Journey Of Resilience

LedBy interviewed Ibtesam Fatma, an alum, who is all set to take her role as a Business Analyst with Axis Bank.

Despite belonging to an exiguous society where girls moving out to a different state for education is an infrequent event, she paved a way to learn through her stout and perpetual effort. Read about her journey of resilience.

Q. Could you tell us about yourself?

A. I’m another young Indian Muslim woman who aspires to contribute to the world’s good deeds by edifying people to their rights and duties under the light of Islam. My name is Ibtesam, meaning “happiness,” which also reflects my mood “most of the time!" I hail from Patna, currently a Fellow at Young India Fellowship’ 21, and will soon join Axis Bank. Before that, I was a Fellow at LedBy’20 and graduated with a triple Major course in Mathematics, Statistics, and Economics at Mount Carmel College, Bangalore.

Q. How has your transition been from college to the professional world? Have you changed as a person?

A. As an individual, I’m still the same person. I was resilient back then, and I’m resilient now. I had patience then; I have patience now. Talking of the transition, the circumference of my dreams has expanded, but the core is still the same. I believe in achieving more and more while holding my core values intact. My growth has been holistic rather than one-dimensional, which I have always aspired to achieve.

Q. What would you suggest to women who are struggling between making a career and societal pressure?

A. I believe that if any woman has the potential to challenge societal norms, Go Ahead! But, if it is tough to do so, don’t let these deadlines discourage or dishearten you. Through my experiences, I have learned when you start to invest in your professional growth seriously, the society around you changes. When society witnesses your hard work, they’ll start believing in your dreams, and eventually, they will tweak those deadlines in your favor.

Q. What did LedBy Fellowship bring to you as an individual?

A. If I have to put it in one statement, LedBy solidified my dreams. They talked about my dreams more than me. Like any other graduate, I was confused about my plans. LedBy helped to disintegrate my likes and strengths and eventually helped me understand that I should get into the field of Data.

On a personal level, It gives me chills to see my cohort members who were highly talented and were working towards their dreams even though we all had similar struggles and boundaries. Even after completing LedBy Fellowship 2020, I was under the guidance of our Founder Dr. Ruha Shadab and our Operations Director, Deepanjali Lahiri. They helped me to grow professionally by going through drafts and drafts of my resumes and cover letters. And Yes! It was a very tedious job.

Q. What message to would you like to give to the community?

A. We shouldn’t only work towards our self-development but should together grow as a community. We must have heard the above phrase multiple times, but it's necessary to understand why this is important. The current unprecedented times have challenged many foundations, and many have faced bankruptcy financially, emotionally, and physically. If you are part of a developed and tightly knit community, there are hands to support you. This also forms the values and beliefs of the Led By Foundation.