Deekshitha's Journey of Crunching Data and Smashing Stereotypes Along the Way

Deekshitha's Journey of Crunching Data and Smashing Stereotypes Along the Way

Ask Deekshitha to describe her interests and she’ll find ways to discuss her dealings with data. “I’m a detail-oriented person. I like research but I also need to see outcomes. Numbers allow me to do that.” Born and brought up in Guntur, a small town in Andhra Pradesh, Deekshitha is acutely aware of her inability to communicate with conviction. Preparing for CA exams — alone  — made matters worse.

Unable to crack her exams, Deekshitha began exploring conventional MBAs. Then, she came across Vedica. “I’ve always been shy. I would keep to myself. But in an intimate batch size with only women, there would be nowhere to hide. I wanted to take a chance and not dwell on my failures.”

Deekshitha found her classmates encouraging, began expressing herself and even learnt how to bargain like a pro at Sarojini Nagar in Hindi, a language she’s not comfortable in. Her interest in finance only solidified as she learnt excel and the myriad ways to make meaning of numbers. “I was not looking at data just from an accountant’s perspective. I was now looking at it like a manager. Results mattered more than anything else.” Courses on branding, marketing and operations added layers of comprehension.

But it was liberal arts that multiplied her understanding of the world’s biases, especially related to gender. A common myth she encounters often is how women are bad at mathematics. “Many women are the financial managers at home. But women in finance rarely occupy the top positions.”