Jyotsana Nag first joined Dakshini Prayash when she was just 3 years old as a student. She studied at the school from Nursery up until Class 8, before leaving to pursue her higher studies, obtaining an M.A. in Bengali in Kolkata. After completing her post-graduate studies, she returned to Dakshini Prayash to teach. Now, at age 30, she’s been a Bengali teacher of Class 6,7 and 8 for 6 years, and for 4 of those years, she also taught Class 5. She had to drop Class 5 because she got married and had a child, increasing her family responsibilities and reducing the time she had available.

Jyotsana came back to Dakshini Prayash because she was “attached” to the school. “I liked the style of teaching here, and wanted to give back to the community that had helped me,” she says. Her favourite subject at school was Bengali, as she has always “loved the grammar” and is inherently talented in the subject with reading, writing and expressing her ideas. She writes articles for many programmes within the community as well.

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Jyotsana’s favourite memory of Dakshini Prayash is of the annual Sports Days that took place before the COVID-19 pandemic. She also loved “running plays” and “drama performances onstage” for the school. She deeply values the activities beyond the classroom that highlights the mission of a holistic education that Dakshini Prayash strives to give their students. “What Dakshini Prayash has given me…I’m deeply indebted to it,” Jyotsana mentions. And she ends with “I’m glad my parents are proud of me, too.”

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