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Girls have again outshone boys in the <keyword id="19976140" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CBSE" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="CBSE" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="CBSE">CBSE</keyword> Class 12 <keyword id="19954615" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="board-exams" source="keywords">board exams</keyword>, results for which were declared on Monday with 87.98 per cent students passing the test. Last year, the total pass percentage was 87.33 per cent. Officials said 91.52 per cent girls cleared the <keyword id="19957604" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="exam" source="keywords">exam</keyword>, 6.40 percentage points higher than boys' pass percentage. "A total of 24,068 students have scored above 95 per cent marks while 1,16,145 students have scored above 90 per cent," an official said. More than 1.22 lakh candidates have been placed in 'compartment'. The number this year is slightly less than that of last year, the officials said. This time, more than 16.21 lakh candidates appeared for the exam which was conducted at 7,126 centres. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/aadhar-housing-finance-ipo-allotment-how-to-check-allotment-gmp-listing-date-and-more/articleshow/110071990.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/aadhar-housing-finance-ipo-allotment-how-to-check-allotment-gmp-listing-date-and-more/articleshow/110071990.cms" target="_blank">Aadhar Housing Finance IPO allotment – How to check allotment, GMP, listing date and more</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/webstories/ipl-decoded-highest-individual-scores-in-ipl-2024-so-far-from-stoinis-to-kohli/slidelist/110008351.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/webstories/ipl-decoded-highest-individual-scores-in-ipl-2024-so-far-from-stoinis-to-kohli/slidelist/110008351.cms" target="_blank">IPL Decoded: Highest individual scores in IPL 2024 so far, from Stoinis to Kohli</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/indian-smartphone-market-up-8-5g-smartphones-account-for-over-70-of-shipments/articleshow/110002512.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/indian-smartphone-market-up-8-5g-smartphones-account-for-over-70-of-shipments/articleshow/110002512.cms" target="_blank">Indian smartphone market up 8%, 5G smartphones account for over 70% of shipments</a>

CBSE Class 12 results: 87.98% students pass exams, girls outshine boys

Over 65 lakh students did not pass <keyword id="19951608" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="class-10" source="keywords">class 10</keyword> and 12 <keyword id="19954615" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="board-exams" source="keywords">board exams</keyword> across the country last year with the failure rate being higher in <keyword id="22866974" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="state-boards" source="keywords">state boards</keyword> than the central board, according to Ministry of Education (<keyword id="20349630" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="MoE" source="keywords">MoE</keyword>) officials. An analysis of class 10 and 12 results of 59 school boards, including 56 state boards and three national boards, revealed that more girls appeared in class 12 exam from government-managed schools but it is opposite in private schools and government-aided schools. "Around 33.5 lakh students of class 10 are not reaching next grade. While 5.5 lakh candidates did not appear, 28 lakh failed. This is one of the cause for low retention rate and Gross Enrolment Ration (GER) at higher secondary level," a senior MoE official said. Similarly, around 32.4 lakh class 12 students did not complete the grade. While 5.2 lakh did not appear, 27.2 lakh failed. In class 10, the student failure rate in central board stood at 6 per cent while that of state boards was much higher at 16 per cent. In class 12, the failure rate at central board is 12 per cent while that of state boards is 18 per cent. The ministry officials noted that the open school performance was poor in both the classes. The highest number of student failure in class 10 was in Madhya Pradesh board followed by Bihar and UP. While in class 12, the highest student failure was reported from Uttar Pradesh followed by Madhya Pradesh. "Overall performance of students in 2023 declined in comparison with previous year. This could be due to larger syllabus for examination," the official said. More girls appeared for class 10 and 12 board exams from government schools than boys. "This may reflect gender bias while spending on education by parents. However, girls dominates in pass performance across government, aided and private schools," the official said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-and-airtel-gained-over-3-million-subscribers-in-june-vi-lost-nearly-a-million/articleshow/112670406.cms">Reliance Jio and Airtel gained over 3 million subscribers in June, Vi lost nearly a million</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/the-iphone-pro-models-will-be-made-in-india-for-the-first-time-this-year/articleshow/112653019.cms">The iPhone Pro models will be made in India for the first time this year</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/orient-technologies-ipo-price-band-to-risk-factors-all-you-need-to-know/slidelist/112646237.cms">Orient Technologies IPO – Price band to risk factors, all you need to know</a>

Over 65 lakh students failed class 10, 12 exams in 2023; higher failure rate in state boards: MoE

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A clip of Saoirse Ronan responding to Paul Mescal's joke about self-defense went viral.</li><li>Mescal joked about ending a phonecall to use the phone as a weapon against an attacker.</li></ul>Fans on social media praised <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/saoirse-ronan-movies-ranked-critics">Saoirse Ronan</a> after a clip of her responding to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/phoebe-bridgers-paul-mescal-relationship-timeline-photos">Paul Mescal</a>'s joke about self-defense went viral.Ronan appeared on an episode of "The Graham Norton Show" alongside Paul Mescal, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-eddie-redmayne-2019-1">Eddie Redmayne</a>, and Denzel Washington, aired on October 25.Redmayne discussed playing an assassin in his latest TV project, "The Day of the Jackal." Training with a combat expert for the role, he said he learned to use his phone as a weapon against an attacker.Mescal made a joke in response, saying, "Who is actually going to think about that? If someone attacked me, I'm not going to go 'phone.'"The "Aftersun" actor mimed using his phone, and Redmayne replied laughing, "That's a very good point."However, Ronan wasn't convinced. She interjected, "That's what girls have to think about all the time."In the clip, the other men briefly stopped speaking before Ronan added, "Am I right, ladies?" The audience cheered and applauded the Irish actor. The clip went viral on X, as one user captioned the footage, "Saoirse Ronan gagging men we love to see it."Ronan has frequently used her platform to bring women's rights into the limelight and previously advocated for abortion. In 2019, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/saoirse-ronan-i-bet-you-re-all-feminists-now-actor-tells-dublin-secondary-school-students-1.3886809">she hosted a talk about feminism</a> for students in Dublin, where she also discussed inequality in Hollywood.Attitudes in Hollywood towards sexual misconduct have begun to change since the #MeToo movement exploded on social media in 2017 after wide-spread sexual assault allegations against <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/harvey-weinstein">Harvey Weinstein</a> and his subsequent arrest.A 2023 survey conducted by the organization <a target="_blank" href="https://womeninfilm.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2023-WIF-HELP-LINE-SURVEY.pdf">Women in Film</a> of 266 current and former industry employees found 59% of respondents believed the culture around abuse, harassment and misconduct in Hollywood had improved since 2022.But the footage of Ronan and Mescal sparked a conversation about how men still don't understand how women think about safety.In 2018, the Newcomb Institute at Tulane University conducted a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://stopstreetharassment.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Full-Report-2018-National-Study-on-Sexual-Harassment-and-Assault.pdf">#MeToo survey</a> where 81% of women and 43% of men reported experiencing sexual harassment or assault in their lifetime. The study was <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://stopstreetharassment.org/our-work/nationalstudy/2024metoostudy/">repeated in 2024</a>. 82% of women and 42% of men of the 3,300 participants surveyed have experienced sexual harassment or assault in their lifetime. Despite more awareness of women's safety since 2017, there has been little change overall.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/chicanery1988/status/1850277104916787375">One X user explained</a>: "Saoirse Ronan is a queen. Men need a reminder what it's like being a woman so they can appreciate their privilege." X users were quick to note the stunned silence of Norton and the other male guests immediately following Ronan's comment. The actress made a great case for the power of speaking out as the only woman in a male-centric space.

Saoirse Ronan's reaction to Paul Mescal's joke shows the power of calling people out in real time: 'That's what girls have to think about'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>I spent two years working as a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/job-diary-cart-girl-serves-drinks-golf-course-career-tiktok-2022-7">"cart girl"</a> selling food and drinks to golfers while they played.</li><li>The course can get dangerous when golfers aren't paying attention or forget to yell "fore!"</li></ul>Not long ago, I started working as a "cart girl" at my local golf course.I was an 18-year-old college student looking to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/easy-side-hustles-perfect-for-summer-months-2023-6">make extra money over the summer</a>. I didn't have golf experience, but I didn't really need any for the job, which was driving a cart around and serving beverages and snacks to golfers.I did the job for two years and had many unforgettable experiences working on the course. I loved driving the cart and meeting a wide range of golfers, but I also had to handle creepy, disrespectful, or overall unpleasant patrons.If you want to be in good graces with your local <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/beverage-cart-girl-golf-course-makes-300-in-tips-2023-3">beverage-cart girls</a>, I suggest you avoid making these mistakes.<h2 id="317acbcf-6616-456e-84f5-576e60cbf754">Not paying attention to your surroundings before hitting the ball</h2><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/high-end-golf-course-mistakes-to-avoid-seasoned-golfer-2024-8">Golf etiquette</a> urges players to yell "fore" if their shot is in danger of hitting somebody on the course. Not doing this could lead to some painful consequences — and possibly even death.Unfortunately, people don't always do this. I'll never forget the time I was counting change in the register and suddenly felt the horrible pain of a golfer's ball smacking into my skull.This was my second summer working at the course, and golf balls had never come close to hitting me before. I was shocked.I'm not sure if the golfer who hit me was unaware of golfing etiquette or if he somehow missed my bright-blue-and-purple hair and large orange beverage cart.Either way, he's lucky I walked away with only a painful bump on the back of my head for a few days. Please pay attention when you swing and communicate if your shot could be putting someone in danger.<h2 id="8ff90c3a-6267-4131-87d2-7ed0d835c5da">Making a conversation inappropriate and disrespectful</h2><div type="image" title="Golf course with a few people and a cart on it and trees in the background" height="4016" width="6016" msid="114086205" hostid="261" sizebytes="1145054"></div>Having casual <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/go-golfing-with-husband-never-play-good-for-marriage-2024-9">conversations with golfers</a> about my schooling, hobbies, or interests always made my shifts pleasant. Some would make funny comments about my brightly colored hair — one customer called me "Rainbow Sprinkles" when I dyed it pink and yellow.But there's a fine line between being a chatty jokester and being a creep.Unfortunately, I regularly dealt with golfers making uncomfortable comments about my body or trying to touch me. It was hard to push back and turn business away because I needed my paycheck and the tips.With that in mind, watch how you speak to cart girls and maybe call out golf buddies if they make inappropriate comments.Also, there's almost never a good reason to touch us. At some <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-golf-courses-around-the-world-2016-5">golf courses</a>, doing so might even get you removed from the course.<h2 id="69c0c36e-0833-4d95-9970-e753fd70166f">Drinking too heavily on the course</h2>In my experience, heavily impaired golfers were usually the most difficult to serve.I still remember one of the busiest days I worked: Two outings were happening at once, and I made more money in one shift than I usually make in a week. Unfortunately, it meant I had to deal with customers who had been drinking heavily since 8 a.m.Drunk, obnoxious golfers made my shift miserable, with some making degrading and offensive jokes during my rounds.Also, if you're too drunk to treat employees with respect, you're also probably too inebriated to check your surroundings and safely drive your golf cart.If you can't be civil, maybe refrain from drinking (or at the very least pace yourself).

I was a 'cart girl' on a golf course for 2 years. These are the 3 biggest mistakes I saw customers make. 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Ike Robin, 25, is a nanny in New York City.</li><li>He trained at the prestigious Norland College for nannies.</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/the_manny_life_of_ike?igsh=MTQwemkxcnJlcTBxbQ%3D%3D&amp;utm_source=qr">Ike Robin</a>, an ambassador for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nannytax.co.uk/">Nannytax</a>. It has been edited for length and clarity.I knew I wanted to be a nanny from the time I was 14. It was an unusual goal for a sporty boy growing up in Brighton, in the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/most-expensive-seaside-towns-in-the-uk-to-buy-a-house-2017-5">South of England</a>. I was into soccer and skateboarding, and my other career goal was to be a skateboard film maker.My sister was a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/norland-nannies-what-a-day-looks-2021-11">nanny in Norland College</a>, and I saw how much she loved her studies. She got to do incredible things, and she was always telling me about the fun she had at work. I knew the job would be perfect for me. I'm the nice guy, who thrives on making other people happy. My three sisters and I were all adopted, so I grew up knowing that caring isn't about a blood connection. It's a choice, and I wanted to choose to care for children.It was <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uk-nannies-elite-training-self-defense-childcare-norland-college-2023-1">hard work to get into Norland College</a>. I had to redo some of my high school classes because my grades weren't high enough. Luckily, everyone from my friends and family to school counselors supported me. I think they could see how nannying was a perfect fit for my personality.<h2 id="e0564e9a-df84-464f-8e43-d515dbcc3195">I felt so awkward the first time I held an infant</h2>When I was finally <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/norland-college-nanny-school-2017-3">accepted to Norland</a>, I was the only male student in a class of 300 future nannies. Still, no one looked at me funny. We were all brought together by our passion for caring for kids, and being at Norland really validated the career ambition I'd had for so long.Despite that, there was a learning curve. The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-labor-and-delivery-nurses-do-before-holding-a-newborn-2023-1">first time I held an infant</a> I felt so awkward. I thought, "do you really want me to hold that tiny baby?" But when I picked the baby up I was flooded with love and affection. There's just an innate human ability to be nurturing, that comes out when I'm around kids.<h2 id="900bfb52-6545-455b-8b38-6202aef13a1a">My first full-time role was caring for a 1-year-old girl</h2>People expect me to have encountered lots of pushback or barriers. Overall I haven't, but there are some misconceptions. One enduring assumption is that all male nannies must be gay. I'm straight, and so is every other male nanny I've met. I'm dating another nanny in New York, and sometimes we <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nanny-working-for-a-family-in-the-hamptons-during-pandemic-2020-5">get together with the kids</a>.I think this assumption comes from the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nannies-of-color-america-racism-tiktok-2023-1">stereotype that caregivers must be feminine</a>, with Mary Poppins energy. I have a different approach. I love introducing kids to sports and building legos. I'm great at imagination play: I can turn an empty room into a dinosaur-filled jungle, and help kids have the best day ever with nothing but their minds.Some people are thrilled to have a male nanny, because they have boys. Others have turned me down because I'm a guy. That doesn't bother me, because there are so many families out there. Last year I took my first full-time position, caring for a 1-year-old girl. I was honestly surprised that her parents chose me, and felt a little out of my comfort zone, but it was the most beautiful relationship, and we're still in touch.<h2 id="09769048-67f2-44ed-98b2-7a791fa7803e">I'm not allowed to post the kids on social media</h2>I can't say much about the family I'm working with now. Privacy and confidentiality are of the utmost importance for nannies. When I start with a new family we discuss what I can mention about them or the kids, and what I can post on<a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/the_manny_life_of_ike?igsh=MTQwemkxcnJlcTBxbQ==&amp;utm_source=qr"> my social media.</a>Not that I do too much posting — when I'm at work my personal phone is off. I have a work phone that I use for contacting the parents. There's no time for screens, because I'm always busy. That's why I prefer live-out, rather than live-in, nanny positions. When I'm at a client's house, the rest of my world is pushed aside and I'm entirely focused on the kids. At the end of the day, I can relax when I'm in my own space.Being a nanny is an incredibly high-energy job. Realistically I know I won't be able to maintain that energy forever. I plan to nanny for about eight years, and then open a childcare center in London. What I'm most looking forward to is being a dad. If I could, I would have 10 kids, but four is probably a more realistic number. No matter what, nurturing children will always be part of my life.

I was the only male student in my class at a school for nannies. I've wanted to be one since I was 14.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Julie Maresco is a 34-year-old teacher and mother of two. </li><li>She's taught elementary school-aged children for 14 years in Maryland, New York, and Illinois.</li></ul>When I first heard that there had been <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mom-sending-kids-private-school-keep-them-safe-from-shootings-2023-5">another school shooting</a>, my initial reaction, other than grief for the lives lost, was confusion. As a teacher of 14 years, I just <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jd-vance-doesnt-like-school-shootings-are-fact-of-life-2024-9">can't believe school shootings have become so normalized</a>.When I first started teaching in Montgomery County, Maryland, we had a couple of instances of threats in the community that we had to shelter for. We made sure all children were in the classroom and closed our doors, but otherwise continued with our normal routines. These had nothing to do with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dad-researched-school-shooting-survival-shares-tips-for-parents-2023-3">suspected school shooters</a>, though.We also ran <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/viral-tiktok-about-school-shooting-is-helpful-security-expert-says-2023-6">drills for lockdowns</a> in case a threat to the school had entered the premises. You'd shut and lock your door, close the blinds, turn off lights, and crouch in a corner with all the kids out of sight from any windows or doors.I remember <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mom-pulled-kid-out-of-school-because-active-shooter-drills-2022-12">running drills for both shelters and lockdowns</a>, but the children and I didn't feel scared when doing them. We didn't ever actually expect that a drill could become a reality.<h2 id="4ab4affc-5db4-4946-bcdd-33919892f576">Threats feel much more real now</h2>After three years of teaching at that school, I spent years teaching in Chicago and New York City. Five years ago, I came back to Montgomery County, and since then, the threat of a school shooter feels much more real.We've heard about shootings consistently enough to make them feel like it could actually happen in our school. Every drill doesn't just feel like a drill anymore. You have to shake the trauma off after each one.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mom-shares-what-its-raising-child-in-the-lockdown-generation-2023-2">We do lockdown drills</a> about four times each school year. In the mornings, we'll be informed there will be a drill later in the day. When I first started out, it was always done without warning, but because it has recently caused so much worry, we're warned what time they'll happen.I'll inform the kids, who this year are mostly 9-year-olds, and tell them exactly what they'll do. I warn them to be <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/former-teacher-and-mom-shares-toll-from-school-shootings-2023-3">absolutely silent even for the drill</a>, saying that if it were the real thing, just the slightest whisper might invite a shooter into our classroom.<h2 id="0378c47a-9392-414d-9038-b3d3f88efd37">Kids have a lot of questions</h2>Some of the children take the drills light-heartedly. Others are very quiet, and I can tell they're worried.Once the drill finishes, I debrief with the class, letting them ask me questions and tell me how they feel. This debrief used to be short, but now, kids always have lots of questions.Some of the most common ones are: How would someone get into the school? Why would someone want to hurt us? What if they see or hear us? What if I get stuck in the bathroom or the nurse's office when the lockdown has already happened?These drills, although just practice, become more of a reality with every school shooting we hear about.I answer each question of theirs as honestly as possible because while I don't want to scare them unnecessarily, both they and I know that a school shooter in our building is definitely a risk.But I try to lighten the mood."They'll have to get through Mrs. Maresco, so they'll never get into our room," I tell them. "I'll take them out before they get to you."It's true. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/high-school-teacher-taking-bullet-not-in-my-contract-2024-9">I would protect the children in my class</a> as if they were my own. I'd put myself in front of them at any cost. I'm a mama bear for each class I teach, and I want children to know they are safe in my care.<h2 id="17a0fbc0-8148-4046-95fa-562d7ccd432c">I'm also a mom of 2</h2>But I don't want to have to do that because I have two little girls who are waiting for their mom to come home to them at the end of my workday.I don't want to take down someone who has a gun because I don't want to be the teacher who was in the news last week, who tried to help, and now can't go home to his kids. But I might have to.I've heard people raise concerns that the drills traumatize children. They might be annoyed by their frequency and their impact on the kids, especially young ones.But drills aren't where we should direct our irritation. If nothing is going to change, drills are our only option as teachers to keep ourselves and our students safe. Our frustration should be directed at the fact that this issue hasn't gone away.

I've been an elementary school teacher for 14 years. I would die for my students, but I don't want to.

In a small village in Zambia, a teenager carries the key to her <keyword id="21911075" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bicycle" source="keywords">bicycle</keyword> lock around her neck like an ornament. Her father, the leader of the hamlet frowns upon it. But it has little to no effect on her, because the bicycle was her key to freedom, and symbolic of the agency she now had over her life. <div type="image" title="Students of Government Manorama Vidyapith Girls High School in Patna (2009)" agency="BCCL" msid="113057493" hostid="261"></div> Similarly, a girl in her neighbouring village would deflate her cycle’s tyres every day, and bury the key somewhere far from the reach of her brother, to stop him from using it. Why were these young women so territorial and proud over a seemingly modest mode of commute to their school? How is it related to Bihar, and how has something as small and insignificant as a bicycle paved the way for a broader movement of woman empowerment? Read on to find out! <h2>Bihar’s Mukhyamantri Balika Cycle Yojana</h2>Being one of the most impoverished states in India, Bihar is plagued with a large gender gap in school attendance. This gap in attendance in schools only grows with age. The enrollment of girls in primary school is satisfactory, largely due to the availability of primary schools and the introduction of schemes like the midday meal. However, distance remains a huge barrier in the hinterlands, pushing them further away from attending secondary school. In 2006, the Nitish Kumar-led state government, launched the Mukhyamantri Balika Cycle Yojana, a pioneering cash-for-kind program to empower girls through education. The program initially provided ₹2000 to 14-year-old girls enrolled in 9th grade, enabling them to purchase bicycles. This initiative was designed to address one of the most significant barriers to education for girls in Bihar—long distances to secondary schools. But, how profound were the implications of this policy intervention? In 2008, <a href="https://www.nishithprakash.com">Professor Nishith Prakash</a> from Northeastern University and <a href="https://econweb.ucsd.edu/~kamurali/index.html">Professor Kartik Muralidharan</a> of the University of California, San Diego embarked on a study to gauge the policy’s impact with support from the International Growth Centre (IGC). Their research found that this bicycle program increased age-appropriate secondary school enrolment for girls aged 14-15 by 32%. It also reduced the gender gap in enrolment by 40%. Moreover, the number of girls appearing for and passing the 10th-grade exam rose by 18% and 12%, respectively. The success of this initiative highlighted the transformative power of providing a bicycle. Inspired by the Bihar program's success, Professor Prakash later collaborated with <a href="https://worldbicyclerelief.org">World Bicycle Relief (WBR)</a> and Zambia's Ministry of General Education to implement a similar initiative in the Southern province of Zambia. <h2>After Bihar, why Zambia?</h2>Zambia is a landlocked country in Southern Africa that has made significant strides in improving access to primary education with near-universal primary school enrolment. However, the story, when it comes to girls in secondary education, is markedly different. The drop-off for girls, as they transition to secondary education is stark. According to the World Bank’s 2015 report ‘Policy Brief: Zambia,’ their enrolment fell to just 61% at the lower secondary level. The same report states that girls drop out of school at double the rate of boys in Grade 7 and triple the rate of boys by Grade 11. <h2>A tough road to secondary school</h2>Transitioning to, and completing secondary education is particularly challenging for girls, primarily due to barriers like school fees, long distances to school, and societal factors such as teenage pregnancy and child marriage. These challenges are even more pronounced in rural areas. Additionally, this transition to secondary school often coincides with the onset of menstruation, which brings its own set of challenges. The lack of menstrual hygiene facilities in schools, coupled with the stigma and lack of awareness surrounding menstruation, further exacerbates the already significant gap in girls' education. Nearly 98% of girls in their sample reported walking to school, spending an average of 110 minutes commuting just one way, as reported in a <a href="https://www.cesifo.org/en/publications/2022/working-paper/wheels-change-transforming-girls-lives-bicycles">new study</a> authored by Professor Nishith Prakash and his collaborators. Alarmingly, 35% of these girls reported experiencing sexual harassment during their commute, highlighting just how perilous a journey many face in their pursuit of education. This <a href="https://www.cesifo.org/en/publications/2022/working-paper/wheels-change-transforming-girls-lives-bicycles">intervention</a> was introduced in Zambia, providing bicycles to girls in 100 schools across three districts, and the results were promising. Overall absenteeism dropped by 29%, translating to an additional five school days per year for girls in the Southern Province, where the average primary school student missed 18 days annually. Girls in the schools who received the bicycles were 38% less likely to drop out of school compared to those in the schools who did not receive the bicycles. <h2>Pedalling towards a safer commute</h2>The impact of these bicycles extended beyond just improved attendance. The program also led to enhanced perceptions of safety among the girls. One year after the intervention, girls in the treatment group reported a 22% reduction in instances of being teased or harassed on their way to school. Additionally, the probability of girls missing school or leaving early due to safety concerns dropped by 39%. Post the success of this program, the United States Agency For International Development (USAID) awarded $3.5 million to fund bicycles for growth initiatives to increase access in rural communities in Sub-Saharan Africa, mainly Ghana, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zambia. Additionally, the Ministry of General Education (Zambia) scaled up the cycle program in several districts in Zambia. Simply put, the bicycles in Bihar and Zambia gave young girls the agency of making choices for themselves. While the immediate benefit of these programs was providing the means for women to travel to school, the long-term impact reveals significant shifts in attitudes among both the women involved and the communities around them! But did you know that the use of bicycles to provide women with this much-needed agency isn’t new and was actively instituted by women during the suffrage movement of the 19th century — a decades-long fight to win the right to vote for women in the United States? <h2>Corsets to cycles: The Suffrage movement &amp; bicycles</h2> <div type="image" title="A woman with a bicycle in early 1900s" msid="113057788" hostid="261"></div> In the late 19th century, during the American industrial revolution, a seemingly simple invention sparked a movement that would forever change women's lives — the bicycle. As the country experienced a ‘bicycle craze,’ the first wave of the women’s rights movement was gaining momentum. The bicycle quickly became more than just a mode of transportation; it became a powerful symbol of change and progress in the fight for women’s emancipation. In fact, the introduction of the bicycle revolutionised women’s fashion, breaking away from restrictive corsets and long skirts that had previously hindered their mobility. Instead, women began to adopt more practical, comfortable clothing that allowed them to cycle freely. The image of the ‘new woman’ emerged — educated, sporty, and career-oriented — with a bicycle as her constant companion. In 1895, at the age of 80, suffragist leader <keyword id="23037502" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="elizabeth-cady-stanton" source="keywords">Elizabeth Cady Stanton</keyword> predicted the power of the bicycle in transforming the lives of women. Having the ability to be self-reliant, often for the first time in their lives, would encourage them to be more courageous in other areas as well. While back then, their fight was for their right to vote in political elections, times have changed. Women have to fight different battles — some new and some old — to realise and utilise their potential. What has remained constant in this journey is the bicycle! Susan B. Anthony, another suffragist leader further opined, “Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel…the picture of free, untrammelled womanhood.” Had she known that several decades later, this simpleton mode of transport would continue to improve the lives of young women in remote parts of the Global South, she would’ve been happy to her heart's content! If something as mundane as access to mobility has historically brought such great results, what can be done to bring greater mobility for women in policy-making today? Professor Nishith Prakash suggests that mobility needs to be thought of in a broader context. Mobility in the case of women isn’t just freedom to be able to go from one place to another. There are multiple actors at play, including their actual safety and the perception of feeling safe in an environment. Cultural norms in most societies across the globe, and in India, automatically grant the power of key-decision making to men. For these archaic norms to be challenged, he suggests changes in curriculum from early childhood. Reiterating the importance of agency in making choices for themselves, there need to be jobs for them to want to step out of the confines of their homes. And once they do, nothing can stop them from cycling away to their freedoms!

SIMPLY PUT: Two Wheels, One Mission — Bicycles empowering girls in Bihar and Zambia, a call-back to 19th century Suffrage movement

As the world grapples with the aftermath of the COVID-19 <keyword id="19913581" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pandemic" source="keywords">pandemic</keyword>, a recent study has illuminated the educational harm suffered by young <keyword id="19929042" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="students" source="keywords">students</keyword> affected by lockdowns. These effects, expected to resonate well into the <keyword id="21440663" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="2030s" source="keywords">2030s</keyword>, have left a lasting impact on pupils, warned the research. Beyond academics, schooling significantly influences students' critical thinking, problem-solving, and emotional development. Thus, any disruption to the education process, particularly at a young age, can severely impede students' overall growth. The study explored the consequences of pandemic-induced school closures on children's socio-emotional and cognitive abilities at ages 5, 11, and 14. Researchers projected that by 2030, fewer than 40% of pupils would achieve a passing grade (grade 5 out of 9) or higher in their English and mathematics GCSEs, compared to 45.3% in 2022-23. For reference, the GCSEs in the UK are akin to the Indian 10th and 12th board examinations. However, researchers especially highlighted the lockdowns' impact on crucial areas like socio-emotional support and well-being, underscoring their significance alongside cognitive skills for <keyword id="21440666" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gcse" source="keywords">GCSE</keyword> results. For example, 20% of top performers in cognitive tests at age 14, with average <keyword id="21440665" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="socio-emotional-skills" source="keywords">socio-emotional skills</keyword>, fail to attain five good GCSEs. Additionally, there's a noticeable gender disparity in skill importance, with good cognitive skills playing a larger role for boys and socio-emotional skills being paramount for girls in determining GCSE outcomes. This nuanced insight underscores the complexity of educational achievement. The research not only diagnoses the problem but also suggests pragmatic solutions. Proposals include establishing a national programme of trained undergraduate student tutors to help students enhance their foundational skills and reimagining the school calendar to support teacher well-being and families during breaks. Emily Tanner, an education expert, emphasised the importance of students developing socio-emotional skills alongside academic learning, noting that the report's insights on timing and gender offer a useful basis for targeting effective interventions. The findings of this research can be accessed <a href="https://news.exeter.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Nuffield-Report-April-2024.pdf" data-type="tilCustomLink">here</a>.

COVID lockdown-related school disruptions will continue to worsen students’ exam results into the 2030s: study

<ul class="summary-list"><li>In 'A Good Girl's Guide To Murder,' Pip tries to solve cold case murder for a school assignment.</li><li>Her investigation leads her to three separate crimes, but only two people get arrested.</li></ul>Warning: spoilers ahead for "A Good Girl's Guide To Murder" season one and the novels "Good Girl, Bad Blood" and "As Good As Dead."Pip may not have brought everyone to justice by the end of "A Good Girl's Guide To Murder" season one, but lead actor <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/a-good-girls-guide-to-murder-emma-myers-british-netflix-2024-7">Emma Myers</a> told Business Insider that one major character could "get what's coming to him" if the show is renewed.In the new<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/netflix-best-teen-drama-shows-watch"> teen drama</a>, based on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/learning/best-thriller-books">the 2019 book</a> of the same name, Myers plays Pip Fitz-Amobi, a nerdy, awkward high school student who tries to solve the cold case murder of Andie Bell (India Lillie Davies), who lived in her small English village.A few days after Andie goes missing Sal Singh (Rahul Pattni), her boyfriend, takes his life and confesses to killing her in a suicide note. Pip, who knows both Andie and Sal, doesn't believe that Sal is the murderer, so she decides to investigate the crime for a school project.She discovers Becca Bell (Carla Woodcock), Andie's sister, and Elliot Ward (Mathew Baynton), Pip's English teacher and her best friend's dad, killed Sal.Becca and Elliot are arrested, but one more person involved in the case has yet to be caught: Max Hastings (Henry Ashton).<div type="image" title="A composite image of screengrabs of Emma Myers and Henry Ashton in &quot;A Good Girl's Guide To Murder.&quot;" height="1080" width="1440" msid="112205188" hostid="261" sizebytes="45234"></div>Max is established early on in the series as Sal's shifty, wealthy friend. In the last two episodes, Pip discovers that Max once almost paralyzed a man in a car accident and blackmailed a policeman to cover it up.On another occasion, Max drugged and raped Becca using drugs Andie sold him, triggering a chain of events that leads to Andie's death. When Becca tells Andie what happened, Andie says she can't go to the police because she sold Max the drugs.Andie says she plans to leave town. Becca lashes out, pushing Andie, who had already had a head injury, knocking her out. Andie chokes on her vomit and dies.By the end of the season, Pip is not able to expose Max, but she confronts him and vows: "I want you to know that you are nothing, and I'm not going to stop until every single person you have ever hurt gets justice."The series is yet to be renewed, but the scene sets Max up as an antagonist in future seasons.<div type="image" title="A screengrab of Henry Ashton in &quot;A Good Girl's Guide to Murder.&quot;" height="1550" width="2068" msid="112205190" hostid="261" sizebytes="42922"></div>Myers said: "He gets what's coming to him. If we continue the show, I'm excited to do those scenes, especially with Henry, who's so amazing."Don't read on if you want to avoid book spoilers.In "Good Girl, Bad Blood," the second book in the series, Max goes on trial for drugging and raping multiple women but is cleared. Angry, Pip uploads a recording online of Max admitting to drugging and raping Becca.In the following book, "As Good As Dead," Max sues Pip for libel over the recordings, but she refuses to back down. Later, Jason Bel a serial killer, stalks Pip.Pip and Jason fight, and she kills him, framing Max for the crime.We will have to wait until the series is renewed to find out if the show will follow the events of the book."A Good Girl's Guide to Murder" is out now on<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-netflix-original-series-shows-2024-7"> Netflix.</a>

'A Good Girl's Guide to Murder' actor Emma Myers says that one major character will 'get what's coming to him' if there's a second season 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Three former students have filed suit, saying a SoCal school district failed to protect them from "rampant" sexual abuse.</li><li>The lawsuit comes after Business Insider revealed decades of sexual misconduct by educators at Rosemead High.</li></ul>A group of sexual abuse survivors have filed suit in Los Angeles Superior Court, saying their high school district failed to protect them from predatory teachers for years.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24651161-sexual-abuse-survivor-lawsuit-filed-against-the-el-monte-union-high-school-district-may-2024">The lawsuit</a>, filed by three former students at Rosemead High, claims that district officials created a "toxic" culture on campus where "sexual abuse by educators is rampant." Administrators failed to properly supervise employees, the lawsuit claims, and repeatedly "ignored and concealed the sexual abuse of minor students."The plaintiffs in the suit, which cites Business Insider's investigation of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/40-years-of-sexual-misconduct-at-rosemead-california-high-school-2023-9">sexual misconduct at </a>the Southern California high school, include a pair of former students BI previously identified as L. and Clara. L. said she had a yearslong sexual relationship with her tennis coach Wing Chan while she was a student, while Clara said she was groped and sexually harassed by social science teacher Alex Rai for much of her senior year. A third woman, identified only as a Jane Doe, said she was sexually harassed and groped by her track coach, Eduardo Escobar, as a freshman.Escobar, who resigned in 2008 following <a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24651163-eduardo-escobar-rosemead-high-school-disciplinary-documents-released-by-the-emuhsd">a district investigation</a> of his conduct with multiple female students, denied sexually harassing and groping students but said "it was probably my fault that I didn't put enough distance between me and the athletes."The lawsuit follows the resignation of multiple Rosemead teachers and the launch of a criminal investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department."Our office has litigated against school districts for years. I've never seen another situation where, from top to bottom, the staff is trained in a way that violates the law," said attorney Michael Carrillo, who brought the case. "It's about protecting the interests of the school district over protecting children." In 2019, Carrillo secured a $5 million verdict against a teacher and the El Monte Union High School District (EMUHSD), which oversees Rosemead High, in a sexual misconduct case involving a teacher at another school.<div type="image" title="A leather Rosemead High diploma case rests against cement school steps." height="1496" width="1002" msid="109958086" hostid="261" sizebytes="181954"></div>District superintendent Edward Zuniga declined to comment. Chan, who for the past 15 years has worked at the LA County Probation Department, did not respond to requests for comment. Rai, who <a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24651173-alex-rai-rosemead-high-school-resignation-letter-october-2022-released-by-the-emuhsd">resigned in 2022</a> following <a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23972207-alex-rai-may-24-2022-notice-of-administrative-leave-from-rosemead-high-school">a district investigation</a> into his relationships with Clara and other female students, did not respond to requests for comment.Meanwhile, the district has opened an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct involving at least one current Rosemead High educator in the wake of BI's reporting. Special education teacher Edwin Reyes Villegas was put on leave in October, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24487885-edwin-villegas-notice-of-administrative-leave-from-rosemead-high-school-emuhsd-october-4-2023">documents show</a>; two people interviewed as part of the investigation said Villegas's relationship with a female student in 2022 was the focal point of the inquiry. Villegas did not respond to requests for comment.Former Rosemead choir director David Pitts was also <a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24651162-notice-of-administrative-leave-for-gabrielino-high-schools-david-pitts-october-2023">placed on leave</a> in October from his job at nearby Gabrielino High School, after parents and community members complained to administrators about his conduct with students. As BI <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/40-years-of-sexual-misconduct-at-rosemead-california-high-school-2023-9">reported</a>, Pitts established a relationship with his former piano accompanist, Cindy, that included shoulder massages and intimate conversations when she was a student and became sexual soon after she graduated.Gabrielino's head of human resources, Ross Perry, said he expected the investigation of Pitts to conclude "before the end of the school year," but declined to answer other questions. Pitts didn't respond to requests for comment.A group of current Rosemead students, meanwhile, have met regularly with administrators for the past 18 months to discuss an anti-grooming curriculum they hope will be implemented districtwide. The group has dubbed itself the Ceanothus Council Against Child Grooming, named after a native California shrub known for its resilience. Students didn't hide their frustration during an emotional school board meeting in October, when an alum, Kristy, spoke publicly for the first time <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/40-years-of-sexual-misconduct-at-rosemead-california-high-school-2023-9">about her experience</a> having a sexual relationship with a teacher.BI is only identifying Cindy and Kristy by their first names."The district is only willing to do as much as it takes to postulate the idea of transparency or reform," said Sofia Hernandez, the school board's student representative, who is a member of the Ceanothus group. "We ask EMUHSD to make a clear and explicit effort towards transparency, towards actual efforts to educate teachers and students. We ask for the bare minimum."<h2 id="60700171-33dd-48f5-b0d6-50e3ef037d9f">Ripple effects across the nation</h2>BI's coverage of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sexual-abuse-schools-inappropriate-student-teacher-relationship-predators-2023-12">sexual abuse in schools</a> has prompted many other former students to take action across the country.In Loudoun County, Virginia, an alum of Broad Run High School, who asked to go by their middle name, Lee, had spent the decade since they graduated in 2012 grappling with how to come forward about their experience being sexually abused.Lee said they were groomed by their marching band instructor, William Riddell, for a sexual relationship that began during their junior year. Riddell would drive Lee to his parents' house, where he used the basement to give private music lessons. But it wasn't until another of Riddell's students died by suicide in 2012 that Lee began to question the relationship. A school staffer later told Lee that investigators had discovered inappropriate text messages Riddell sent their classmate. "That's when everything shattered for me," Lee said. "I realized that I was not special."After speaking to BI about their experience, Lee couldn't shake the feeling that something needed to be done. They connected with others who had witnessed Riddell's behavior with teenagers and spoke with a Fairfax County Police detective. Then things began to snowball.In February, Lee met with a prosecutor from the Virginia Attorney's General office, a meeting invitation shows. The prosecutor shared that they'd executed a search warrant at Riddell's home and discovered extensive child pornography, Lee recalled, including a digital folder with Lee's name on it.On March 30, Riddell was arrested on multiple counts of reproduction and possession of child pornography; Riddell was released on bond earlier this week and a preliminary hearing in his case is scheduled for July.Spokespeople for Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares and the Fairfax County Police Department declined to comment on the case, citing the ongoing investigation. Neither Riddell nor his attorney responded to requests for comment."Part of me feels validated. It's something I've been saying for 10 years," Lee said. "But if this had been addressed 10 years ago, maybe others wouldn't have been hurt."In St. Louis County, Missouri, a former student of journalism teacher Erin Sucher O'Grady, who asked to go by only an initial, B., decided to report the instructor's sexual relationship with another student after seeing a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/insider-seeks-tips-on-sexual-abuse-by-high-school-teachers-2022-9">BI call-out</a> seeking such tips. She reported to district officials that her classmate had been groomed for sex by Sucher O'Grady, an award winning teacher at Clayton High School, when she was a student in the early 2010s. The relationship had gnawed at B. for years.In late 2022, district officials opened an investigation of Sucher O'Grady, documents show. In January 2023, assistant superintendent Tony Arnold confirmed that the district had substantiated multiple policy violations by the teacher, including her communications with students. Sucher O'Grady resigned as part of a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24485372-erin-sucher-ogrady-separation-agreement-with-the-school-district-of-clayton-missouri">separation agreement</a> and admitted no liability; she declined to discuss the district's investigation.B. said that BI's reporting on sexual abuse in public schools was "instrumental to me deciding that something should be done" about her former teacher.Back in Southern California, when another former high school student, who asked to go by only an initial, K., got in touch with BI in February of last year, she was wracked by doubt. After reading about how a Rosemead High journalism teacher, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rosemead-high-eric-burgess-sexual-misconduct-investigation">Eric Burgess, had groomed multiple teenage girls for sex</a>, she'd begun to unpack her relationship with her Laguna Beach High School English teacher David Brobeck, which she said became sexual after she graduated in the late 2010s."I had a big crush on him, and I think other girls did, too," K. explained. "I'd just say he was handsome, and everyone thought it was funny."K. recalled being drawn to Brobeck's charm and reputation as one of the school's most popular teachers. After graduation, K. would return to the school to run at the track. One day, Brobeck requested that she add him on Instagram. Their conversations quickly became sexual, K. said, and Brobeck confided that he'd always liked her as a student. Then he kissed her.In August 2023, K. reported the relationship to the Laguna Beach Unified School District, which hired the private investigative firm Nicole Miller and Associates — the same firm that investigated Burgess at Rosemead in 2019 — to investigate Brobeck. Brobeck resigned in March of this year and will receive $80,000 in severance per the terms of his <a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24494311-david-brobeck-laguna-beach-resignation-agreement-following-investigation-of-sexual-misconduct-with-a-student">confidential agreement with the district</a>, in which he admitted no wrongdoing; Brobeck declined to comment for this story.At least one educator named in BI's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sexual-abuse-schools-inappropriate-student-teacher-relationship-predators-2023-12">nationwide investigation of sexual misconduct in schools</a> is no longer around students. After leaving a job as PE teacher in the Lake Washington School District outside of Seattle, Scott Nelson was coaching basketball in the Issaquah school district. He'd resigned from the Lake Washington district in early 2023 following a district investigation that had identified a "pattern of inappropriate behavior" with students.After BI's story appeared in December, Issaquah officials read his <a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24233982-lake-washington-school-district-file-on-sexual-misconduct-investigations-of-teacher-scott-nelson">disciplinary file</a> from Lake Washington for the first time. Nelson told BI he was soon informed that he would not be coaching again this year.An Issaquah school district spokesperson said Nelson was a volunteer coach and that he did not disclose any of the allegations in his personnel file when he applied to work there. "We chose to rescind the opportunity to volunteer as a result of the failure to disclose the investigation," the spokesperson said.Nelson described the documents as a "total misrepresentation of my career" and denied sexually harassing students. He said he is appealing the decision and wants to continue coaching."The HR person said it was too risky, so we don't want you to coach anymore," he said. "I told her, 'Look, if I had issues like this, do you really think I'd get involved in a school again?'"<h2 id="9bea2d1a-efa4-47a6-963e-1c738794d5a9">Lax federal oversight</h2>BI's reporting identified several states that lack the so-called "Pass the Trash" laws that the federal Department of Education has called on them to implement. In 16 states, school districts require only a criminal background check, with no further backgrounding of past misconduct allegations, which often do not generate legal proceedings.Yet the federal Department of Education appears to have no plans to change the status quo. A department spokesperson said the federal law forbidding school employees from providing a recommendation for a teacher they have probable cause to believe engaged in sexual misconduct with a student "prohibits the Department from mandating, directing, or controlling specific state or local measures responsive to this provision."After initially agreeing to discuss BI's findings, the spokesperson declined to make anyone available for an interview. In a written statement, the spokesperson said, "Education leaders have a responsibility for ensuring students' well-being in schools and that parents feel confident that their child is safe in school. Failing to remove known predators from schools is not only unacceptable, it is against the law."Matt Drange graduated from Rosemead High in 2007. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Special Victims Bureau is investigating sexual abuse at Rosemead High. The investigators can be reached through the Temple City station or by calling <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link">(562) 946-7960</a>.

Former students say a California school district 'ignored and concealed' sexual abuse 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Jennifer Reinmuth-Birch won $10,000 on a game show, funding her first semester of graduate school.</li><li>She had faced financial struggles and self-doubt, delaying her dream of becoming a doctor.</li></ul>When my friend pitched me the idea of auditioning for a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/squid-game-the-challenge-netflix-contestant-player-experience-dani-templet-2023-11">game show</a> to make some money, I thought she was kidding. I never expected that two weeks later, I'd be flying home from a game show victory in Los Angeles with a trophy and a check for $10,000.I used the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/squid-game-challenge-winner-mai-whelan-family-secret-2024-3">prize money</a> to pay for the first semester of graduate school, and later, I enrolled in medical school at 50 years old. It was the best decision I could've ever made.<h2 id="89566fd1-d898-4b73-b6e4-3ee71a0c42ab">My childhood dream was to be a doctor</h2>I was always a<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/my-daughter-is-highly-gifted-i-adjusted-parenting-for-her-2023-2"> gifted student</a>. My peers labeled me as "the intelligent one," though I would say <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/performance-reviews-study-gender-race-impact-men-brilliant-women-overachievers-2022-6">chronic overachiever</a> was a more accurate description.But when I went off to college in the late 1980s, I found myself surrounded by many other brilliant minds and realized that maybe I wasn't so special. Unsupportive professors only magnified my self-doubt; I remember one who said girls learned slower than boys and another who suggested the girls sit in the back of the room because none of us were going to use our degrees.I lost faith in myself and let go of my dreams to be a doctor. I graduated with a degree in liberal arts and settled into a job at a coffee shop.When I met my first husband at 24, I clung to our relationship as my source of identity. He reassured me it was okay I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life and that he would take care of me. We got married at 26 under the pretense that we'd try for kids right away and I would <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/woman-left-high-paying-job-stay-home-with-her-kids-2022-12">quit my job</a> to care for them.A challenging pregnancy had me in and out of the hospital and restricted to bed rest. My twin boys were born prematurely and required a year of isolation within the home. Shortly thereafter, one of my boys was diagnosed with autism and thus began the relentless hunt to find services for him. I loved having my babies at home, but the first two years of their lives were exhausting.By the time they hit four, my boys were healthy, meeting all their milestones, and getting ready to enter kindergarten. I was finally able to take a breath, and my career ambitions crept back in.<h2 id="d5668db0-100c-46da-bd1d-cb0d6497912e">I applied for a master's program without the money for it</h2>When I told my ex-husband about my desire to go <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-xer-why-going-back-school-50s-was-worth-it-2024-5">back to school</a>, he shut me down, saying we didn't have money for it and making disparaging remarks about my intelligence.Our conflicts continued and ultimately led to a divorce when our boys were five. I became their primary caretaker and took on dual jobs as a barista and receptionist to make ends meet.I was determined to continue my education so I applied for a master's program in special education. I figured I'd learn how to better accommodate my autistic son in a career that would allow me to work during school hours.But I didn't have a way to pay for it. I applied for several <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/student-loans/how-to-get-college-scholarship">scholarships and grants</a> through Portland State University, but I was still about $10K short on tuition.<h2 id="4663e2c9-49b4-447d-8ba6-8fa7f95e6326">My friend convinced me to audition for a game show</h2>I was hanging out at a friend's house and telling her about my financial woes when she joked about finding a part-time gig on Craigslist. We started sifting through sketchy job postings and laughing at the absurdity until my friend stumbled upon a local casting call for Singing Bee, a game show on Country Music Television.She knew I had a knack for memorization and I loved country music, so she begged me to audition. I wasn't sold on the idea until she told me about the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-jeopardy-contestants-spend-prize-money-crypto-holidays-pony-cars-2023-11">prize money</a>. Then, I was all in.That Thursday, she drove me to the local Marriott to join 700 other auditioners. We were ushered through rounds of auditions until the number of applicants was whittled down to 30, and then they sent us home.A few nights later, I got a call from a Singing Bee representative offering to fly me to Los Angeles the next morning to compete on the show. He promised free hotel accommodations and a minimum prize of $1000. I frantically called people to watch my boys, then I packed my bags.<h2 id="9854fb99-910d-4322-9e91-a5e5d578d640">I never expected to win $10,000</h2>The whole experience was a complete whirlwind. I flew to LA and a few hours later found myself standing on a television sound stage with six other country music fanatics anxiously awaiting directions from the host. I got completely in the zone as we played the game until it was between me and one other woman. She was nailing every lyric, and I thought I was toast — but then she missed a word on a song and they told me if I could get it right, I'd <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/big-brother-interesting-things-you-never-knew-from-someone-on-show-2022">win the game</a>.I did. I was shocked as I was given a trophy and a check for $10,000 — exactly what I needed to fund the first semester of my master's degree.<h2 id="93cd017d-91ae-4444-8356-7aeca5879a21">I started doing research and dabbling in medicine</h2>I pursued the master's degree while still working service jobs, but my heart wasn't in teaching. My advisor helped me change my focus to research, and I was hired as a full-time researcher at my university's Autism Research Institute the day after I graduated.I began to work in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/travel-nurse-tripled-salary-pandemic-perks-downsides-job-2022-2">local hospitals</a> and lean into the biomedical aspect of autism studies while pursuing a master's in nutrition at Notre Dame of Maryland.By 2013, I had met my now-husband. My boys and I moved into his house in a tiny town off the coast of Washington while I continued doing research and finding my space in medicine. I was so close to my childhood dream, but, I thought I was too old in my 40s to apply for medical school.<h2 id="2dd43906-a50f-4a23-9e62-97217b7f8e92">The pandemic made me realize it was time to help</h2>In 2020, I saw the devastation that the pandemic caused to our rural community which was already a medically underserved area. The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7723130/">physician suicide rate</a> was skyrocketing and healthcare workers were overworked and exhausted. I remember telling my husband that I could sit here and be angry about what was going on or I could be a part of the solution. I threw all my self-doubt aside and knew it was time to go back to school.At 50 years old, I enrolled in Pacific Northwest University's medical school. I would be lying if I said I wasn't terrified, but I have my husband, beautiful boys, and parents to thank for being my biggest cheerleaders. I'm three years into my studies now, and there are so many benefits to starting medical school in my 50s.Because my husband and I <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/investing/how-to-invest-in-real-estate-make-money">bought and sold properties</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/investing/investing/how-to-invest-in-stocks">invested</a>, I feel more financially stable than ever before.I'm also more emotionally and mentally stable. After raising two twin boys, nothing fazes me. I can multitask and roll with the punches. Some of my younger peers freak out over a failed exam, but I'm able to let it roll off my back and keep moving.Luckily, my different life experiences don't ostracize me from my peers; it just feels like I'm hanging out with my friends even if I'm their mom's age.The most amazing part of going to medical school later in life is that I've already lived such a full life. I've raised my kids, fallen in love, and traveled to more places than I could ever imagine. Medical school isn't filling any holes in my life, it is just another experience to add to it.My goal is to become a primary care physician which I'm expected to reach at age 57. It's taken over half a century, but I'm proud to say I'm finally pursuing my dream.If winning a game show changed your life and you would like to tell your story, please email Tess Martinelli at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:tmartinelli@insider.com">tmartinelli@insider.com</a>.

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