Teaching is undeniably a noble profession that goes beyond the mere transmission of knowledge. Educators play a vital role in shaping the minds and characters of individuals, moulding them into responsible citizens and future leaders. Their dedication, passion, and commitment to their student’s growth and development make teaching a profession that leaves an indelible mark on society. Teachers have a profound influence on shaping the world.

Teachers hold the key to unlocking the potential within each student. They have the unique ability to inspire, motivate, and ignite a love for learning. By providing knowledge, guidance, and mentorship, teachers empower students to explore their interests, develop critical thinking skills, and pursue their passions. They nurture creativity, curiosity, and resilience, fostering a lifelong love of learning that extends far beyond the classroom.

One such teacher, Ms Anuradha Patil, has been unlocking student potential and setting new standards in the educational field.

Venturing in the Educational Field

Ms Anuradha Patil completed her MBA with Finance and Agribusiness specialisation in 2014 from Chhatrapati Shahu Institute of Business Education and Research, Kolhapur. For a brief period, she was working to submit her M.Phil thesis at Shivaji University; however, due to some unforeseen reasons, she had to withdraw her admission. However, that was the period she gained insights into research and academics in general, and that caught her attention.

Further, she decided to get into academics in 2017. She started her first job as an Assistant Professor at Sanjay Ghodawat University, Kolhapur. She served that organisation for about five years. Through these five years, she experienced tremendous personal growth. As it was her first full-time job being an assistant professor, she could learn many things throughout. She still remembers the first-ever lecture, which was about communication skills.

Ms Anuradha published her first research article at an international conference organised by JBIMS, Mumbai. Subsequently, she published three more papers at other International Conferences that same year. Her research domain mainly focused on ‘Agritourism.’ She stumbled upon the Agritourism domain while surfing for the M.Phil thesis, and ever since has fascinated her.

She qualified for UGC-NET in 2018 in Management. In 2018 itself, she was awarded a ‘Best Paper Award’ for ‘Potential Growth of Agrotourism using Online Traveling Platforms’ at ICSGUPSTM-2018, Goa. Ms Anuradha was also awarded the ‘Promising Young Faculty’ Award at Sanjay Ghodawat University, Kolhapur.

During her tenure at Sanjay Ghodawat University, she has successfully organised over ten domain-specific programs for students; Supervised and Coordinated MBA and BBA students in National Level Symposium and TechnoManagement fest- VIBRANT; Organized ‘International Immersion Program’ with Stamford International University, Thailand in January 2020. She has also coordinated the implementation of ISO for educational institutions.

A Rewarding Journey

Ms Anuradha has also served as an internal auditor for ISO implementation in SGU. In 2022, she joined DY Patil International University in the School of Commerce and Management. She has been conducting lectures in the domain of International Business, Fin-Tech, and Marketing Analytics.

During her tenure at DY Patil International University, she has contributed towards updating the Course Curriculum of Marketing, IB and General Management subjects. She was also coordinating the admissions processes for the MBA program and was also responsible for the registration of the university in ABC/NAD-Digilocker. So far, the journey in the field of education has been extremely rewarding for her. Ms Patil has been able to give her 100 per cent towards each and every responsibility that was endowed on her.

Her paternal grandfather was a Zilla parishad school teacher. There was always a great influence of his teaching on her life. He was the one who inculcated that thought in Ms Anuradha of being in the field of education.

Learning Beyond the Curriculum

While working as an academician, Ms Anuradha has always been surrounded by many talented and enthusiastic students. With the right type of training and mentoring, these students can do wonders in their lives.

She believes it is her professional mission to make learning fun and interesting for these students. She has always been trying to organise student development activities, workshops, training etc., to provide a platform for these students to learn beyond the curriculum.

Preserving Noble Values in Adversities

The biggest challenge that Ms Anuradha faced as an educator was not getting her dues in terms of financial aspects. Teaching remains to be treated as a ‘Noble’ profession. She believes this point of view restricts the financial growth of educators. It takes a tremendous amount of effort to prepare the next generation of citizens. She feels that it is important to acknowledge the fact that even though teaching is a noble job, an educator needs to be valued at par with other professions.

Ms Anuradha advises students, “Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Many students face personal problems in life, and they lack the ability to talk about them to their peers. They need to make sure they have a safe place wherein they can pour their hearts out.”

“Secondly, try to enjoy this journey of life. Many students burden themselves with the expectations of parents, teachers, peers, friends etc. ‘You do you.’ No one can be you. That in itself is your superpower. Don’t forget to have a balanced life rather than having a successful life. Everyone’s definition of success and happiness is different. Do not try to mimic anybody else’s life. And lastly, do not forget to adjust your expectations to the realities of life. Adjustment is not a bad word. Compromise is not a curse.”

Ms Anuradha’s undivided attention for next year will be to complete her PhD degree in the field of ‘Agritourism.’ She intends to start an Agritourism farm sometime in future. She also plans on creating a platform wherein student development activities can be shared on a common stage for all students, irrespective of their educational background.

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