Girl from remote Sikkim village bags scholarship to study in Italy

Gangtok: A 16-year-old girl from a remote village in the Himalayan state of Sikkim is making the region proud by bagging full scholarship to study at the prestigious United World College of the Adriatic in Italy.

Yangchen Doma Tamang hails from Khamdong in East Sikkim.

In an exclusive interview with EastMojo, Tamang expressed her happiness and spoke about the hard work she put in to get through the qualifying examinations. “I had applied for the scholarship last year. More than 1,000 students had applied for it, of which only 120 were selected for the interview in Pune. I had to write five essays on different topics followed by project works, tests and some outdoor activities. I did not work very hard to get through but, yes, I definitely gave my best to get the scholarship,” she said.

Tamang did her primary schooling from Rumtek Government Senior Seondary School. Given her excellent academic records, she got a 100% scholarship to study at Him Jyoti School in Dehradun when she was just in Class V. It was in Dehradun where she came to know about the scholarship, which she now proudly holds.

Apart from a being a brilliant student, Tamang is also passionate about photography, and loves playing football. She knows classical dance and was a member of her school choir group.

Talking about her life-changing journey from a remote village in East Sikkim to Dehradun and now to Italy, she said, “I was a very shy and timid student in Rumtek [in Sikkim]. I was only into studies but after coming to Him Jyoti School [in Dehradun, Uttarakhand] I realised my potential and gained more confidence by taking part in co-curricular activities and interacting with my friends from other states.”

“I am excited and confident when I think about my new journey to Italy and I am well prepared to face all the challenges there by giving my best,” she added.

Tamang’s father BB Tamang is filled with pride and joy about his daughter’s achievement. “My daughter has stood second since Class I. She is an obedient and studious child compared to my younger son and daughter. We are all really proud of her. My ultimate goal is to fulfill all her dreams and aspirations, and always be there as her major support,” said her father, who works in the state forest department.

On Friday, the young scholar was felicitated by the Sikkim Amatuer Boxing Association (SABA) for her achievement. Sikkim chief minister PS Golay handed over the felicitation letter wishing her the best for her future endeavours.

The United World College scholarship programme ensures diversity through selection on potential and merit. Many students attend UWC with full or partial scholarships and UWC national committees allocate scholarships as part of the selection process.