Were you the student who confidently occupied the first bench, or the one quietly sitting at the back, hoping not to be noticed?
I was the last bencher.
And this is the story of how a girl who once avoided eye contact in classrooms went on to become a communication coach, trainer, and mentor—helping thousands find their voice.
The First Decade: Learning from the Back Bench
At the age of seven, I studied in a primary school in Dadar, Mumbai. Surrounded by academically brilliant students, I was an average learner—one among seventy-five students—always seated on the last bench.
The first bench felt like another world.
Selections for class monitor roles, elocution competitions, or stage performances always favored the “bright students.” I never made the cut.
But one thing stayed constant—my parents.
Coming from an open-minded Gujarati family, I was taught persistence, not perfection.
The Second Decade: Rejection, Resilience, and Reinvention
After graduating in Commerce, I entered the booming BPO industry in 2001. Interview after interview ended in rejection—sometimes after the final round.
I didn’t stop.
After six months of relentless effort, I finally got my first break as a Customer Service Representative at Zenta.
During induction sessions, I watched foreign trainers command the room. Something shifted inside me.
I knew I no longer wanted to sit at the back—I wanted to stand at the front.
Despite performing well in sales, internal growth came with its own challenges. After three years, I made a bold decision—I quit and joined a training consultancy.
That decision changed everything.
I went on to train over 1,500 engineers at Accenture and worked with organizations such as Lilavati Hospital, Adlabs Cinemas, and HDFC. As the only graduate trainer among MBAs, I traveled across India, learning through experience, practice, and resilience.
The Third Decade: A New Country, A New Identity
Life took another turn when I got married and moved to Mainland China.
Suddenly, everything familiar disappeared—language, food, culture.
Finding a job as a corporate trainer felt impossible in a place where English wasn’t widely spoken.
I adapted again.
I applied for ESL (English as a Second Language) roles and faced rejection after rejection—“We only hire native speakers.”
Instead of giving up, I walked into the best foreign language university in Shaoxing and made my case in person.
That courage paid off.
I became a foreign ESL teacher and later the Director of the Foreign Teaching Team—the only Indian woman among thousands in that city. Over the next decade, I conducted teacher training programs, led teams, and helped professionals transform their communication skills.
The Fourth Decade: Coming Full Circle
Two years ago, I returned to Mumbai with my husband and one-year-old child and began my fourth decade—as a communication coach and soft skills trainer.
Today, when I meet classmates who once occupied the first bench, I realize how far the journey has come.
Not from talent alone—but from consistency, courage, and choosing visibility over silence.
Lessons from the Last Bench
Here’s what life taught me:
- “No” is not rejection; it’s redirection
- Confidence is built, not inherited
- Visibility creates opportunity
- Growth begins when you step forward—even imperfectly
If you are a last bencher today, remember this:
You don’t have to stay there.
You can always rise—
from the back of the room to the front as a mentor.
What’s your last bench story?
I’d love to hear it.
