It was the week after the Eid vacation when I received a text from my guide on a Saturday regarding a poster presentation competition at Osmania University. She had already registered my name and informed me that I would be representing our college there. The competition was scheduled for Monday.
Honestly, I did not feel ready at that moment. However, I resolved to do it for the sake of my guide and my HOD. After she explained the details, I went to college the next day, where my professor helped me rehearse the presentation.
When my friends and I arrived at the university on Monday, we got to know that the poster presentations had been rescheduled for Tuesday. This gave me an extra day to prepare. On Tuesday, we returned to the university, and after a long wait, we were told the competition would start after lunch.
My turn finally came around 4:00 PM. I presented my poster, explained my research thoroughly, and detailed how the study was carried out. Seeing the high quality of the other presentations, I felt a bit discouraged and worried that I might not win. My biggest concern was letting down my guide and HOD after all the hard work they had put into preparing me.
As the competitions concluded, an announcement was made that the winners should stay behind to receive their mementos and prizes. We were actually just about to leave when I heard my name called. To my absolute surprise, I had won 1st place.
We stayed to receive the certificate and cash prize. It was a proud moment to represent my college so successfully. I was mostly glad that my guide’s and HOD’s efforts had not gone in vain. This experience made me realize that while we may not always believe in ourselves, the people around us often recognize our potential and see the winner in us long before we do.
Have you ever surprised yourself by winning when you least expected to?