Surat: Height never defined Vrundani Patel — not inside a classroom, and not in life. Barely two feet tall, the 28-year-old spent years teaching graduate and postgraduate students in Surat, building a reputation for clarity, patience and strong subject command. Despite this, college interviewers repeatedly doubted whether she could handle a classroom. Refusing to let prejudice decide her fate, she cracked the selection on her fourth try and is now an assistant professor at NC Bodiwala and Principal MC Desai Commerce College in Ahmedabad.Her journey was never easy. Patel was just 1.5 years old when her parents divorced, leaving her to be raised by her father — himself three feet tall — and her grandmother. “I dedicate my success to my father, who was my constant inspiration and support. He never let me down. My father taught students and raised me. Whenever I felt low, he encouraged me and taught me to fight for my rights in society,” she said.A bright student since childhood, her school supported her by providing a special bench until Class 12. She scored 81% in Class 10 and 85% in Class 12, and went on to complete her BCom and MCom with excellent results.“I initially dreamt of becoming a doctor, but my father guided me towards commerce, believing my dwarfism might create limitations in medical practice. I cleared both GSET and NET immediately after MCom, and recently completed my PhD — a personal milestone that allowed me to fulfil my childhood dream of becoming a ‘doctor’ in another sense,” she said. After getting her postgraduate degree, she began teaching at her father’s tuition classes in Surat’s Rander area, where she coached more than 200 BCom and MCom students over five years in accountancy, statistics, auditing and mercantile law subjects. To help her teach comfortably, the coaching centre arranged a special platform and a smart board.When the commissionerate of higher education announced a special recruitment drive offering assistant professorship to divyangs, Patel applied widely. She sat for nearly seven interviews across different colleges in Gujarat. “Many people in society, including some from the physically handicapped community, never believed I could become a lecturer. I had faced rejections earlier too. Even in this drive, I was rejected three times before finally being selected on my fourth attempt,” she said. “People assumed I would not be able to manage students because of my height. But I trusted my subject knowledge, my rapport with students and my confidence.”The journey was not free of hurt. Patel said she was often teased at social gatherings but learned to shut out the noise. Her determination also carried her through a 3.5-year struggle to obtain a driving licence. She succeeded in 2023, and has been driving her sedan ever since. “I will now drive to my college, my new workplace in Ahmedabad,” she said. Her message to others facing similar challenges is simple: “Never get disappointed by rejections. Keep trying.”
