To satisfy one’s parents in terms of both curricular and extracurricular activities is a feat achieved by only a select few – the best of the best. An average Indian student only desires two things in life – a good academic record and proud and satisfied parents. This is a cakewalk for Delhi-based Gunjan Chawla and her 15-year-old daughter, Nayasa.

Born on August 21, 2007, the girl first recognized her penchant for art at the age of 10. Having started that young, it was not late before the mother noticed Nayasa’s finely composed drawings. In fact, Gunjan was so moved by her daughter’s creative expression through her art that she started encouraging her to sharpen and polish her talent even further. It is very easy to conclude that Nayasa followed the simple model of ‘practice makes perfect’ while polishing her skills. At the small age of 10, Nayasa was already spending two hours a day indulging her talent, becoming better day by day.

For the optimal development of creative skills in children, it is very important that they are proportionately encouraged and assisted by their family members. In Nayasa’s case, family support was never a problem, and everyone was very encouraging and supportive towards the kid. Out of everyone, Gunjan Chawla was the most supportive and encouraging towards her daughter.

What is more impressive is the fact that her talents are not limited to indoor activities alone. All the while balancing her studies side by side, Nayasa holds the title of Runner Up at the Art Competition organized by the Art and Cultural Committee.

One can only balance their academics with their passion, if they truly have a focused bent of mind and dedication towards both their passion and their academic obligations. Gunjan Chawla wishes to ensure that her daughter develops the same thought process, and does not compromise on either her art, or her academics. According to her, the balance is maintained because art helps her daughter to de-stress herself, which only happens when one genuinely loves one passion. Her daughter draws inspiration from runway models, which is from where she is able to grasp proportions and experiment with different techniques.

At an age where students remain relatively more indecisive about their long term plans, Nayasa has already expressed her interest in pursuing fashion designing as a career in order to remain attached to her passion and practice it for as long as she wishes to. Lucky for her, she has her parents, Gunjan Chawla and Manav Chawla, as her guiding figures, who never fail to provide unconditional support to their daughter and ensure that she reaches her true potential as an artist. However, they are also not the only guiding figures in their daughter’s life.

Michael Jordan once said that a coach is someone that sees beyond your limits and guides you to greatness. In this case, the person with the road map to greatness is Kashish Harjai, Nayasa’s coach. Through his able guidance and encouragement, Nayasa’s talent has blossomed. She has also gained greater confidence in her ability to showcase her talent in various contests and competitions.

In today’s date, high emphasis is placed on the extracurricular activities for the personality development of the child. This is reflected in various accolades received by Nayasa in a diverse range of competitions, such as in the classical dance Kathak, debating, and drawing.

Balancing her studies with all that is truly a feat very few students can achieve. So it is safe to say that Nayasa is the student that we all aspire to be.