Quitting is easy, perseverance initially hard but sweeter at the end

My Vedic Vidyalay Journey
 

Hello, my name is Jennessa Raval and I am currently a Vedic Math teacher. This is my third year teaching, but my journey with Vedic Vidyalay started 6 years ago, in second grade. I started as the youngest student in the class taking Vedic Math Foundation. As I advanced to the next level, no words could describe how excited I was. Then, the struggles began. I managed to pass Level One with some extra help and hard work. Level 2, on the other hand, almost made me drop out. I tried my best, but as one of the youngest students, I could not understand what we were learning. No matter how many times I went through it at home, I was still confused. The class was also dysfunctional, and I was struggling to see if it would be useful at all. Let me tell you, hard work does pay off. I retook Level 2, and worked hard in Level 3. The key to success is practice. Attending classes every week, doing the homework, and most of all, having fun in class. That’s how you pass.

    Years later, I am extremely thankful to be part of the Vedic Vidyalay community. Not only do I volunteer as a teacher, and have been for the past 2 years, but I’ve also gotten rewards from my work. As of now, I’ve gotten one Bronze Presidential Award through my volunteer work, and I will soon be receiving a Gold Presidential Award. I’ve also been given memories: memories of Vedic Vidyalay events, my students from previous classes, and my most favorite memories, seeing the results of dedication.

    Through my volunteer hours with Vedic Vidyalay I also won a $5,000.00 scholarship and an award called the Invisalign ChangeMakers Scholarship. I received a glass award along with a $5000 scholarship. Because of the classes I taught at Vedic Vidyalay and the experience I’ve gotten through the network, I was one of the 100 winners for the nation-wide scholarship. Seeing all of my success makes me realize that the struggle was more than worth it. Vedic Vidyalay was one of the best opportunities I have ever gotten, and I am more than grateful to be considered part of their organization.