Surat: When Mahima Patel lost her father while studying in Class 3, life became a struggle for her family. More than a decade later, the 18-year-old has turned adversity into achievement by securing All India Rank (AIR) 48 in the CA Intermediate examination in her first attempt.Patel, who started taking tuitions at the age of 15 and later worked as a receptionist to support her family, moved from the small Uttar Pradesh town of Fatehpur to Surat to pursue her dream of becoming a chartered accountant.Recalling her journey, Patel said, “After my father’s death, my mother shifted to Fatehpur near my maternal uncle’s house. I am the eldest of three siblings. My mother raised us by doing odd jobs and working as a cook. Due to health issues, she could not work regularly, so I started giving tuitions when I was in Class 10. At the same time, I also worked as a receptionist in a school. My earnings helped support the family.”After completing Class 12, Patel decided to pursue chartered accountancy. However, opportunities and awareness about the profession were limited in Fatehpur, a town with a population of around two lakh. She moved to Surat and stayed with her maternal aunt.“As I also had to help support my younger siblings, aged 10 and 15, I joined a CA firm and started working there as an accountant. I requested the firm’s owner to allow me to leave by 4 pm so that I could attend my classes. Most of my learning was through self-study and online lectures on YouTube,” she said.Her daily routine was gruelling. After returning from work, she would sleep for a few hours and begin studying at 10 pm. She would continue till 4am, rest briefly, and then study again from 6 am to 9 am before leaving for work.“I have seen many students struggle to clear CA despite having access to coaching and other facilities. Mahima achieved this almost entirely through her own efforts. Not only did she clear the examination, but she also secured a rank among the top 50 candidates in the country while supporting her family,” said Dinesh Maheshwar, the CA with whom Patel works.For Patel, the result is not just an academic achievement but a milestone in a journey defined by resilience, sacrifice and determination.
