On Wednesday, when Governor R.N. Ravi, during an interaction with a group of Class XII toppers, asked each of them about their aspirations, the distinct response of one student charmed everyone.
While others mentioned the commonly-heard aspirations of becoming a doctor, a charted accountant or a civil servant, G. Shreya from Namakkal district said, in a determined voice, that she wanted to pursue a career in “shipping management”.
Being herself or different is, however, not new for Shreya. After all, she was the only transwoman among the 8,03,385 students who appeared for the Class XII State Board examinations this year. She secured 337 marks out of 600.
It was not smooth sailing for Shreya to reach this stage. When she dropped out of her previous school after coming out as a woman and undergoing gender affirmation surgery, no school wanted to admit her into Class XI. “I was very clear that I have to educate myself. For two years, I could not get admission in any school nearby,” said Shreya, who hails from Aravankadu near Pallipalayam in Namakkkal district.
Help came in the form of two persons – Ria, a transwoman who became a Councillor in Tiruchengode panchayat union on a DMK ticket in 2020, and Shreya P. Singh, who took charge as the Collector of Namakkal district in 2021.
A petition filed with the Collector during a grievance redress meeting proved helpful, as the Krishnaveni Government Higher Secondary School in Pallipalayam admitted her soon after. “Collector madam has been very helpful. She has asked me to meet her tomorrow [Thursday],” said Shreya.
Though several schools denied her admission, Shreya says her classmates and teachers were extremely helpful once she joined her school. “They did not treat me differently,” she said. Her mother Rajeshwari and sister Divya, a graduate, have been very supportive as well.
While her father left the family when she was a child, her mother, a daily wager, brought up the two children. “I was brought up by a single mother. However, I could not get educated. Hence, I was very clear about educating my children,” said Rajeshwari.
When Shreya came out as a woman, her mother had difficulty accepting it, owing to the prevailing social stigma. “My mother would express her pain to others, but never to me as it might affect me,” said Shreya. With the recognition she is getting now, she is hopeful that her mother can talk about her with pride.
On why she wants to get into shipping, Shreya says ships have always been a fascination for her, for as long as she can remember. “I do not know how it started though,” she said, with a smile.
She wants to pursue BBA Logistics, which is available in a few private colleges in Coimbatore. “However, I am planning to opt for BBA in a nearby college, as I can commute from home and cut down my expenses. I can later specialise in shipping,” said Shreya, who is hoping for financial support to pursue her studies.
On Wednesday, she met Minister for Youth and Sports Welfare Udhayanidhi Stalin, who, she said, offered to help.
