A Journey of Dreams, Lessons, Struggles and Gratitude
Some places are more than just places. Some schools are more than just institutions. And some teachers leave footprints on our lives that time can never erase.
For me, Shri Johang Ranjit Prasad Lalchan Rudrawati Secondary School is one such place.
I joined Rudrawati in Grade 5 and spent some of the most formative years of my life there, from Grade 5 to Grade 10. Looking back today, I realize that those years were not simply about textbooks, examinations and grades. They were about learning how to dream, how to work hard, how to believe in myself, and how to face life's challenges with courage.
This is not a story about personal achievements. It is a story about a journey—and about a school that helped shape that journey.
My hope is simple: if a student from a rural school like Rudrawati can dream, struggle, learn, and eventually find a meaningful place in public service, then perhaps today's students can also believe that their present circumstances do not have to define their future.
The School That Shaped Me
I was born in Dhawa, Satyawati Rural Municipality–6, and began my formal education in that familiar rural environment. When I entered Rudrawati in Grade 5, I was simply a student with curiosity, ambition and a willingness to learn.
I was fortunate to perform well academically throughout my school years. I remained among the top three students in my class, and eventually secured the first position in the S.L.C. examination of 2066 B.S.
But today, I see those results differently.
They were not merely marks or positions. They reflected the habits I was slowly developing—discipline, hard work, consistency and confidence.
At that time, our access to technology was nothing like it is today. There were no smartphones, no internet and no online learning platforms. Electricity itself reached my village only after I had completed my S.L.C.
Yet, our resources may have been limited, but our dreams were not.
And that is one of the most important lessons I still carry with me.
My Greatest Gift from Rudrawati: My Teachers
If someone asks me what Rudrawati gave me most importantly, my answer would be simple:
My teachers.
They did much more than teach lessons from textbooks. They saw possibilities in us, encouraged us to believe in ourselves, guided us toward the right path and taught us to face difficulties without giving up.
Sometimes, a single sentence from a teacher can change a student's life.
I have experienced that myself.
The knowledge, discipline, encouragement and values I received from my teachers continue to guide me even today. When I look back at my journey, I can clearly see the foundation built in those classrooms—the words of my teachers, the warmth of the school family and the values I learned there.
For me, Rudrawati is therefore not simply the school I attended.
It is the place where my thinking was shaped, my dreams began to take form, and I learned to turn those dreams into action.
A Dream to Become a Doctor
After completing S.L.C. in 2066 B.S. with first division and first position, I had a clear dream: I wanted to become a doctor and serve my country.
That dream began when I was in Grade 8.
Around 2064 B.S., I regularly listened to a radio program called Mero Jindagi Mero Biswas. One episode featured the life and philosophy of renowned cardiologist Dr. Bhagwan Koirala. His story, dedication and commitment to serving Nepal deeply touched me.
That day, a dream was born in the mind of a village boy:
“One day, I will become a doctor and serve my country.”
In those days, radio was our window to the wider world. I listened to programs such as Nepal Chautari, Kayakairan, Nepal Darpan and BBC Nepali whenever I could. Those programs introduced me to ideas, people and discussions far beyond my village.
My teachers also helped me understand what it would take to pursue medicine. Following the advice of my then-principal, Mr. Janaklal Kandel, I studied additional mathematics in Grade 9 and later pursued science with biology.
The journey was not easy.
There were moments when I heard words like, “You cannot do it.”
But instead of stopping me, those words strengthened my determination to prove that I could.
After S.L.C., I took the entrance examination for New Horizon Campus in Palpa to study science. Coming from a rural school, my marks seemed modest compared with many urban students. I was even advised to choose another subject.
But I remained firm.
My decision was simple: if science was not possible there, I would look elsewhere—but I would not give up on my goal.
Eventually, I secured a place within the 45-student quota and completed Grades 11 and 12 with good results.
I later moved to Kathmandu to prepare for the MBBS entrance examination. I prepared for an additional year but could not secure a full scholarship. Because my family could not afford fee-paying medical education, my dream of becoming a doctor remained unfinished.
For a while, that felt like a failure.
But life has a beautiful way of redirecting us.
I chose a new path and completed my bachelor's degree in Microbiology from Amrit Science Campus.
The dream of becoming a doctor did not come true.
But the dream of serving Nepal did not disappear.
It simply found another road.
Finding My Way into Public Service
Civil service was not my original career plan.
My father was a teacher, and he had also been a teacher at Rudrawati. He always wished that at least one of his sons would remain in Nepal and build a future here.
Another important influence in my journey was Mr. Rukmangat Aryal, who had taught me during my early years and later became a Section Officer and subsequently an Under Secretary in the Government of Nepal.
My father once took me to meet him at Singha Durbar.
During that conversation, he explained the possibilities of public service, how to prepare for the Public Service Commission examinations, what materials to study, and how to plan the preparation.
At that time, however, I was not interested.
I wanted to go abroad for higher studies and research.
But my mentor did not give up. Whenever the Public Service Commission opened a vacancy, he would remind me to apply.
Gradually, I began to understand public administration differently.
I realized that governments may change, political leadership may change, and policies may evolve—but the permanent administrative system is what carries the state forward. Public administration connects policies and laws with the everyday lives of citizens.
That realization changed my perspective.
I began taking the civil service examinations seriously.
In Asoj 2076 B.S., I was selected as a Khardar and recommended to the Bhaktapur District Court, where I worked for about two months.
I then joined Pratappur Rural Municipality as a sixth-level officer and worked there for around two years. Later, I moved to Sunwal Municipality, initially at the sixth level and subsequently as a seventh-level Administrative Officer.
On 23 Mangsir 2082 B.S., I was selected through open competition for the post of Gazetted Third Class Officer (Section Officer) in the Government of Nepal.
Today, I serve as the Chief Administrative Officer of Paiyun Rural Municipality, Parbat.
From a Childhood Dream to Public Service
Sometimes, I think about that young boy who listened to Dr. Bhagwan Koirala on the radio and dreamed of becoming a doctor.
He could never have imagined where life would eventually take him.
I did not become a doctor.
But I am still serving people.
And perhaps that is one of the most beautiful truths about life:
The destination may change, but the purpose can remain the same.
My childhood dream was not simply to wear a doctor's coat. At its heart was a desire to contribute to society and serve the country.
Today, I am pursuing that same purpose through public administration.
What Public Service Has Taught Me
Working in public administration has taught me that government is not merely about files, procedures, laws and policies.
Behind every application is a person.
Behind every service request may be a family's need, someone's hope, a right that needs to be realized, or a problem that cannot wait.
A policy written on paper becomes meaningful only when it creates a positive difference in people's lives.
As a public servant, I increasingly believe that the success of administration should not be measured only by how quickly files move. It should also be measured by whether an elderly citizen can access social security with dignity, whether a student receives a scholarship on time, whether a farmer gets the support they need, and whether a citizen feels that their concern has genuinely been heard.
Public office should not be about exercising power; it should be about serving people.
This is a value I try to carry with me every day.
And when I look closely, I realize that the roots of this belief were planted much earlier—in my school days at Rudrawati.
A Message to Today's Students
To the students currently studying at Rudrawati, I want to say something from my heart:
Your present circumstances are not the final definition of your future.
You may be studying in a rural school. Your resources may be limited. Someone may tell you that you cannot achieve something.
Do not accept that as the final truth.
Ask yourself instead:
“Why can't I?”
Dream big.
Work patiently.
Keep learning.
Believe in yourself.
Today, you have something we never had during our school years—smartphones, the internet, artificial intelligence and access to an enormous amount of knowledge.
Use technology, but do not become a slave to it.
Use your phone not only for entertainment, but also as a tool for learning, creativity and discovery.
And remember: marks matter, but marks are not the whole of life.
Compete with yourself. Try to become better than the person you were yesterday.
Build knowledge, but also build character.
Success may give you a position, but character earns you respect.
And wherever life takes you, never forget your roots—your family, your community and the school that helped shape you.
A Heart Full of Gratitude
Life takes us to many places. We meet many people, experience successes and failures, and gradually move forward.
Yet some places remain forever young in our memories.
For me, Rudrawati is one of those places.
When I close my eyes, I can still imagine the school courtyard, the classrooms, the blackboard, the pages of our books, the laughter of friends, the discipline of teachers and the warmth of those days.
When I was a student, I thought school was simply a place to study, sit for examinations and move on to the next level.
Today I understand something much deeper:
A school is not merely a place where we learn subjects. It is where we learn how to become who we are.
The lessons of discipline, hard work, honesty, respect, responsibility and perseverance that I learned at Rudrawati were not confined to textbooks. They became part of my life.
That is why my gratitude toward Rudrawati is not merely nostalgia.
It is something deeper.
It is gratitude for the foundation on which my journey was built.
Looking Ahead
The Golden Jubilee of Rudrawati is not merely a celebration of fifty years.
It is a celebration of generations of teachers, students, parents, staff, community members, management committees and well-wishers who have contributed to its journey.
A school's true success is not measured only by its buildings or examination results.
It is measured by the lives of the students who pass through its gates and the contribution they make to society.
I hope Rudrawati continues to embrace the changing world while preserving the values that have defined it.
May its classrooms become even more inspiring.
May technology become a tool for creativity and learning.
May research, practical education, life skills and ethical values receive greater importance.
May the relationship between the school and its former students grow stronger.
And most importantly, may no student ever feel that their background is too small for a big dream.
I hope the students of tomorrow will one day return to this same school and proudly say:
“This is where I first learned to dream. This is where my journey began.”
For me, Rudrawati will always be more than a school.
It is a chapter of my life.
It is where my dreams first took shape.
It is where my teachers planted the seeds of confidence and character.
And it is where the first steps of my journey—from a rural classroom to public service—began.
The road I imagined as a child was not the road I eventually travelled.
But perhaps that is the beauty of life.
Dreams may change their form. Destinations may change. Paths may change. But if we continue to believe, learn and move forward, life always has another door to open.
And sometimes, the journey to that new door begins in a simple classroom.
For me, that classroom was Rudrawati.
Thank you, Rudrawati, for teaching me not only how to study, but how to dream, how to persevere, and how to serve.
Happy Golden Jubilee, Rudrawati.
May your past remain glorious, your present remain inspiring, and your future become even more golden.
Jay Rudrawati!
