Glory Dhanaraj
email : gloryd@rediffmail.com

It had always been my dream to be a speech pathologist. After two years in the field of speech pathology I realized that this was my passion and I desired to further my knowledge in this field. I began to explore my options to obtain a master's degree in this field. Since speech pathology is a relatively new field in India, I desired to take advantage of the resources that were available abroad in this field.
I am deeply grateful to the Foundation for enabling me to pursue my dreams of continuing to further my knowledge in this wonderful field. 
I am currently in my final year of my master's degree at Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, and am grateful to the Paul Foundation for supporting me through my education. Thanks to the foundation I have been able to study in this prestigious institution and have had the opportunity to touch the lives of many children and adults with communication impairments. I have had the opportunity to work alongside many of the pioneers in this field. 
I am grateful to the foundation for having supported me through my education, in an area is not widely known. It is an area of great need in India and I desire to bring back to India the expertise that I have gained here. I am currently exploring my options of continuing a Ph.D. in the field and am indebted to the Paul Foundation for helping me to get started on a long road in this wonderful field. 

Suddhaseel Sen
email: suddhaseel.sen@utoronto.ca

From the age of six, I would walk by Apeejay House on my way to Park Mansions for my Sunday morning music lessons. How could I know then that this house would play such an important role in my life? As it turned out, the year 2003 was a year of golden chances for me. I had sent applications to universities in the UK and the USA when one of my juniors at Jadavpur University suggested that I apply at the University of Toronto. I sent my application a week before the deadline, and in a few months time found myself heading for Canada. It was equally a matter of chance that one of my teachers at JU suggested, over a cup of coffee at the university canteen, that I send an application at the Paul Foundation. He knew I had offers of admission from quite a few universities (Chicago and Cambridge among them), but that the figures were not adding up. I applied, and I got through. I suspect it was tougher for the selection committee to come to a decision than it was for us to face the interview board, given the level of achievement and expertise of the applicants!

How one copes with the competitive atmosphere on the day of the interview depends on the individual. I was passionate about my research topic and, at the time of the interview, I was able to explain fully the geography of my research area and how I was going to explore the terrain. I suppose that the ability to express oneself uninhibitedly under pressure is important, for the interview is the only occasion to prove oneself. It helps if one does not get adversely affected by the brilliance of others. Fortunately, my experience as a teacher of English and Music helped. I simply love it when I have good students, and I simply love it when I get in touch with meritorious people. At the Paul Foundation interview and at the dinner that took place later that day, I came to know some of the most talented people of my generation, and at no point did any feeling of competitiveness mar the wonderful experience I had of getting to know them. I still keep in touch with some of the candidates, and would have maintained contact with quite a few others had I not lost their e-mail addresses on my way back! 

My experience at the Paul Foundation assured me that not everyone of my generation equated ambition with running the rat race. I am enjoying my studies at the University of Toronto. The funding package, in English at least, combines a fellowship with a teaching assistantship, which means that while one gets teaching experience (necessary for the later job- hunt), one does not have to overburden oneself with TA-ships. Besides, the funding package is guaranteed for five years, as long as academic progress is satisfactory. The University has one of the largest libraries in North America, and there is the Toronto Public Library as well, where membership is free. Most importantly, there is a warm and vibrant academic life. The wide interdisciplinary options, coupled with stimulating presentations by authors and scholars, generate new ideas and make one strongly involved in academic work. Here, I am completely clueless as to how research work might be boring! The music scene has been very encouraging, too. As an orchestral player and chorister, in just three months I have had the opportunity to participate in performances of a wide array of symphonic and choral masterpieces. Last evening, as I was singing in a production of Dickens's A Christmas Carol, I was reminded of the wonderful experience I had at the Paul Foundation. To those who strove to achieve, to those who made available to us the fruits of their commitment and vision, and to those who gave us a patient hearing, I wish you all Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! To aspiring TPF scholars, my best wishes always.

After graduating in Chemistry, I was exploring the options of doing a Masters course that would include a substantial research module in its structure. This would help to gain a better understanding of what research entailed and to prepare the foundation for a career in Medicinal Chemistry thereafter.

The M.Sc. (Chemical Research) programme offered by King’s College London seemed ideal in its course content and being offered a place, it was an opportunity I had only dreamed of. The financial aspect, however, was worrying as a student bank loan would not cover the tuition for the course and cost of living whilst studying in London and in the absence of financial aid, the probability of studying abroad was next to impossible. It was during such time that I came across The Paul Foundation Scholarship announcement in the newspapers, offering financial assistance for post-graduate study abroad.

At the end of the interview sessions in the Kolkata, I was extremely grateful to know that the Paul Foundation was offering me a grant towards my living expenses for the duration of my programme in London. It was a moment of relief and elation! The scholarship had provided the much-required boost to finances that made it possible for me to accept the place at KCL.

Needless to say, the Masters programme was both intellectually stimulating and enjoyable. It helped to acquire a clear idea of the methodology of research and develop key skills required for the processes involved. The experience of working and learning in a laboratory alongside more experienced research students, especially among those from different countries and cultures was an enlightening and invaluable one. The emphasis on application based learning not only made the course work interesting and gave direction to further study but also helped prepare for and seek out opportunities after the programme came to a close. One such opportunity led to Organon Laboratories, a pharmaceutical company with a research site in Scotland. With the purpose of learning and gaining experience of working specifically in the field of medicinal chemistry, I applied for a placement and have been working with them ever since.

The past two years have been full of challenges and enriching experiences that have strengthened my resolve to make most of every opportunity at hand. I am very grateful for the vital support and encouragement that I have received from the Paul Foundation that has made them possible.

During my two years of study here, I feel that I have spanned over 10 years’ worth of education. Part of it is because I was lucky to receive the funds. But more importantly, it’s because I am not just an average student here, but an ambassador from prestigious foundations in India. This brings out the best in me at all times. I am happy to say, that I have been doing quite well here and have made some notable accomplishments within music technology. Very soon, I’ll be applying for patenting some of the software and algorithms I wrote for speech synthesis, sound design and music production.

My scholarship(s) opened magical doors for me and helped me get additional funding from the US too. I owe it all to the foresight and generosity of my sponsor foundation(s).

I think it's great to have a body you can go to for small sums of money to supplement your funding. In many cases, it saves students from taking out loans that would ruin the experience of overseas education for them. I was especially grateful that the Foundation recognized creative writing as a legitimate programme and didn't dismiss my writerly aspirations. Who says you've got to be a doctor or a scientist to help the world? The MFA programme is wonderful and the support I got from the Foundation is more than just money. It's a gesture that indicates that to leave your regular job and devote all your energy into writing a novel can be a real career choice.

Understandably studying anywhere abroad is a high value-high cost proposition and for many the sheer size of the investment deters further discussion on the subject! My family, and in particular my mother was committed to helping me in actualising this dream. But I was well aware of the extent of resources that would be required and so we took on the task of exploring the opportunities for funding.

As part of this process I applied for 6 scholarships. It seemed like the process of writing essays and statements of purpose lasted for months. And each day, we waited in suspense for the all important letters of acceptance to arrive! I was fortunate enough to be short-listed for three scholarships and eventually was selected as a finalist for two of them – the Paul Foundation Scholarship and the Aga Khan Foundation Scholarship.

The selection procedures, as expected, were challenging! But they also constituted a wonderful opportunity to meet and interact with talented young people from across India. My fellow applicants whom I met at the Paul Foundation Interviews came from diverse disciplines, ranging from Physics to Art History to Mathematics to Dance Studies. Understandably therefore meeting them was an enriching experience. In spite of our varied backgrounds however, we shared one thing in common – the ambition to pursue a degree abroad that would add value to our careers and allow us to make a meaningful contribution in our fields on our return. Besides meeting fellow applicants, the interviews and the Annual Banquet, gave us the chance to meet eminent intellectuals, professors and professionals drawn from various fields.

I am grateful to the Paul Foundation and the Aga Khan Foundation for having provided me with this wonderful opportunity. Although it has just been five weeks since I began my Masters at the University of Reading, I have learned much more than anticipated. The remarkable fact is that much of this learning has not only happened within the four walls of the classroom but also in discussions with a dynamic and well informed set of colleagues and teachers who have brought to the classroom a wealth of experience. This however would have been impossible, or rather difficult without the generous support of the two Foundations. I am grateful to them for the trust and confidence they have placed in my ability.

When I began the search for funding opportunities, there were many who said that the search was pointless and that scholarships were few and far between. I believe that it was the support of friends and family that gave me the encouragement and motivation to actualise this dream and to reiterate my faith in what Peter Drucker once said, “Life will pay any price you ask it to. Do not approach an ocean with a tea spoon in your hand.”

During that critical condition, Paul foundation has given the pulse of my academic vision. It identified my ability in my specific area of interest and expressed it by awarding the prestigious Paul foundation scholarship for my doctoral research program. It was completely different and amazing, when I came to know that I am selected for the Paul foundation scholarship. At the very next second, It turned my life into a different way and has given the chance to utilise my talent and excellence in a highlighted way. I hope that its not only a award of scholarship, its an encouragement, support of building confident and the route of map for my achievement. I also believe that this award is not just for my career fulfilment instead Its given to develop my difference in leadership and excellence in service to the society of technology deserving peoples of our nation. I feel that the change and the difference made by Paul foundation are not only for me its for our nation.

I love and admire the interest of Paul foundation on the development of our society and nation by bringing out the talent and goal oriented young peoples for the label and recognition. It also gives additional tips to individuals to think about our nation and its future towards a leading country. Paul foundation shows the dedication and service towards the development of our nation through satisfying the academic thirst of distinctive young peoples by Paul foundation scholarship.