An Interview With Shikshaa Sharma
- Vanshika Dhyani
- Dec 21, 2020
- 3 min read
Shikshaa is a straightforward, honest and confident person with a strong set of principles. She stands for feminism, human rights (equality), vegetarianism and healthy living.
"Life is precious. Your time is your own currency, always spend it as you please."
What inspires you?
The fact that in life, one can do anything they want to do, at any point of time in life. I am inspired by my thoughts. Self introspection is my favourite past time. I try to think out of my shoes. That helps me expand my thought process. I also believe that "there is a reason behind why people are they way they are." So I wonder, I think and that inspires me to go ahead in life and get a colossal exposure. I admire the kindness in people. The world has really good people. Knowing them inspires me to continue on this journey in my life. I am an aviation enthusiast, so the root-level questions behind such dynamic machines keeps me on my toes. The world around me is inspiring in all forms. And I am open to new thought provoking ideas. So inspiration is a part of every day and every action. :)
What did you want to be when you were younger?
I always wanted to "become" a pilot. My father's in the Indian Air Force and I grew up watching lots of fighter jets every day. The sound of their engine has always brought me goose bumps. I am not afraid of anything adventure, and I'd love to be in the air, flying or navigating. I like the feeling of being in the air, it is a natural high for me.
Which subjects did you enjoy at school?
Commercial Maths, Calculus, Physics, English, History, Civics, Economics, Geography.
What would you like to tell your younger self?
There is nothing she didn't already know. She did the best she could do at that time.
Why did you choose STEM?
Career ambitions. I am an aspiring aeronautics/aerospace engineer. Funny fact, out of "STEM", I loved everything but "T". :)
How important is it for you to stand out?
Not important. I believe that although competition pushes the people to do their best and brings out the most innovative ideas, I do not want to stand out when I am in a team of equally capable and highly skilled individuals. When we are in a team, I would love to take the leadership effortlessly. A leader must be emphatic and therefore, the success/failure should be credited to the team equally. "We're in it together." Apparently in the early stages of my career when I need to prove myself to be in such a capable team, I'll do my best to prove my ability.
What difficulties did you face in the industry, as a woman?
Male classmates in my batch were orthodox. I faced the difficulty of having the kind of fun I expected to have in class. Classroom education did not excite me and due to the drop in my interest levels, I started losing interest. At that time, I did not have a great set of classmates to cheer me up. It is my personal experience specifically, so this must not be generalized. I have seen many other friends of mine who have enjoyed their classes. We have 3 girls in my class and one of them is my best friend. The other two girls have been completely uninterested and it kind of affected me. I wanted a "girl-gang" in my class but it didn't happen. Too cheesy right? :P I look forward to a better classroom experience in my future!
What advice would you give to the next generation of female scientists?
A key-note speaker told me that, "Gender-bias is in the head." Her name was Mrs. Parul and she was a successful STEM entrepreneur. Her words were absolutely right. If a person knows that they want, they must not the the noise disturb them. There is nothing a girl can't do. Or a boy can't do. NOTHING. The machines can do the heavy lifting if that is the worry. And food can be delivered if that worries the boys. The roles are no longer limited to a gender. The capability matters. And opportunities always knock your doors.
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