Story of Leela Raghavan - Cadence Scholarship Program

Leela’s story unfolded in a corner of Bangalore—one of quiet strength, profound loss, and an unwavering commitment to rising above life’s challenges.

Born into a low-income family, Leela had lived in Thayimane Children's Home, Bangalore, since 2014. Her life changed drastically in 2019 when she lost both her parents. Lacking a support system, Leela was determined to build a better future.

Leela’s love for learning never wavered, and she found solace in subjects like mathematics and computer science. She wanted to support herself and, one day, help children like her access the education they deserve. She did her schooling in Kannada to Class 10, and switched to English. Despite this transition, her results in classes 10 and 12 were excellent.

However, the journey wasn’t easy. Alongside academic pressure, Leela was fighting a battle with her mental health—grieving her parents while navigating an uncertain future. This is when the Cadence Scholarship Program entered her life. With its support, she enrolled at Sri Venkateshwara College of Engineering near Bangalore and completed her B. Tech degree.

Leela says, “The Cadence Scholarship Program helped me stand on my own feet. From the smallest things to the biggest hurdles, the support made all the difference. I lost my parents at an early age, but I was fortunate to receive help that gave me the strength to move forward.”

For Leela, the scholarship was far more than financial aid—it was a lifeline. Her mentors played a transformative role in her journey. “Aparna Ma’am and Sandya Ma’am always encouraged me to dream bigger and aim higher,” she says. “And Madhurima Ma’am, my personal mentor, continues to guide me even today. Her wisdom and belief in me have been a constant source of strength.”

Today, Leela works as a Java backend developer, a career she once only dared to imagine. “From the bottom of my heart—thank you,” she says. “Because Cadence believed in me, I was able to believe in myself. I will always carry this gratitude with me and hope to one day uplift others, just as I was uplifted.”

Cadence Scholarship Program

Introduced eight years ago in India, the Cadence Scholarship Program aims to address the issue of retaining students from underprivileged backgrounds in the academic cycle through funding and support to undertake graduation and professional courses for livelihood. Over the years, it has benefited more than 700 students across Delhi/NCR, Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad.

The execution and administration of the program are 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 student’s performance throughout their coursework. Cadence employees in each of these locations volunteer as mentors to help them with their studies, develop their personalities, and improve their communication and employability skills.