quality of continuous acquisition is hereditary. I find myself having mirrored this dedication in my own life, driven by his example. From a commerce graduate to a law degree to a postgraduate in commerce, and achieving professional heights as a Fellow Member of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (FCS), I have pursued diverse qualifications and memberships that showcase my own academic journey.

The greatest lesson he left us wasn't just to learn but to display that learning—to use academic achievement as a proud, visible asset. By salvaging these documents, I didn't just uncover his past; I found the roadmap for the legacy of accomplishment we continue to build today.

MB#43: Quiz

MB43-Question: When did the author fully realize the depth of his father's commitment to learning and professional excellence?

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• A. During his own college years.
• B. When he salvaged his father’s documents late in his life.
• C. Upon the father's first promotion
• D. After reading his father's biography.

MB#43: Quote

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." – Nelson Mandela