Imphal, Feb 18: In a refreshing breath of good news amidst the unceasing conflict besieging Manipur, Aira Thoudam, a brilliant class XI student from Imphal West district, has achieved a remarkable feat by earning a scholarship for the esteemed AFS Global Stem Academy in Egypt. Currently enrolled at Assam Valley School, Tezpur, Aira, the daughter of renowned Manipuri filmmaker Meena Longjam, stands out among the top 150 scholars globally. This recognition comes from a competitive selection process involving 6,000 applicants from 15 nations for the esteemed "AFS Global STEM 2024 Academy.”
Expressing her joy, Aira shared, "I am extremely excited to be selected for AFS Global STEM Academies 2024. This was my first attempt at such a coveted scholarship, and I received the delightful news via email yesterday." She expressed gratitude to her school's mentor, Raya Mukhopadhyay, for her invaluable guidance.
“I have been preparing for months for this, though I was a bit nervous during the interview. I would like to thank my school’s ma'am, Raya Mukhopadhyay; without her guidance, this wouldn’t have been possible. And I am very proud of my mom, who is always very supportive and my inspiration,” she added.
During the programme, scholars will actively participate in community service initiatives, explore innovative sustainability operations, and apply STEM skills to address industry and societal challenges. Successful participants will be awarded the advanced certificate on global competence for social impact, jointly conferred by AFS and the University of Pennsylvania Centre for Social Impact Strategy.
Aira's achievement adds to her family's success, following her mother Meena's acclaimed film 'Andro Dreams,' which opened the non-feature section at the 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa on November 20, 2023.
