Hello friends!! Thank you for visiting my website, and I am delighted that you are interested in knowing about my journey through life. I am Ishita Sanjay Tambat.

Today, I have taken one of the most important decisions of my life – I have decided to fly to another country entirely on my own for my masters. Although I am incredibly excited to begin my journey at Stanford University in the United States, a dream university for many, it was not an easy choice. Leaving behind my family, friends, and my country required courage, and I salute all those solo travelers who go the extra mile to achieve their goals. I am aware of the challenges that might lie ahead. I have heard from many seniors about how life becomes all about completing tasks, how relationships can become superficial, and forming connections can be difficult. However, I believe it is all about how we approach these challenges, and I aim to do it differently. I will share more about this part once I actually start this new chapter of life. Until then, let's rewind and take a look at the milestones of my life's journey.

When a girl is born, she is born with many roles, such as that of a daughter, a sister, a friend, and many more. Moreover, some responsibilities are unique to her. When I was born, my parents were undoubtedly the happiest; they considered me a blessing and continue to cherish me. Even though some distant relatives hinted that having a boy would be better, my parents never felt that way. They treated me the same as they would a boy and believed that girls are more responsible. I intend to uphold that belief and strive to give back as much as I can. It's worth noting that I am the only child in my family.

Though I was born in Nagpur, famously known as "The Orange City" and the winter capital of Maharashtra, I was raised in Mumbai, also known as the "City of Dreams" and the financial capital of India. I take great pride in being a Mumbaikar, and the diversity of people here is truly awe-inspiring. As a child, I was extremely shy – so shy that when my kindergarten teacher asked me to become the class monitor, I immediately declined. However, my mom had faith in me and was confident that I could handle the responsibility.

In first standard, I was still shy and not the academic achiever that I am now, but then something happened that changed my life forever. The Mumbai floods of 26 July 2005 forced schools to shut down, and we were all stuck at home. During that time, my mom took up the challenge of making me go through the entire upcoming exam syllabus. I followed her lead and studied diligently. This makeover resulted in me securing the first rank in that exam, and since then, I continued to top my exams. This boost in confidence encouraged me to take on more challenges, like becoming a class monitor and later a house captain. Throughout my school years, my teachers supported me to participate in various competitions, and though I was reluctant at first, I gradually got the hang of it, which helped me earn multiple best student awards.

Now, let me share something funny from my childhood. In my second standard, I enrolled for a competitive exam, but as the day approached, I got too scared to attempt it. It was the first time I was planning to attempt an exam outside school academics. I even requested my teacher to cancel my name, but she insisted that it wasn't possible. Reluctantly, I gave the exam and surprisingly did well. From that moment on, I delved into competitive exams, earning Maharashtra scholarships, a silver medal in the Homi Bhaba Balvidnyanik exam, and participating in multiple olympiads, among other achievements. I also completed all levels of UCMAS as a child, earning the champion trophy and honing my math skills.

As for my drawing skills, I initially struggled. I clearly remember attempting to draw an apple, which looked everything but an apple! 😂 However, I never got tired of trying to improve, and I received A grades in Elementary and Intermediate exams.

In my academic journey, I chose to pursue science and prepared for IIT-JEE exams. This exam presented challenges like I had never faced before. Although I believe my preparation wasn't lacking, my exam didn't go as planned, and I felt dejected. But my parents stood as strong pillars, motivating me to believe in myself again. I cracked the MHT-CET exam and got into a decent college. This experience taught me one thing for sure, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”.

I completed my Bachelor's in Computer Engineering from Mumbai University with a good CGPA. However, even that journey was not easy. Commuting by Mumbai locals every day was challenging, but I learned to navigate successfully and even found a seat sometimes. Then came the unexpected COVID-19 pandemic, which forced us to switch to online learning. I took up the role of cultural secretary during this time, and while organizing events virtually was new and challenging, I successfully managed it with the help of my peers. I also won the Smart India Hackathon with my teammates, providing me with a unique experience that taught me a lot about collaboration and leadership. Additionally, I got the opportunity to be the lead curator for TEDxVIT, where I interacted with two prominent personalities from Indian cinema.

Now, what comes next? A job? I asked myself, but I knew I didn't want to settle for just a job. I wanted to continue learning and exploring more. So, I decided not to appear for placements, despite warnings from my friends that I might regret it. Instead, with the wholehearted support of my parents, I chose to pursue MBA exams (MBA-CET and CAT) and Master's exams (GRE and TOEFL) while simultaneously focusing on profile building. My targets were set high - JBIMS through MBA-CET, BLACKI through CAT, and top 5 universities through GRE-TOEFL. I achieved 99.82 percentile in MBA-CET, 97.10 percentile in CAT, 322 in GRE, and 113 in TOEFL. My efforts, combined with various variables, culminated in me securing admission to Stanford University. Despite the challenges associated with it, I decided to take a leap of faith and explore this new chapter with all of you.

I am immensely grateful to my parents for always believing in me, and I consider myself fortunate to have found a mentor who is more like a friend, guide, and philosopher – Mr. Siddhesh Dongare. He has played a crucial role in helping me build my profile, from launching a cyber safety app, designing this website, earning a PMI CAPM® certification to creating a YouTube channel.

Under the care of these angels in my life, much has changed for the better, and I can see myself growing. I hope you also have such supportive parents and motivating mentors in your life. As they say, "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. When the student is truly ready, the teacher will disappear." Whenever you are ready to take your life to the next level, individuals who help you push your limits will naturally come into your life. Life is all about learning, and while individuals may change, the roles they play become significant.

If you've read this far, thank you. I am sure there is much more to come. I would love to know about you as well. The best way to share that is to stay connected with me on LinkedIn