Having graduated in Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering, Lucknow-born Divyansha Kumar joined Accenture Pvt. Ltd, Bangalore as an Associate Software Engineer. Kumar, however, soon realised that her true potential lay in the development sector so she decided to hone her capabilities by doing a management degree from an institute with good credentials in that area.

Scanning the various Business Schools in and around Lucknow, Kumar zeroed in on the Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow for a variety of reasons. “I had heard about the opportunities that Jaipuria Lucknow provided its students; about its excellent faculty and the programs it offered that were equivalent to any top B-school in India. I also discovered that the return on investment in terms of placements is among the best in India,” she says adding that her research left her with no doubt that this was the Business School for her.

Currently pursuing her PGDM, (batch of 2015-17), Kumar says that her experience at the Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow has been enriching to say the least. “My first semester provided me with a plethora of opportunities. The faculty is one of the best I’ve come across and the various programs like Mentorship, and the Management Training Program among others have helped me groom my skills and personality,” she says. Kumar stresses that she is keen on exploring Finance and Operations along with Marketing. “Earlier if anyone told me to take up Finance I would have probably laughed but now I’m confident all because of the pedagogy, the faculty and the Institute,” she says.

Jaipuria, Lucknow has always been known for its friendly environment – a fact that all the graduates and students reinforce. Kumar is no different. “The Institute is very ‘student-friendly’ and the seniors are very helpful,” she says. In fact she goes on to add that the Director personally ensured that every student in Kumar’s team was given an equal platform to showcase his or her talent. “Dr M Ashraf Rizvi, our Director, also started monthly meetings with every learning team – a forum where students air their college-related problems. Queries relating to academics, pedagogy, curriculum, mess food and so on are discussed and appropriate action is taken immediately. This has created an open environment not only for the faculty but for the students as well and has enforced a proper constructive feedback system,” she adds.

The faculty at the Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow says Kumar pays “individual attention to each student apart from which a new and helpful initiative has been taken where all the lectures are recorded and are available for students to view online in case they’ve missed something during the lectures.”

Professor (Dr.) Reena Agrawal is her mentor and favourite faculty – as Kumar puts it, “She is a combination of a guide, teacher and friend.” All these factors have helped Kumar to augment her learning experience. “I’ve come first in my section in the last two trimesters, I’ve learnt to lead and work in a team, as we are assigned teams for our projects and assignments during every trimester,” she elaborates. “I’ve imbibed the importance of coordination and effective communication. I’m not afraid to take initiatives anymore as I know that help is always at hand. I’ve also learnt to judge my potential and to say no when I know that I won’t be up to a task.”

However, it’s not ‘all work and no play’ at Jaipuria, Lucknow. Extra-curricular activities form a healthy part of life on campus and Kumar is Junior Coordinator of the Social Responsibility Committee. She won first prize in the Business Orientation Program and a prize in ‘Build from Scrap’ which tests a student’s cognitive skills. She’s also participated and won various prizes in activities conducted “throughout our curriculum like Nukkad Natak, Act and React.”

This Scorpio lady dreams of travelling in a world where no one is deprived of education. And working towards her dream of entering the academic world she says, “I’m part of an NGO-‘Project Khel’ which teaches life skills to the less privileged through experiential education. The strengths I’ve acquired at the Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow, like confidence, communication, problem solving and leadership are sure to help me achieve my goal.”

Her mentor, Dr Reena Agrawal affirms what Kumar says about herself, “Divyansha has empathy for her friends, family, faculty and colleagues. She spends quality time in teaching the under privileged and has also been able to do well in academics. I have seen her grow in confidence and participate in different initiatives. She has thus been able to maintain a healthy work-life balance at Jaipuria.”