Brighter Than Before

Nobody was looking forward to a Monday like that. The sky was grey. It was quiet in the classroom. Riya also sat in the last row, nervously tapping her pencil case. Her new school, Horizon Public School, was too big, too loud, and too different for her. Mr. the teacher Sameer's voice was kind, but he went through the lessons quickly. There were already groups, friends, and routines for everyone. Riya also felt... lost. She had been known as "the bright one" at her old school. However, her voice seemed muffled here. After Mr. Sameer asked the class to solve a math problem, she knew the answer but didn’t raise her hand. She reciprocated with a smile from a girl by the name of Arushi, but she didn't say anything. Riya longed for the security of belonging. At recess, she sat alone by the tree near the library. She took out her notebook and began to doodle, a quiet habit she had developed to maintain focus. Mr. Sameer was aware. He sat next to her without initially speaking. After that, he spoke softly, "I've seen you draw during breaks." There must be a lot of magic in that notebook. Surprised, Riya looked up. "It's just drawings..." He stated, "Art is simply another way of thinking." Some solve problems using numbers. Some have images. Both are beautiful.”

Riya felt seen for the first time that day. Something changed in the morning the next day. Mr. Sameer surprised everyone at the start of the lesson. I want us to try something new today. You'll draw your answers instead of writing them down. Use pictures to communicate what you've learned. Confusion filled the classroom. "You like comics?" A student inquired. He smiled and replied, "Like whatever helps you learn." Riya felt her heart skip. In order to demonstrate how shadows move during the day, she drew a sun rising over mountains. She added a tiny owl perched in a tree to demonstrate how animals act at night. A boy in her row commented, "Whoa, that makes so much sense!" when she shared it. That insignificant "whoa" was the catalyst for everything else. Riya found herself assisting other people over the following few weeks, either by drawing diagrams, telling visual stories, or simply explaining things in a novel way. She was no longer just the "new girl." She was the pretty girl who could make science and math less scary and had cool drawings. More importantly, she rekindled her confidence in herself. Eventually, Mr. Sameer introduced a new project for the class. "We are going to make a mural about what each of you thinks learning means to you. The school will hang this on the wall. Each student was given a design area. Riya was hesitant. She wanted hers to have significance. She carried a notebook as she walked around the building after school. She observed the gardeners giving the plants water. She observed the janitor quietly cleaning. She observed a boy assisting a younger student with shoe tying. Then it all of a sudden clicked. Learning was more than just reading. Kindness, effort, and supporting one another's development were the main themes. She worked on her piece over the weekend—a huge tree with books, tools, paintbrushes, and lightbulbs in it. Teachers, students, and others holding watering cans were gathered around the tree to aid in its growth. Even the principal attended the unveiling to view it. She stated, "This is what education ought to look like." For many years, the mural was hung on the school wall. The actual mural, on the other hand, had been created within Riya. She had discovered something that no textbook could: You not only grow, but you also help other people grow when you believe in yourself and share your talents.

A Note to the Readers: The loudest voice in the room isn't always the best source of information. Sometimes, it comes from simple kindness, persistent effort, and quiet creativity. We all have something unique to offer, like Riya, and when we combine it with courage, it has the power to alter not only our own lives but also the world around us.