Some parents often complain that the academic pressure keeps their kids away from co-curricular activities.

Eighteen-year-old Ushasi De Sarkar from Malda has contested this narrative with her all-round achievement. In recognition of what she has achieved, she was awarded the Kalyan Bharti Trust Award for All-Round Excellence at the Adamas University Kolkata presents The Telegraph School Awards for Excellence 2024 North Bengal, organised at Dinabandhu Mancha in Siliguri on Tuesday.

The Class XII student ranked 25th in the WIZ National Spell Bee (2023-24), a testament to her linguistic skills. Her prowess in science was proven when she secured third place in the Silver Zone Foundation exam, which conducts multiple Olympiad examinations.

Ushasi secured the second rank in the State Olympiad Foundation for English, fourth in mathematics and first place in her school for the International Mathematics Contest (IMC), International General Knowledge Olympiad (IGKO), and International English Contest (IEC). The girl was among the top 150 finalists in the Indian Space Olympiad.

The list of her sporting achievements has also been impressive. Usashi bagged second position in the Malda district chess championship among girls and came first in swimming competitions.

All these pursuits did not come in the way of Usashi achieving academic excellence as she scored 91.4 per cent in her Class X CBSE exams in 2023. Her pursuit of knowledge extends beyond the classroom as demonstrated by her accolades in various prestigious competitions.

“Some parents say that their kids do not pursue co-curricular activities because of the pressure of academics.... We always encouraged our daughters to be well rounded and we are happy that they have lived up to our expectations till now,” said Shyamali, the proud mother.

Ushasi shares her success story with twin sister Souryashri, who has been a source of strength and companionship throughout her journey.

“I started learning 11 different things from my childhood. From learning music to going to swimming class, my mother has always been there to support me. She used to take me to different competitions and programmes which made me more interested in these things,” said the girl.

Also, beyond academics and sports, Ushasi has shown her creative flair. She authored two self-published books, The Spark (2021) and The Window (2023). The books are available on Amazon and testament to her storytelling abilities and creative imagination.

She is also in the cultural sphere and finished third in both Rabindrasangeet and recitation competitions organised by the Sarbabharatiya Sangeet-O-Sanskriti Parishad. “She has also bagged awards for painting,” said her sister.

Amitabha Datta, chairman of The Telegraph Education Foundation (TTEF) that hosts the awards, said Ushasi is indeed a role model for students.

“There are no words to appreciate her talent. She is a role model for students and has proved that one can excel in different fields with passion and dedication,” said Datta.