Anyone who walks into the sprawling campus of VISAT Arts and Science College at Ernakulam in Kerala will be taken by surprise when they see a 74-year-old woman in college uniform discussing finance and business administration topics with a group of young girls. Yes, Thankamma Kunjappan, the first-year student of Bachelor of Commerce, is now the wonder woman of the entire Elanji panchayat after she proved that age is no barrier to education by clearing her Plus Two exams at the age of 73 and joining for B.Com.
The entire college is inspired by her determination and resilience to fight odds in her life and chase her passion to acquire knowledge.
Thankamma’s journey to the classroom has been nothing short of extraordinary. At 13, she was forced to abandon her studies due to marriage, setting aside her aspirations to focus on her family. Her life took a challenging turn when her husband Kunjappan abandoned her, leaving her to raise their son and daughter alone. Despite the hardships, Thankamma never gave up. She took on a variety of odd jobs to provide for her children. But her passion for education burned bright. At the age of 71, she enrolled in SSLC (Secondary School Leaving Certificate) classes while continuing to work as a daily wage labourer. Her persistence paid off as she cleared the exams with remarkable results. Emboldened by this achievement, she set her sights higher, completing her Plus Two exams at the age of 73 with flying colours.
“Education has always been my dream,” she told “Open Digest,” her eyes brimming with pride. “I wanted to prove to myself and to others that it’s never too late to learn,” she said.
Thankamma recalls that when her husband one day abandoned her, she felt the world around her crashing down. “For several days, I wept and stayed inside my house. But soon I realized that there is no point in wasting my time weeping and decided to shoulder the responsibility of bringing up my children. I am very happy and feel proud when I sit in the classroom along with young fellow students. I am really grateful to my well-wishers, VISAT College Management and staff for giving me an opportunity to pursue my dreams,” she added.
Not content to stop at graduation, Thankamma is already planning her next steps. “I want to continue studying and explore fields that interest me. Learning has given me a new purpose and joy in life,” she says with a smile.
