Vaibhav Chidrewar's story: From Pune’s chaat stall to Stanford’s classrooms

A family of four survives on a small chaat stall. The family is doing well until the business suffers and the father suddenly abandons everything to leave the mother and their two sons to fend for themselves.

The elder son, who is good in academics, has always dreamed big. He works hard, performs well in his board exams and becomes an engineer. His big American dream comes true when he gets a chance to fly to California and study at the Stanford University. Sounds like the script of a masala film story? Well, it isn’t.

This has been the journey of Dhankavdi-resident 23-year-old Vaibhav Chidrewar, who recently flew to the US to complete an MS in electrical engineering.

Vaibhav was in standard X when their chaat stall business that earned them Rs3,000 per month, suffered a huge loss and his father left home. He along with his mother and younger brother was left to fend for themselves. “Those were difficult days. I joined my mother in running the stall. I would study during the day and then work till late at the stall,” he recalls.

In spite of a poor background and lack of facilities, he managed to make it to the merit list in his standard X board exams. Vaibhav did not stop at this. He continued to work hard and two years later he cracked the standard XII merit list by standing 11th in Pune
district from Garware College.

Looking at his background and excellent academic performances, the trustees of his engineering college waived his fees.  After working for two years with an IT company, Vaibhav applied for Narotam Sekhsaria scholarship offered by the Narotam Sekhsaria Foundation (NSF), a not-for-profit organisation. The application followed a rigorous selection procedure, that Vaibhav managed to crack. “Vaibhav was chosen as he had a consistent and excellent academic performance,” says NSF’s director, Padmini Somani. “Despite so many challenges, he managed to turn adversity into opportunity. He was determined to go to Stanford only. The scholarship is recognition of his determination and efforts,” she adds.

Success has not taken over Vaibhav’s family, which continues to run its chaat stall. “My younger brother Dhananjay is still to complete his engineering. My mother, Chhaya is not willing to shutdown the stall unless he completes his education and gets a job,” says the boy, who idolises APJ Abdul Kalam.