“I never imagined that one moment would change everything,” says Supekshya, “Losing my father when I wasn’t ready became my biggest heartbreak and the biggest shift in my life.” 

Two years ago, Supekhshya’s heart shattered into tiny fragments of pieces when her father bid her family goodbye forever. Life can be so cruel sometimes. It can take away one thing that kept you afloat over time. 

“One thing I know for a fact is that life will go on, but it may not feel like it. I remember feeling like the world came to a stop and that time was no longer ticking. My father left this world unexpectedly, and at that very moment, to me, my life stopped.

“‘Are you okay?’ I heard that question out of everyone’s mouth for a long time after my father passed. I was not okay, my sisters weren’t okay, my mother wasn’t okay. But I simply nodded my head with a ‘yes, I’m okay.’ It took me months to process things. Waking up in the morning and going about my day was a struggle, and it felt like a crime to do so without him. 

“Life was already difficult, but without my father it became messy. But it wasn’t the messiness of life that we were girding ourselves against. Grief floated through our home like dust motes in the air. Though I couldn’t’ have expressed it, I knew with a child’s instincts that my mother was seeing life as a teeming, seething, frightful hall of mirrors. Even if it was just for her, we had to be strong. That’s when I decided that I was not going to let time stop for me.” 

LIFE AFTER GRADUATING FROM KOPILA VALLEY SCHOOL

“I used to think that after graduating High School, my life would be better. I couldn’t be more wrong. After graduating from Kopila Valley School in late 2023, I felt extremely lost again. Stuck. I know that I wanted to move forward with my life, but so many in-betweens were making it impossible for me. I felt as if my further education was in the hands of fate. Whatever course I wanted to choose, my family couldn’t afford it.” 

Supekhshya’s older sister works at the Kopila Valley Women’s Cooperative, which helps the family narrowly cover daily household expenses. And asking her older sister to help cover college tuition was too much of a big ask. 

“So, I did the only thing that seemed to be a flicker of hope in my life – apply for the Higher Education Fund from Kopila,” says Supekshya. “To my great relief, I was accepted. And in no time, I was already on a busy street of Kathmandu, dragging my suitcase behind me, heading toward my tiny rented room, and ready to begin a new chapter of my life.”

Supekshya still remembers the way her father used to look at her—his gaze was always filled with pride, warmth, and an unspoken promise that she could be anything she wanted to be. He believed in her, even on the days she doubted herself. But when she lost him, that steady anchor in her life was suddenly gone, leaving her adrift in a sea of grief and uncertainty. 

“I realized when you are at a new phase of your life, your past brushes by you time and again, reminding you where you came from, what you survived, what you went through. My father’s face kept on popping in my head like a radio on loop. It started to get difficult to focus on this new journey I was embarking on.”  For months, she struggled to find meaning in a world that felt incomplete without him. The weight of his absence was heavy; yet in the midst of it, she discovered something powerful—his vision for her hadn’t disappeared. It lived within her, waiting to be embraced.

Supekshya had always known she wanted to pursue a career in healthcare, but she wasn’t sure which path to take—until a realization hit her. Life is beautiful, and this world is worth seeing through a healthy pair of eyes. “When you lose people in your life, you truly realize how important it is to see the world and to live fully.” She became fascinated by the way the world was seen through different lenses – both literally and metaphorically. The idea that sight, something so deeply personal yet profoundly universal, could be studied and improved for others intrigued her. 

Coming into 2025, Supekshya is in her first year of pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Optometry at National Academy of Medical Science, Bir Hospital, in Kathmandu. “Coming from a tiny town like Surkhet, Kathmandu felt like a different planet where you are an alien. It truly felt like a task to get adjusted to a new lifestyle. But now, I’m quite enjoying being independent and living a city life.” 

Life will keep on throwing challenges and setbacks. But that doesn’t mean you dodge them; instead you take them head on. Supekshya is 20 years old, no longer a teenager. She has expectations from her mother, two sisters, and a younger brother. 

“I still miss how life felt when I was 13, 14. How easy it was. How every day was just filled with hanging out with friends. Not having to take life seriously. Well…what do I know? Suddenly I’m 20, and my mother sees me as a grownup now, not her little baby anymore. 

There is a constant fear of not being able to pay my room rent, or pay for my medical bills if I fall sick. I’m battling this challenge by looking for a job, being frugal with my expenses so that I don’t have to rely on my sister. You know what keeps me motivated – the fact that I’m in one of Nepal’s best colleges, pursuing my dream, and never stopping, no matter what.”

If Supekshya’s story found you today, here’s one thing she hopes you take away: nothing might make sense right now, but eventually, everything will fall into place. That’s just how life throws waves at you, with ups and downs, but it always finds its current.

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.