I grew up in Hubli as the fourth of five siblings (four girls and one boy). My father, a railway officer, was known for his integrity and diligence, values that shaped my upbringing. I attended Sacred Heart Convent for my schooling, and in 1991, I moved to Bangalore. My career in education began at St. John’s High School, where I taught History for 23 years. In February 2019, I had the privilege of becoming the Principal after standing first in an all-India qualifying exam, competing against 21 others.
During my tenure, I initiated several transformative changes that significantly improved the school:
I cleared the piled-up garbage outside the school, including two burnt cars that had been an eyesore for years.
Under my leadership, the school's Google rating improved dramatically.
There was a surge in demand for admissions, particularly in the ISC stream. From struggling with less than 25 students in Science since 2004, we doubled the total strength to 127, necessitating the creation of two Commerce sections with 80 students each by the second year.
We achieved 100% results with many centum scores across subjects.
We transitioned smoothly from offline to online learning during the pandemic, ensuring continuity in education.
I oversaw the construction of three new buildings without touching any of the school’s fixed deposits.
I introduced a pension scheme for staff members, allowing them to receive 30% to 50% of their last drawn salary, depending on years of service, upon retirement.
I am deeply grateful to the Karnataka Educational Awards for recognizing and encouraging this humble service. For me, teaching is not just a job—it’s my passion. I love my students, and I love to teach. My greatest achievement is ensuring that every child who enters my class at 8 AM with a smile leaves at 3 PM with that same smile intact. That, for me, is the true measure of success as a teacher.
Warm regards,
Dr. Shanta Susheela
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