That perfect balance between studies, passion

There are plenty of students who dabble in extra-curricular activities while excelling in their academics.

But it is not commonplace to come across talents doing well in both areas.

One such talent, Anagha Gowri Sridhar, who got a score of 568 out of 600 in the arts stream, is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer having travelled all over the world showcasing her talent.

She is the daughter of the dancer couple - noted actor Sridhar and Anuradha.

“Both my parents are performers and I have been learning the dance form from them. We have together performed in various places like Africa, France, London, Singapore, Dubai and various places in the country,” said Anagha, who studied in NMKRV College.

Despite the hectic schedules, Anagha still managed scores ranging from a perfect 100 in Psychology to 98 in History, 96 in Sanskrit, 95 in Economics, 92 in English and 87 in Sociology.

 When asked how she managed to juggle both, she attributed it to her routine and discipline.

“I have been training in Bharatanatyam for the past 13 years now and have been following a fixed routine. I practise dancing for around three to four hours for three days in a week.

The rest of the week I concentrate on my studies on an everyday basis,” she said. Anagha wants to take up Clinical Psychology in her undergraduate studies.

Swimming away to glory

Not every day will one find a national-level swimmer who is also a topper in studies.

Divya Guruswamy who studied at Deeksha PU College, Kanakapura Road, has achieved this distinction.

Divya scored 100 in Physics, Chemistry, Maths and Computer Science and 91 and 87 in English and French, respectively.   

What started out as a therapy for migraine turned out to be life-long passion in which she excelled.

Divya has represented the State in numerous national swimming meets since she was in
Class V. 

Support from parents and school authorities helped her excel both in studies and swimming.

“I usually am in the pool from 6 am to around 7.30 am every day and got permission from the principal of my school to skip assembly. My father has to get up every day at around 5.30 am to wake me up,” she said.

 Divya has set her sight on doing engineering and has appeared for a number of entrance exams.

“I stopped swimming for a year to prepare for my II PU. Now, I will get back to it. However, I will not leave my studies,” she said.