Love yourself and then the

MAGICStarts to love life !

The uncommon thing was that I did not get access to the right medical facility which lead to me having the attack of cerebral palsy

My story could have been similar to any post graduate student had it not been for an attack of cerebral palsy so early on, that I did not even get a chance to experience what “normal” means.

I was born on 5 June 1980 as a regular healthy baby

When I was three days old, I had a jaundice attack - apparently common to new born babies again

MY SALUTE TO MY TEACHERS WHO WORKED VERY HARD FOR ME IN MY INITIAL YEARS !!!MY SALUTE TO MY TEACHERS WHO WORKED VERY HARD FOR ME IN MY INITIAL YEARS !!!MY SALUTE TO MY TEACHERS WHO WORKED VERY HARD FOR ME IN MY INITIAL YEARS !!!MY SALUTE TO MY TEACHERS WHO WORKED VERY HARD FOR ME IN MY INITIAL YEARS !!!

No formal school education till I was 9 - late by all standards but glad I could get access to education

Learnt typing - with one hand one finger all the way. All my notes were typed.

Got double promoted from UKG to 2nd standard and completed 6th, 7th and 8th standard in one and a half years

OVERALL SCORE - 80% IN 10OVERALL SCORE - 80% IN 10THTH STD AND 90% IN 12 STD AND 90% IN 12TH TH STD. STD.100% IN BOARD EXAMS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE AND 98.5% IN BUSINESS MATHEMATICS100% IN BOARD EXAMS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE AND 98.5% IN BUSINESS MATHEMATICS

OVERALL SCORE - 80% IN 10OVERALL SCORE - 80% IN 10THTH STD AND 90% IN 12 STD AND 90% IN 12TH TH STD. STD.100% IN BOARD EXAMS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE AND 98.5% IN BUSINESS MATHEMATICS100% IN BOARD EXAMS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE AND 98.5% IN BUSINESS MATHEMATICS

Joined a regular school - Boston Matriculation in 9th. This was my first step to being part of the world in which you live in.

However must admit joining there was no mean task.

This was a long battle with school authorities

Typing continued, but I had to dictate to a scribe all my exams. Try dictating papers like accounts, mathematics, economics or computer science. That was a huge challenge - that too to a scribe who would not understand English

IMMENSE PRESSURE TO PERFORM AND SURVIVE

Convincing college authorities was even more tougher. Joined Vivekananda college for B.Com., and continued with Loyola college for M.A., in Economics. 74% in B. Com and 77% in MA economics

MY DISABILITY CERTIFICATE RANKS ME 70% DISABLED, WHICH JUST CHALLENGED ME MY DISABILITY CERTIFICATE RANKS ME 70% DISABLED, WHICH JUST CHALLENGED ME TO SEE THAT IN NO MAJOR EXAMINATION OF MINE, WHERE I SCORED BELOW 70% AND TO SEE THAT IN NO MAJOR EXAMINATION OF MINE, WHERE I SCORED BELOW 70% AND

THAT TOO CONSISTENTLYTHAT TOO CONSISTENTLY

MY DISABILITY CERTIFICATE RANKS ME 70% DISABLED, WHICH JUST CHALLENGED ME MY DISABILITY CERTIFICATE RANKS ME 70% DISABLED, WHICH JUST CHALLENGED ME TO SEE THAT IN NO MAJOR EXAMINATION OF MINE, WHERE I SCORED BELOW 70% AND TO SEE THAT IN NO MAJOR EXAMINATION OF MINE, WHERE I SCORED BELOW 70% AND

THAT TOO CONSISTENTLYTHAT TOO CONSISTENTLY

I e n j o y e d my college life - bunked classes, slept during lectures, late night movies and most importantly made v e r y g o o d f r I e n d s

After education - Getting placed - Every students’ nightmare applied for me too

Despite amazing academics, getting a job was worst. Given my academic performance, I would get lot of interview calls - but I cannot explain the look on my interviewer’s face when they actually saw me !!

Search continued and I became more patient. I was in a better position to understand the world than expecting the world to understand me

It was a very testing time of my life… getting excited at being called for a interview, facing people, being rejected for no fault of mine and then getting depressed…… seemed to go in circles …..

Got a break in RBS (previously ABN Amro) after almost a year of painful job search in 2005….My joy knew no bounds !

Joined Document checking team ---toughest job in the trade finance division …. as an officer trainee

Became India’s first Certified Documentary Credit Specialist in 2006 with Cerebral Palsy--- An eye opener wherein only 54% globally passed

Got promoted in 2007 and continued to check docs ! Cleared Certificates in trade finance and Know your customer as well as Anti Money Laundering from IIBF

CDCS recertified in 2010!

Joined IndusInd Bank Ltd in June, 2010 as Associate Manager, Trade ops. Got promoted as Deputy manager in April 2011. continuing to doc check and started training on the l/c products as well as trade

CDCS Recertified in 2013 !

Got promoted as Manager in April 2013

He met me first time during his visit to Chennai and thereafter I have met him many a times and have been overwhelmed by his simplicity and modesty

The fact that he takes effort to quote me on multiple occasions during his speeches humbles me beyond words

Though getting job was clearly a key turning point, one of the very special moments in life was when former President of India Abdul Kalam Sir took note of one of the articles written about me

Npedp - Shell - Helen Keller AwardDecember 2009

“Ascendas Excellence Award’ in AcademicsAugust 2009

National award in December 2008 by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment as “Best Employee with Cerebral Palsy” given by the honorable Vice President of India

• “Lala Kailashpat Singhania Award” from National Society for Equal Opportunities for Handicapped, in December 2007

• Serving on the board of Vidya Sagar since 1999• Outstanding student award for year 1998-99 from my school • NIIT award for academic proficiency in 1997• Served on the Board of Trustees of Skill Share International ,a UK based NGO from 2008-2012• Received “The Vocational Service award” From Rotary club of Chennai in January 2013 and

Rotary club of Bangalore in July 2013• Won Award for excellence in Corporate employment from ADAPT (SSI) on the eve of World

cerebral palsy day• Member of Advisory board of India Inclusion Summit

I feel honored to be felicitated and be a part of many functions and events conducted by colleges and organizations. Some of my notable talks are given at TEDx, TCS, Great Lakes, RBS, HP, SCOPE International, World bank, Accenture, WIPRO…..My success story has been quoted in many publications like the Hindu, Indian Express, Times of India……

Everyday, everyone faces problems and challenges and life has presented me a unique challenge of battling within me and outside me. The journey thus far has thought me a lot of wonderful yet painful lessons. There was no bigger challenge than accepting myself as I am.

Meeting and knowing a lot of wonderful sensitive people has made me a very rich man indeed, enabling me to move forward in my own way

But many a times, I have been a victim of others’ inability to see through me and I have been pushed to a level where I thought of giving up. It takes only a moment to realize that this world will never change and its your choice to face it and change yourself or sit back and relax. I chose to face it and so I fully know the beautiful side of living a life to the fullest and the journey continues…

My email id is sidhugj@yahoo.comI am always there at facebook - Siddharth Jayakumar