Under the astute leadership of Swami Aksharanand the students of Saraswati Vidya Niketan high school continue to excel. As related by Swamiji in an email to his supporters the students and teachers continue to perform brilliantly at the regional examinations. 12 out of the top 69 performers this year was from SVN, and among them was an exception student who passed all 15 of her subjects.
Continuing its tradition of Seva and to help support students in Guyana, Surya Narayan Seva Outreach Sang awarded the Pandit Ram & Radha Hardowar Sanskriti Scholarship to Tulsi Rafena Mustapha, the top Hindu graduate of Saraswati Vidya Niketan high school. Rafena is an excellent student and she passed all 15 of her subjects with distinction and met the requirements for the Scholarship.
The members of SN SOS would like to congratulate Tulsi Rafena Mustapha on this well deserved Scholarship and wish her continued success. It is the hope of the organization that this scholarship will help Rafena to continue her educational endeavors so that she can achieve her goals as well as increase her contribution to society.
The Scholarship was provided in one-time payment of $800 (US Dollars) to Rafena by Neera Dukhi a devotee of Shri Surya Narayan Mandir who represented SN SOS as the presenter of the award during her trip to Guyana.
After receiving the award Tulsi Rafena sent a detailed and heartfelt email to Pt. Ram Hardowar which follows.
“My most humble Namaskar Pandit Ji,
My name is Rafena Mustapha from Saraswati Vidya Niketan. I wrote 15 subjects at the CSEC examinations in May/June 2013 and received 15 distinctions. Today some devotees from your temple visited the school to present me with the monetary award which the temple usually gives to the best graduating student.
I was also informed that the student must be interested in pursuing further studies and must also be a Hindu before he/she can qualify for the award. I assure you that I have every intention of furthering my studies and I am also a Hindu. My name is of Islamic origin because my father was a Muslim and his mother gave me my name. Despite this I was born and grown as a Hindu and I go to temple regularly.
I am very honoured and grateful to have received the award and I would like to sincerely thank you and the members of your temple. I mentioned earlier that I intend to pursue further studies and I have indicated this to Swami Ji. He has given me valuable advice and in the coming school year I hope to study for the CAPE examinations which are a level higher than CXC and which will assist me in gaining admission at a college. At the same time I will be assisting as a teacher at SVN.
After CAPE I hope to major in Educational Psychology at a college overseas. Those are the plans that I have for the future and the contribution made by your temple will go a very long way in helping me to accomplish these goals. I consider myself truly lucky to have been a recipient of the award.
Once again, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you for the award and I seek your blessings as I endeavour to pursue tertiary education.
Namaskar
Rafena”
Pt. Ram responded to Rafena congratulating her on the outstanding academic achievement and to wish her continued success. Following is an excerpt from his email.
“CONGRATULATIONS! – We (SNSOS Directors and Executives) salute you on being able to pass all 15 subjects with distinction. It is very nice to hear from you and to see your interest in higher studies in the field of Educational Psychology. I encourage you to pursue your selected career with the same vigor and enthusiasm as your CXC. Remember you follow the footsteps of great daughters and mothers like Draupadi, Shakuntala, Maitreyi, Gargi, Madalasa etc.
We wish you all success in your future endeavors and may Mata Saraswati continue to bestow her grace and blessings on you. If this organization can be of any additional help to you please do not hesitate to request.”