Saurav Bhardwaj: A Story of Resilience and Willpower

Subsequent to my previous blog about the Cadence Scholarship Program, I bring to you another inspiring story featuring one of our students - Saurav Bhardwaj.

Saurav's journey has been nothing short of remarkable. In 2016, he went through a dispiriting time and almost dropped out of school. But today, he is a confident young man who has bagged a job with an American multi-national company, even before he has graduated!

“My experience has taught me that it is more important in life to survive than to win. Because if you know how to survive, success will come to you sooner or later,” he says.

It is cases such as these that contribute to true progress and form the very core of what Cadence and our NGO partners Concern India Foundation and Joining Hands Higher Education Program are trying to do - working to provide opportunities to the underserved to build their own future.

Hailing from one of the poorest states in India, Saurav’s father migrated to New Delhi with his family in search of improved earnings. A bright student, Saurav scored well in his exams. He aspired to study further and pursue a B.Tech in Mechanical and Automation Engineering. However, with his father, the sole bread winner of the family, earning a meagre salary, these plans looked doubtful. Saurav was dejected and reached a low point in his life, which was aggravated by a ligament injury followed by surgery that necessitated the use of crutches for walking.

Hope came to Saurav when an alumnus of Joining Hands talked to him about the possibility of getting a scholarship through the Cadence Scholarship Program. He applied, was accepted, and never looked back. In addition to the financial support, Saurav’s Cadence mentor, Mr. Rajesh Khurana, has been a pillar of academic and emotional support for him. Saurav shared recently that Mr. Khurana’s receptive and encouraging approach has helped him greatly to shed his inhibitions and prepare himself for job placement interviews. His confidence is such that today he is the captain of the college Kabaddi team.

In October 2020, though still on medication, Saurav excelled in the final semester exams of the B.Tech course, and shortly thereafter secured a job with an American multi-national company that has offices in more than 70 countries. Today, Saurav has a bright future ahead of him. Apart from building his career, he plans to work towards raising awareness about depression and mental illness.

Saurav Bhardwaj says, "The Cadence Scholarship Program has not only helped me financially but also mentally, emotionally, and in every other way possible. The mentorship sessions at Cadence really helps us [the students] to cope with our problems, I really believe the mentors assigned to us at Cadence are the best."

The Cadence Scholarship Program

At Cadence, giving back to society is of the important aspects of the work culture. We make a difference in the world by helping others through our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

The Cadence Scholarship Program is one of our flagship CSR programs of Cadence India,  introduced five years ago. Many meritorious students from under-served sections of the society drop out of the education system after school because of the lack of finances. The Program addresses this issue by retaining such students in the academic cycle through funding and support.

The execution and administration of the program is managed by our NGO partners Concern India Foundation (CIF) and Joining Hands.  The students are selected through a rigorous process of due diligence carried out by Joining Hands. Concern India Foundation oversees the students' performance throughout their coursework.

Over the last five years, it has benefited 132 students in the NCR region where it was started. After a successful pilot, it was expanded to Bangalore four years ago, and has benefited 71 students. In its third year, the Pune chapter was added and has helped 32 students till date. Cadence employees in each of these locations volunteer as mentors to help them with their studies, develop their confidence, and improve their communication and employability skills.