The Brilliance Within
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The house had one room. There was a wood stove built into the wall on one side and a cot on the other. There were small wooden shelves built above the cot and the stove. The few pots that were neatly stacked were clean. There were three rolled mats, next to the cot that were used by his mom and the two boys when they slept. A sari hammock hung from the rafter, close to the cot, for his younger brother Ramu. A small kerosene lamp was hanging by the rope from the ceiling. The one room house was small, but for Chinna, it was a happy home, filled with love. I remember when my family of five moved to the U.S. we lived in a one-bedroom apartment outside of Philadelphia. We didn’t have much. My dad had four jobs, while going to Villanova University to get his 3rd master’s degree in engineering, He was a Graduate Teaching Assistant, worked as an engineer at an engineering firm during the day, a second shift welder in the shipyards, and a janitor at night. I’m not sure if he ever slept, but he would always be there to rock me to sleep at night. He carried his first two dollars that he earned in the U.S. in his wallet until the day he dies. It was a reminder of the hard work he did to take care of his family in a new world. My mom, who from a wealthy family in India, didn’t even know how to cook and never worked in her life had to work as a seamstress (she loved to sew) to make ends meet. Going to the grocery store on the weekends was our outing. I just remembered, we didn’t have much, but those were the happiest days of our lives.
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About the Book
I’ve always been fascinated by my grandfather Chinna’s life, his leadership principles, and his journey to achieve his goals. His life experiences during turbulent times in the world shaped my father’s character and determination, and his stories of perseverance and determination inspired me to believe that once you set your mind to it, you can achieve anything. Reflecting on my experiences and professional growth, I see how his perseverance during poverty and war influenced my own path to success. I never met my grandfather. The novel tells the story of his life as I imagined it, piecing together interviews of people who worked with him, his relatives and stories my father shared. During World War II, still a teenager, he had to quickly adapt and take advantage of the situation to run his business. As I wrote this book, it became more than that. It also became a reflection of my life—a revelation that the common thread that binds me, my father, and my grandfather is perseverance and determination toward what we want to accomplish in life, and it lies within each of us, shaped by our experiences, choices, and perceptions.
About the Author
With over 38 years in the nuclear industry—and firsthand experience in a male dominated field—She has dedicated her career to advancing women in leadership and driving meaningful progress. As Chair of U.S. Women in Nuclear, she co founded NEXT and later co founded VIEW to expand inclusion in engineering. She continues this work on the executive board of Win Global. Her insights have been featured internationally in publications including OIL Woman, Nuclear News, Real Leaders, and POWER magazine.