Despite the disadvantaged environment in which she grew up, Aswathy Manukumar acquired a Master's Degree in Clinical Epidemiology and is now pursuing a PhD. Her path from a Pestalozzi scholar in India to a researcher tackling questions about how diseases spread and how communities can be protected is a powerful example of what a holistic education can unlock.

Aswathy credits much of her resilience and ambition to the values she absorbed at Pestalozzi: the importance of community, the discipline of learning, and the responsibility to give back. Long after graduation, she remains an active volunteer - mentoring younger students, supporting the alumni network and championing girls' education whenever the opportunity arises.

Her story exemplifies the power of a Pestalozzian education, fostering positive change way beyond the individual graduate. Every step Aswathy takes forward in her career also pulls more young women in her community a little further along with her.

"Everyone whom I've known through Pestalozzi International makes me so happy; inspires me; you're all family... Thank you for making me the person I am today!"