Story of the Top Three Girls
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The Story of Rokeya Akter Bristy History before starting with GCCN: Rokeya Akter Bristy won the first top student award which was presented by Nobel Laureate Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank. Bristy comes from a rural low income family of Dhaka district with both her parents working in low paid jobs. Her aunt took care of her and her younger brother while her parents worked. Her parents were always supportive and wanted her to get a good education and achieve a good result and they were ready to do anything for her future success. She was always a brilliant student and despite being sick during her SSC exam, she still managed to achieve GPA 4.81(A) even though her expectation was to get GPA 5(A+). |
She worked very hard at college to try to achieve the best result possible and she did very well to get a GPA 4.6(A) for HSC. She was slightly disappointed as she always strived for the best, but this only motivated her all the more to work harder for future achievements. Her childhood dream was to work in the medical area, as she always wanted to take care of people who were sick and destitute. At first, she attempted to gain admission into a medical school, but for a number of reasons this was not possible and she explored other possibilities in the health sector. Due to her passion of caring for people, she was fully determined to find the right career for herself. Coincidentally, the Grameen Bank Manager from her area informed her about an exciting educational opportunity with financial backing available from Grameen Bank. This was the GCCN initiative which provides Nursing Education at an international standard. Then she realized through Nursing she could make her childhood dream come true. Fortunately, her mother was a member of Grameen Bank and thus she was eligible to apply to GCCN. Furthermore, the education loan from Grameen Bank, which could be paid back in easy and manageable installments, made it possible for her to take this opportunity.
Life at GCCN:
When she arrived at GCCN, she experienced a different teaching and learning environment with it being an English medium college, having longer study hours and following different assessment methods. One of her main challenges was her lack of ability to communicate in English but this did not deter her passion to continue her study. She worked really hard and with encouragement and continued support from her peers, teachers and international volunteers, she became highly confident and well versed in English. She had to learn how to think critically, manage difficult situations effectively, use her own interpretation when learning, concentrate and focus, as well as, transfer theoretical knowledge into practice. The GCCN facilities, such as, a modern computer lab, library and state of the art simulation lab helped to develop her knowledge and skills. Although she had never used a computer before, now she is highly competent and efficient in this area.
She believes that from GCCN, she has developed and gained a number of interpersonal skills, for example, how to communicate effectively, make people smile, handle critical situations, lead and be a good nurse, present and teach successfully. For clinical placements she had to visit and work in a variety of hospitals and clinical settings, which has made her highly competent in dealing with patients with different needs and complications. She successfully completed her Diploma in Nursing Science and Midwifery and won the top student award which was presented by Nobel Laureate Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank. She believes that without the financial backing from Grameen Bank, she would not have been in this position today.
Scholarship and future plan:
Winning the scholarship at GCU has dramatically changed her life. When the news of scholarship was announced, she was speechless and tears rolled out of her eyes. She believes this is the most glorious and memorable event of her life so far. Her parents are also overjoyed and extremely proud of their daughter. She wants to use this great opportunity to gain knowledge and develop skills which can be used and applied for the benefits of people in Bangladesh. She also intends to share her experiences by teaching good practice and thus changing and improving nursing care and standards in Bangladesh.
The Story of Popi Rani Bhowmik
History before starting with GCCN:
Popi Rani Bhowmik successfully completed her Diploma in Nursing Science and Midwifery and won the second top student award which was presented by Nobel Laureate Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank. She came came from Palash, Narsingdi. She was born into a rural minimal income family with her father being the only earning member. She has one sister who is a student and one brother who is a goldsmith. With her father being the only bread winner, it was very difficult for her father to bear all the educational expenses for his children. From an early age, she showed great academic potential and consequently, she was awarded a scholarship from Grameen Bank in class eight and won a junior scholarship from Dhaka Board in class nine. She achieved GPA 5(A+), for her SSC and was awarded further scholarships from Grameen Kalyan and the Dutch Bangla Bank. She went on to achieve GPA 4.8(A) for her HSC.
Initially she had wanted to become a doctor but for a number of reasons this was not possible. However she believed nursing would be the ideal profession to help people in her village. Fortunately, the Grameen Bank Manager from her area advised her about an amazing opportunity to study Nursing at GCCN. She was delighted at the thought of this and her parents also supported the idea. This would allow her to serve the people of Bangladesh which had always been her childhood dream.
Life at GCCN:
After arriving at GCCN, she was exposed to a different teaching and learning environment with it being an English medium college, and following different assessment methods. Her main challenges were her lack of ability to communicate in English and a different life pattern in the hostel. However, this did not deter her interest to continue her studies. She worked really hard and with encouragement and continued support from her peers and teachers, she became more confident and proficient in English. The GCCN facilities such as, a modern computer lab and library helped to develop her knowledge and skills. Although she had never used a computer before, now she is highly competent and efficient in this area.
She believes that being in GCCN has helped her to become a good student. She has always been attentive and made sure she understood what she was learning. She now thinks she has the skills to be a good nurse and the clinical placements she undertook as part of her course, in a variety of hospitals and clinical settings, have made her confident in taking care of patients with different health problems. She believes that without the financial assistance from Grameen Bank, she would not have been able to achieve what she has done so far today.
Scholarship and future plan:
The GCU scholarship has had a big impact for her future ambitions. When the news of the scholarship was announced, she could not believe it and felt like she was dreaming. By winning the scholarship she has fulfilled the expectations of her parents and they are so happy and proud of her. She wants to use this great opportunity to share evidence based practice and utilize her knowledge to educate and implement nursing initiatives and developments in Bangladesh. She aims to continue her studies up to PhD level and go to the top of the nursing profession in the future.
The Story of Satu Mondal
History before starting with GCCN:
Satu Mondal won the third top student award which was presented by Nobel Laureate Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank. She came from Dhitpur village of Munshigonj district. Satu was born into a very low income family and her father, before he died, was a carpenter and the only earner for the family. She has an older sister who is married with two children and an older brother who is now the sole person responsible for providing income for the family. She also has a younger brother. Her father, who died in 2010, immediately before her admission to GCCN, was dedicated and committed to the education of his children. His untimely death was extremely painful but this only made her stronger, more determined and passionate to pursue her education and strive for the best. In order to assist with the financial burden of the family, she used to teach children and peers so she could pay for her own academic expenses. Her teachers also offered her tutorial help free of charge because of her unwavering commitment and devotion to her study. She achieved GPA 4.56(A) for her SSC and then 4.9(A) for her HSC. As a result of her outstanding achievements, she was awarded a scholarship from Grameen Shikkha and it was extended following her excellence in HSC.
Her initial dream was to become a doctor as she always wanted to help poor and needy people. This was not possible but fortunately she found an even better way to serve the nation by becoming a nurse. Before choosing to come to GCCN, she studied chemistry and taught in a primary school in order to support her family and her studies. Luckily, the Grameen Bank Manager from her area informed her about an ideal opportunity to study nursing at GCCN. She was elated by this prospect, but originally her family was not supportive. However, she was determined, passionate and made them understand how much this meant to her, therefore, changing their opinion. She was absolutely delighted to gain admission to GCCN.
Life at GCCN:
GCCN was for her a diverse teaching and learning environment. It is an English medium college and follows different assessment methods. On her arrival she did not feel confident in her English language ability but gradually through hard work, determination and encouragement from the brilliant GCCN teachers and her peers, she dramatically improved her communication skills in English. She was selected to be the student representative and so had further responsibility for her class. The GCCN facilities such as a modern computer lab and library helped develop her knowledge and skills. Although she had never used a computer before she is now highly competent and efficient in this area.
She believes that she has gained invaluable life skills, knowledge and expertise from GCCN. She always concentrated fully on her studies and asked for help and advice from her teachers when required. She now thinks she has the necessary skills to be a competent nurse and the clinical placements she undertook as part of her course, in a range of hospitals and clinical settings, has made her self-assured in dealing with the health needs of patients and communities. She believes that without the financial backing from Grameen Bank, she would not have been able to continue her education.
Scholarship and future plan:
The GCU scholarship is like a dream come true as she has always wanted to study abroad. When the news of the scholarship was announced, she felt it was a blessing from God. Her mother was delighted and told her that if her father was still alive, he would be overjoyed and so proud of her. She wants to take this opportunity to bring her experience, knowledge and further understanding back to Bangladesh, in order to reform the healthcare system for the people in the villages. Her ultimate plan is to set up a clinic in her village to improve the health conditions for pregnant mothers and newborn babies. She wants to change policy and concepts for the better and sees herself as a change agent for Nursing in Bangladesh.
