The most recent census clocked the population of Hyderabad at 4 million, in a state of 8.4 million, in a country of 1.2 billion – the second largest in a world filled to the brim with 7 billion and counting. To name every person on earth, saying 10 names per second, would take 22 years (or my entire lifetime).

Inconceivable sums such as these dwarf the students of The Modern Story, who number 115 students between our five schools (to put it in perspective, I could recite all of their names in the time it takes you to read this paragraph). These numbers frighten one with their sense of scale, certainly, situating these 115 boys and girls within the colossal frame of the world. Statistically, they represent an infinitesimal blip, 115 stars in an oceanic sky. When it comes to the world, these 115 students are destined to be forgotten.

Which of course, is the illusion of quantitative data: it fails to capture the magnitude of these 115 students, how their spirit exceeds the boundaries of their 4-foot/5-foot stature and ages of 12. 13. 14. Numbers cannot do them justice. They have lived a lifetime – 115 whole lifetimes – and possess rich inner lives we catch only glimpses of in their journals and our conversations. They are all different. They write differently, converse differently. The light catches their eyes in a different way. The astonishing powers of Krishna, the boy god of Hinduism, were revealed when he opened his mouth and inside was the entire universe. Each of these 115 students has done the same – swallowed an entire universe of stories, a unique name, a home, a family. And as much as we write about these young men and women in the collective, as “our students,” “the class,” “Railway 8B,” etc., it is ever so important to honor who they are as individuals and how they have grown in the past three months. Here are six such profiles, written for Adobe Youth Voices, and our small attempt to capture some of their whole person on paper:

B. Sravanti, or ‘Sravs’ is one of the most unique personalities we have in Railway Class 8A. From day one, she has not been scared to face the ‘doubts’ in her mind and is brave in asking questions and sharing her ideas. I will never forget the sincere curiosity in her eyes when she asked me early on, “Teacher, why are you white?” She is a Hindu girl who loves Jesus, and frequently writes in her journal about the ability of Jesus to solve all of our problems. Every time we collect the journals, we can be certain that Sravs has gone beyond what was asked of her and included plenty of her own poems, stories, songs, and pictures. Recently, she has starred in the role of Siri in the Railway Class 8A video project entitled, “Fight for Your Rights! Education for All” and it was so fun to watch her put her energy and dedication towards drama and performance. She is quite a talented girl and we are so pleased she is with us in The Modern Story class. – Kelly

S.K. Fuqrah Sultana of Railway 8B says her “life policy” is to make all the people in the world happy and healthy. She is a source of constant brightness in the classroom, living by this maxim with a sense of personal responsibility for the happiness of others and capable of making anyone feel that everything is well in the world. When Fuqrah was 12, her parents enrolled her in a madarsa, a school for the study of the Islamic faith. While there, she began to lose sight in one of her eyes, having developed a small tumor in her brain, and was kept out of school for two years. She was determined to return to school and enrolled in 8th class for the second time. At the age of 15, she is the oldest girl in our class and role model for the other girls. Writing with signature quickness and double spacing, she fills her journals with “thoughts” – such as the Marcus Aurelius quote “The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts” – and dreams of becoming a professional animator. Authentic, imaginative, and full of wonder for all there is to discover in the world and compassion for others, Fuqrah is a very special young woman with enormous promise. – Emily

Kelly: As with most students at Sultaan Bazar, Kheertna is shy when it comes to expressing herself in words. She responds most commonly with “Yes, teacher” and excessive smiles and nods, but it is difficult to have her open up into conversation vocally in the classroom. That said, she is hard working and always arrives at least 15 minutes early for class, and I have been able to learn more from the writing she does in her journal. Kheertna has the meticulous work ethic of many of our students – the type that will not draw a line without a straight edge. While in the midst of preparations for a video project concerning conversations with the natural world, Kheertna characteristically spent days diligently cutting out a parrot – her favorite animal.  I remembered another parrot that Kheertna had drawn and went back to take a closer look – the parrot was drawn in response to a Gandhi prompt following Independence Day: “In true democracy every man and woman is taught to think for himself or herself.” Kheertna responded to this quote by drawing a parrot and telling the story of her own capacity to think for herself…

 “Democracy: This parrot is my favorite bird and my parents are saying you get favorite peacock, zebra, but I like parrot.  But my feeling is my feeling and not another feeling is my parents. And friends say your favorite bird is parrot, but why? I will say yes my favorite bird is parrot.”

When asked for one unique thing about Zeenath, she replied that she is ‘punctual’ and in a similar fashion, this young girl is dedicated to hard work and studies. She is confident and vocal in class, and always willing to share insightful responses. She never misses a day of homework, and goes above and beyond what she needs to do in her journal at night. It seems that she must have supportive parents, because some of her homework responses incorporate information she has attained from the newspaper and current events that suggest family involvement in her education. She is also the star of MGM’s current video project, called ‘Sita’s Life,’ that explores the difficult topic of child suicide.  In her performance given this responsibility, she has displayed maturity beyond her years, as well a relaxation into the ‘dramatic’ process that was reassuring to see in this characteristically disciplined young girl have so much fun acting. One day I asked her if she enjoyed making the video project, and she responded with a big smile, “Yes teacher! All week I could not wait until Tuesday to come!” She has also been important for creative input in the project, contributing many ideas to the post-production editing. Zeenath’s father is a shop keeper and her mother is a housewife. Her ambition is to be a government official. -Kelly

Rahul is quiet upon first introduction and stands out among his peers. He is older, taller, and hesitant, unsure of his footing at times among the more vocal of his peers. He is intensely curious about the technological aspects of video production and editing especially. Rahul is most happy when seated at the computer in front of Windows Movie Maker, filled with clips awaiting his growing editing sensibilities. Rahul was initially one of our least engaged students. He seemed especially afraid of handling the equipment and his English skills were very weak. With the help of our high school volunteer Praneet, Rahul gradually came out of his shell and seemed to enjoy the class. It wasn’t until we introduced video editing, however, that he transformed. He began to ask questions, to stay after class and beg us to show him additional editing tips. Rahul went from barely speaking to us, to being one of the most vocal and interested students in the class. He continues to be shy around the camera but now makes an effort to stay focused in class and has one of the best attendance records of our students. Rahul’s father is a politician and his mother is a shopkeeper. -Dana

 Swarupa has a quiet introspection about her and is sharing more of herself each and every day. She has blossomed within the last few weeks as a prominent character in our short video project, demonstrating an energy and dry wit both on camera and off. When we first began teaching at Bansilalpet, Swarupa was the least talkative of our students, even at times appearing disinterested.  We were surprised one day when the other students convinced Swarupa to dance after class. We filmed her dance and ever since she has been interested in participating in class activities. From improvising lines in our short video project, to making jokes on and off the camera, Swarupa has become one of our most enjoyably unpredictable students. -Dana