This Kanpur lad is raising money to fund his studies at MIT

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is Ayush Sharma’s favourite book. “It reminds me of one of the most important lessons in my life, that I should always pursue my goals and destiny, and engage in the quest of greater purpose and fulfilment,” he shares. With this desire to pursue his goals, despite his circumstances, Ayush acquired 100% scholarship last year to the undergraduate program in one of the most prestigious engineering colleges in the world, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Ayush is the son of a mechanic in Public Works Department (PWD) in Kanpur. He was keen on pursuing the study of science in any capacity. In 2011, he joined Avanti Learning Centre in Kanpur. “He was always a very bright student. His English, given his background, was excellent. He was a voracious reader and even published some research papers,” says Varun Varma, a member of the Business Development team at Avanti.

It was no surprise that in 2014, when Avanti was helping some students to enrol in Yale University's Global Scholars Program, a summer school program, Ayush was one of the very few students from across the world who got selected. Owing to his humble background, he didn’t have the financial means to go there. But with the help of crowd-funding, he managed. “When he came back from Yale, he had made up his mind that he would go abroad to study further. Honestly, at that time, we were a little worried. We knew the fund situation would be a challenge for him. He was more than capable of even getting into an IIT. He would require a 100% scholarship. But he was always confident,” recalls Varun.

His confidence paid off. He made his way to MIT in August 2015, securing a scholarship which funded his tuition fees. Pro bono consultancy from education consultant, The Red Pen in Mumbai, and crowdfunding to cover his living expenses ensured that his dream got fulfilled. “The response to my fund-raiser was overwhelming. People that I might never see or meet in real life; they all came up to donate as per their capacity and fund my education. Besides their financial contribution which made my MIT education possible, they also encouraged me by their positive comments and responses,” reflects Ayush.

Now Ayush needs more funds to sustain himself there. Funds that Milaap’s co-founder, Mayukh Choudhury is trying to raise for him on Milaap. The success of this campaign will be a reiteration of Ayush’s belief that “despite the cynical and self-centered portrayal of India and its citizens in media, most people do come out in support and unite for a good cause”. Let’s prove him right.

To help Ayush, click here.