What Should I expect more?

My parents were sure to enroll me into school, however, I wonder how did they decide with such a tight economic situation. Once I heard from my dad about how he bribed headmaster because he had no money to buy school uniform and pay school fee for my sister. By then each students have to pay Nu.505 and 20 measuring bowls (drey) of Kharang (maize grit)

I was fortunate enough to be enrolled into primary school. However, primary school life seemed really a torturous because as a kid or smallest of all, I and my friends were mostly bullied or beaten by teachers or by elders for varied subjective reasons. We would get a cup of soyabeen flour porridge as our breakfast and sometimes a boiled potato or slice of cucumber when rations get out of stock. During lunch break, we have to go and collect firewood to prepare meal for all students where most of us would get late for our after lunch class. Due to all those hardships most of us would try to run away from school or discuss to drop the school at some point of time. Yes I literally thought of leaving school.

However, my academic standings were always in either first or second position but topper’s aggregate would be in 65% to 69%. I realized that, academic standings and parent’s insisting wishes would have been the only motivations that kept me alive in schools.

As a blessing on my educational voyage, I was fortunate to get a financial assistance from Thrumshingla National Park since class 4 till 11. I would get Nu. 2500 per year and it would cover my school expenses including fee, cost for kharang and uniform.

Then in grade nine, I got ill from severe typhoid and was hospitalized for a month. It had diminished my hope of studying and once again decided to drop the school. For this decision, my dad wasn’t happy at all and objected it on the spot. He literally had to encourage me to continue studying despite that circumstances.

In class ten, I lost my mother and once again shattered the dream of studying. I became so despondent to be in the school and dreamt of becoming a monk. At the same time, that was the time I had to pretend myself to be strong and responsible siblings because I am the second eldest of five. The sense of responsibility really stuck to the core of my heart and since then I have started to put more effort so as to gain the trust and encourage my younger siblings. Fortunately, I qualified from class ten with only 68%.

Most fortunate and prestigious moment was in my grade 12 when I got selected as a Gyalpoi Tozep. What great virtue did I accumulate or what positive action did I do in my past life to receive kidu scheme right from the top? Since then I have promised myself that I will put double effort than others who are less fortunate to receive kidu from His Majesty the King.

One day, I had an audience with one of the His Majesty’s zimpoens. Dasho zimpoen reiterated His Majesty’s noble vison and hope from the youths and from the Gyalpoi Tozeyps in particular. Of all Dasho zimpoen shared how His Majesty watches national television in anticipation to see good news or stories about any Gyalpoi Tozeyps. I took this statement from Dasho zimpoen to the heart and really worked hard to study. For the first time in my life, I got 78% in class twelve’s board examination.

With this mark, I got a scholarship from Department of Adult and Higher Education (DAHE) to start my tertiary education. I entered the college with high aims and determination to excel one day down the line. Since first year of my college, for the first time in life I managed to score in 80s.

After working that hard, today would be the most elated and successful day in my academic journey. The award, my first ever of its kind comes all the way from the golden throne and it came right prior to two and half months of my graduation from college. Even though my college is on the verge on ending, I know this is just a beginning and rest would be the history.

It is such a touching and inspiring moment to receive such a prestigious certificate of excellence in academic. In fact, what should I expect more than this–a sanctified and priceless award from the མི་དབང་མངའ་བདག་རིན་པོ་ཆེ། Thank you Your Majesty for བྱིན་བརླབས་ཅན་གྱི་ལག་ཁྱེར།

This award is totally not a fruition of my hard work but of many helping hands behind it. In fact, their contribution outweighs my hard work and perseverance. Therefore, I dedicate this award firstly to my mom and dad for believing in me and making me go to school despite many challenges.

Second, I dedicate the award to Thrumshingla National Park office for funding my primary and secondary education.

Special dedication and acknowledgement goes to all of my teachers for sacrificing, encouraging and believing in me. Apart from teaching prescribed facts and information, thank you so much for instilling human values in me. Just because of teachers I am who I am today and I promise I will be the one who you wished me to become. Kadrinche to all the incarnation of Jampelyang: A རིག་པའི་བང་མཛོད། (A storehouse of knowledge).

Royal Government of Bhutan also deserves a huge credit for generous and meritocratic free education.

Not to forget my classmates and friends who have sweated our brow and laughed together through thicks and thins, wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I dedicate this prestigious award to all of you as well.

last but not the least, I promise I will create history one day!!!

Thank you

Khedrup Dorji