EARLY LIFE

As a child, I loved spending time with my father at a rice mill which our family owned. With him by my side, I was given a tour of the mill. He explained each step of the intricate process, from the cleaning and husking to the polishing and sorting of the rice. I listened intently, absorbing every detail, amazed by the intricacies of turning raw rice into a staple food. My father – with his strong, calloused hands – involved me in the work, allowing me to participate in small tasks. I would carefully weigh the rice and help bag it, my tiny hands working diligently. He would patiently guide me, teaching me the importance of precision and dedication. 

I wanted to help my father, I loved helping my father, but the time came where a little girl’s help wasn’t enough to keep the family afloat financially. I had no idea my family was struggling financially. I started noticing fewer rice bags that we made, they reduced day by day, and the day came when there were no rice bags. 

FATE OF LIFE (KOPILA VALLEY SCHOOL)

Maybe it was my fate. When my family was at the weakest point of their lives, one worry got lifted when I started at Kopila Valley School. Here I was learning, growing, embracing, and spreading my wings into the universe. I grew up in a community where girls were known to be delicate and fragile, saying yes whether they agree or not, whether they want to or not. In Kopila Valley, I became wild, I became agile, I became a girl with endless dreams and passions. I joined a girls’ soccer team, and I played all the games from Kabaddi (Nepali game), badminton, table tennis, and volleyball to running marathons. I even became a performer, delivering my opinions in speech competitions, dancing my heart out with joy on Talent Tuesday.  In the pursuit of discovering myself, I uncovered a lesson: if you’re willing to be a learner in life, the possibilities are endless. 

AFTER

After graduating +2 in 2018, I decided to pursue Hotel Management. I love cooking, I’ve always found solace from cooking, and I get a feeling of liberation when I feed people. With a friend’s advice, I went to Kathmandu hoping to find a good program. I began a 6-month diploma course in Hotel Management, and then I was assigned an internship in China for a year. I did not back down from this opportunity, I knew for a fact that I wanted to visit new places, and when an opportunity arose, I grabbed it knowing that it was the beginning of my journey into adulthood. In China, I learned so much about life.

After these achievements, I felt like life is a solitary journey, that we are each in a driver’s seat and taking ourselves wherever we want. I interned at a company called Pan Pacific in Beijing, China. As part of my internship, I had the incredible opportunity to immerse myself in the vibrant hospitality industry of this dynamic country. It was an enriching experience filled with valuable insights and memorable moments. There was always a language barrier, but wanting to learn pushed me to make friends. Along with cultural immersion, I discovered so much. 

Learning never stopped for me. When I came back from China, I immediately enrolled myself in a Hotel Management Program in Global College in Kathmandu. I am in my third year with many insights about life, which is why I’m so grateful to be right here, right now.

 WHAT’S NEXT

What’s next for me? Well…how can one know what’s next for them? I can only hope and work to achieve it. The Hotel Management program takes me to Dubai, Thailand, and many other countries. From my experiences in China, I feel the importance to explore more – that way I will learn more. I want to travel to other countries, learn, see, explore, and take away newness. And maybe, hopefully one day I might just open my own restaurant, a FIVE STAR restaurant. It’s good to dream big, you know! 

“No matter where you are or what you are doing, you’re part of a much bigger story.” – My favorite advice. 

We are thrilled to have one of our very own Kopila Valley School graduates write this guest blogger series and share alumni stories! Anjali Karki graduated in 2019 and is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism along with a journalism career. We can’t wait to see what each of these world-changers does next. Follow us on social media with the series hashtag (#NarrateYourKopilaStory) for more about these young adults and their adventures.