GenWise, Through My Eyes
“When our interests are clear, when our values are at stake and when we know we can make a difference, we must act and we must lead”
- Madeleine Albright, "Doability Doctrine"
When I first got the idea of doing it, I was a little doubtful of attending a Summer School for 21 days in a city I did not know much of. Now that I will be leaving Genwise in four days, I want to take this opportunity to say that I am, in many aspects a changed person. In the past two weeks, I have had the privilege of meeting many people, from different backgrounds and fields of work- be it during our evening ‘Addas’ or in class. As the famous saying goes, “life is indeed about the people you meet”. I was exposed to far more than just what I loved. You do not like something only when you do not understand it. Over here, I had the opportunity to question, debate and think about the various laws and systems that govern us by understanding how interrelated all the subjects we learn are. Genwise really kindles the passion to learn in you. I’ll be blatant about it - I am a textbook learner. To “move my cheese” and go beyond just textbooks was hard. The surrounding atmosphere here really eased that process. I really do owe this to everyone- From the Instructors to the Room Counsellors and Teacher Assistants for making it possible. We had interaction sessions with the Kapil Raizada- co founder of RailYatri, Roopa Pai- the Author of “The Gita for Children”, Mahesh Ashwin and so many others who gave us a new perspective of how one’s life could be. Something that I will treasure all my life were our Bridge classes here with Amaresh Deshpande. Amaresh Sir introduced to us his version of Bridge - Hool. Hool did not just fascinate us, but also helped us concentrate better in class.
Though, beyond the academics and interactions, what I really love about Genwise is that you can just be yourself. You are accepted the way you are. The surrounding atmosphere makes you feel like at home. Over here, it is perfectly okay to make mistakes. As Madeleine Albright, former US Secretary of State says in her Doability Doctrine, “When our interests are clear, when our values are at stake and when we know we can make a difference, we must act and we must lead”. Genwise has made me believe that I am among the one percent. Genwise has taught me that I can change the world right from where I am standing. In the course of the past 17 days, I have expanded my environs far beyond what I could ever imagine.
Staying away from one’s family and home for 3 weeks may seem hard, though believe me, you will love it! One would enjoy every minute of one’s day here! Genwise is all about doing what you love, but also by experimenting with and entering unexplored territory and by moving away from your proclivity for certain subjects. In the evenings, you have the opportunity to interact with your fellow peers and get to know them well.
To end with, Genwise is really the melting pot of ideologies, academics and fun. The average student has the capability to go around asking many questions, but he does not. Why? Either because he finds it boring, or because he thinks that somebody else will do it for him. The same applied to me, though, I can now see this habit of mine changing. Genwise is about thinking outside the box. Two and a half weeks ago, I did not know how to think outside the box. Now, when it comes to thinking, I don't even know there is a box. That is all I have to say - this was Genwise as I saw it, through my eyes - the ultimate wholesome learning experience that goes far beyond just textbooks and classrooms.