The week that was ! Looking back at week 1, Sept 2018

Archana N
Archana N
Sep 9, 2018 · 4 min read

The week began with a pleasant surprise. While I already knew tad bit of it, because of a spoiler alert, I was so happy on receiving it. A beautiful greenish white dream catcher with tiny lights around it. Thanks to NavaK, and hearty congratulations on your first earnings ☺.


Then comes Rethink Foundation. I was super happy when I received this mail from the team !

The cohort 1 of WIT learning program Kickstarted this week with a little ice breaker task. We had to upload an introductory video of ourselves on YouTube. As most of us had concerns on how exactly to do a video, Arya Murali called in an open house session for an hour via appear.in. Met a few cohort 1 teammates and got a bit of clarity on what’s expected out of it. This task was intended as an exercise to introduce ourselves to our peers and also for getting to know them better.

I’m writing this #twtw as this is one of the second tasks along with a website creation and joining a telegram group. Honestly, I’m not a YT kinda person and it was very weird the way I had to retake videos to make it less shitty. And obviously, had to submit it because of a deadline and I’m taking solace in Arya’s words that this is just a shitty first draft and we’ll improve overtime.

So this was a 2 minutes long video where I talked about my college and school background and a glimpse of my internship, favorite project, a few hobbies and along that line. I didn’t like the way it came and believe that there’s a hell lot of scope for improvement. And that’s the whole reason behind Rethink learning program. To take back something solid at the end of this month. To improvise, learn, share and see myself a step ahead of myself :-).

I also created a short website using google sites as part of the next task. It’s very handy and easy to use.

After my Data Mining class on Friday noon, I rushed to the bus stop. Neelima was waiting for me and we got to the railway station on time. She was heading to her home and I was going to Trivandrum to attend the Sheroes Summit 2018, the pass to which I received through Rethink.

Sairee heading the chat session!

The summit was held at UST Global, near Technopark from 9 am to 5 pm. The campus is vast and beautiful. Lots of lovely fountains and swans to welcome you on your way. The event started with a rejuvenating armchair yoga session that urged us to embrace the positive vibes by listening and focusing on the various rhythms around us. There were talks from influential and powerful women and men who have confronted their fears and gone on to pursue, create or build something chiseled with their passion. Sairee Chahal, the founder and CEO of Sheroes, gave a recharging session where she stressed on the importance of giving back and passing this magic forward. The possibilities of magic on top of strong reality and how we should never miss a chance to keep it going as we never know whom we are inspiring ! It’s true that all it needs for someone to dive into their passion is one tiny spark. She motivated us all to be that spark. Mitali and @aliciacastillo pointed out the importance of investment and financial independence. Mitali urged us to start making our budget and to check out SIP, health insurances and Mutual funds over the very safe but less rewarding fixed deposits. Influential women from different walks of life, united by the tag of change makers inspired the audience by sharing their stories and offering tips to anyone who can identify with them. All these women can be contacted under the champions section of the Sheroes app. Maybe if you know a woman, who has taken a break from work and wants to get back, or who is waiting for just the right push to start something new, or even who wants to network, help others and get helped, and to explore and see lots of inspiring tales, Sheroes might be a great platform to them.

Navaldeep Singh got us glued to our seats with his mesmerizing poetry and inspiring stories. Tarit Pal set the stage rocking with his percussion skills and the summit marked an end by the beautiful rendering of Sufi music by Sonam Kalra.

Inside UST Global, Trivandrum. With Nikita and Rohini.

I got to meet Arya and we had a quick chat in the coffee break. Nikita Uday and ROHINI MADHAV are two amazing young ladies whose company I really enjoyed. I also got to meet Dhanya Sreekumar and a few more cohort one mates and I am looking forward to knowing them better.☺


Um, that’s mostly my take on SHEROES summit. It’s the first time I’m attending a conference like Sheroes and I’m certainly taking away the inspirational stories, great tips, a few names, and a few friends back. :-)

Archana N

Written by

Archana N

In awe of sonder.

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade