Suryakant Jena

Bhubaneswar: Braving all odds, daughter of an auto-rickshaw driver has achieved a feat that will inspire many.

Puja Sahoo, a Plus-II Arts student of Ravenshaw Junior College in Cuttack, has now become the talk of the town following her success in the Plus II exams, the results of which were announced yesterday.

By scoring 540 marks, Puja has not only secured second rank in the State but has also made her family and city proud with her achievement.

Asked about her success, Puja said that it is the first step towards her long cherished dream. "My family have supported me a lot and I owe my complete credit to their hard work. If possible, I will try my best to become an ideal teacher or a good administrator," said Puja.

Her family which owns just a single-room house in Cuttack has to go through a lot of difficulties. Her father, who is the sole bread earner, often finds it hard to sustain his family by driving an auto-rickshaw.

But despite the hardships he never fell short of helping his daughter pursue her dreams and for that he has also taken financial assistance from various finance companies.

Puja's father who is brimming with happiness over her success said, "It feels great when a daughter of an auto-rickshaw driver achieves such success."

"I am even more delighted because she has fulfilled her father's dream," said Puja's mother.

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