Happy Teachers' Day to all the amazing teachers out there!

Growing up, becoming a teacher was probably my dream profession. I was fortunate enough to have crossed paths with some truly remarkable teachers and mentors. Watching them, I always felt that teaching was such a powerful profession – one where you could inspire and influence so many lives around you. It wasn't just about academics, but about shaping perspectives and instilling values that would last a lifetime.

As school came to an end and I entered new phases of life, I made a promise to myself: every year, on Guru Purnima and Teachers' Day, I would message my teachers/mentors. It was my way of expressing gratitude for all the knowledge, wisdom, and guidance they had shared with me. It became a small, personal tradition that allowed me to keep in touch with those who had profoundly impacted my journey.

Some of my incredible teachers/mentors:

• My parents – The first teachers, who taught me the foundation of anything & everything I know today. My mom was the one who introduced me to the world of coding when she showed me the first project she built using COBOL while my dad taught me how to stay calm in stressful situations.

• Akbar Sir – He was my tuition teacher in 9th and 10th standard. As someone terrified of geometry in school, he was the one who made it fun for me. He taught how any difficult problem can become a piece of cake if broken down into small simple tasks.

• Manjula Miss – She was my Computer teacher back in school. When I took Computer Applications as my optional subject in 9th standard and began to learn coding, she was the one who made computer lab sessions even more fun.

• Bala Miss – She was my History teacher back in school. She had a rule where she wanted all the students to carry their textbooks every Thursday and if you failed to do so, you would be punished. I always admired her for the punctuality and discipline she instilled in all of us.

• Rachna Bahl – She was the first Software Engineer I ever knew who used to stay in my building and the one who became my go-to person for all the doubts I had about engineering, coding & career paths. I remember when I was building a hotel management system in Java back for the board's project, she always encouraged me to be curious by answering all my questions, showing that curiosity is the path to lifelong learning.

• Winit Sir – He was my Mathematics teacher in 11-12th Standard and the one who made maths my favorite subject. He always had a solution to all the problems I had.

• Babu Sir – He was one of the most senior teachers I ever had. He used to teach Integration and Differentiation back in 11-12th in the most interesting way. I have never seen him be late even for a 7 AM class. He taught that when you are truly passionate about something, you put your heart & soul into it, for him, it was Teaching.

• Hari – He is my mentor now at HackerRank and has taught me so much, not just about engineering but so much more in general. Whether it is about building scalable systems, code quality, problem-solving, or remaining calm in stressful situations, the list goes on.

Each of them played a pivotal role in shaping who I am today, not just as a professional, but as a person. Teaching, in its essence, is about more than passing on knowledge; it’s about touching lives and sparking inspiration. Every one of these teachers/mentors did just that for me, and for that, I am forever grateful.

To anyone reading this, take a moment to reach out to your teachers today. A simple "thank you" can mean the world to someone who has helped shape your life, even if it was many years ago.

After all, a teacher's influence extends far beyond the classroom – it stays with you forever.