My Journey: A Story of Setbacks, Strength, and Starting Again.

 “My dreams took a U-turn, but I kept driving—because stopping was never an option,

“Once, I dreamed of healing with stethoscopes… now I heal with strength and survival. My journey didn’t go as planned—but maybe, that’s the beauty of it."

Like many people, I hated math. But I was always passionate about science. I wanted to explore, discover, and learn more—so naturally, my dream was to become a doctor. That dream led me to choose BiPC in intermediate. I gave it my best, preparing hard for EAMCET and NEET. I qualified, but I didn’t get into MBBS. Still, I wasn’t ready to give up. I looked at other specializations, but unfortunately, my family didn’t support those decisions.

So, I chose B. Pharmacy.

Once again, I set high standards for myself and pushed forward. But college life wasn’t easy. I ended up around the wrong people, went through a lot of emotional stress, and felt isolated for a long time. Eventually, I pulled myself up, changed my routine, and started fresh. I made good friends and things were going smoothly... until the pandemic hit.

It was a huge loss, especially for students in scientific fields like pharmacy. There were no openings for freshers. I didn’t sit idle though—I started learning about Pharmacovigilance and SAS. But still, no job opportunities came. One full year passed, with increasing pressure from my family to start earning.

That’s when I chose to go for any job that could help me support myself. I started working as a Research Analyst. While working, I also prepared for abroad studies—gave my IELTS and GRE. But that part of my life turned into one of the biggest setbacks. I used up all my parents’ savings and still got my visa rejected—twice.

I smiled like nothing happened, but deep down, I was broken. I cried alone at night, not even in front of my best friend, even though she stood by me through everything.

Then, my first office shut down after just 8 months. I was jobless again.

I took up a Process Associate role next. My thought was, “Maybe I can work and study together.” But life doesn’t always go with our plans. As workload increased, so did my stress and health issues. I started tutoring kids as a second job. I applied for a third visa—again, rejected.

But that rejection turned out to be a strange blessing. I developed a severe blood infection (abscesses) in my thighs which turned septic. I had to undergo surgery, and later, I was diagnosed with lymphedema—a condition I’m still managing today.

Despite my health, I kept working and tried pursuing higher studies and PV jobs—but no luck. I finally got into iSpace. I was still recovering, still pushing myself, still studying. I gave my CPC exam—but failed.

That failure hit me harder than I expected. I started procrastinating badly, couldn’t even open my books. I felt stuck.

But then I asked myself: Why am I ignoring the work I’ve already done well? Why am I running behind things that never worked out, when I excelled in areas without even trying so hard?

That thought gave me clarity.

Maybe I’m meant for something else—something that uses my strengths. I realized I was naturally growing in my process-related roles. That’s what gave me the confidence to look at a career in Business or Healthcare Analysis. I decided to use everything I’ve learned, every failure, every job, and build from there.

The past 5 years have been full of ups and downs, health issues, heartbreaks, rejections, and survival. But also—growth. Maturity. Clarity.

This year, I hope, is the turning point.

Not because I expect life to be easy,

But because I’m finally walking in the direction that feels right.