When the floods hit Chennai, P. Swapna studied under candlelight, standing in knee-deep water at her home in North Chennai.
On Tuesday, she emerged a topper among corporation school students, scoring 1,166 marks in her Plus-Two examinations.
“Power supply was disrupted during the floods. But she continued to work hard,” said her father R. Paramasivan, a fisherman from Ernavur.
At least 20 of the 66 classmates of Swapna affected by the floods emerged successful in the examination. “Our teachers distributed new books and study materials. They took care of us like their own children. It helped us a lot,” said Swapna, who wants to become a chartered accountant.
Many of her friends, such as J. Kalaivani and M. Maheswari, lost all their belongings in the floods. They worked hard and are happy that their contribution has helped their school on Buddha Street clock a pass percentage of 87.1 per cent.
M. Ramalakshmi, whose father V. Muthalagan is a daily-wage labourer, secured the second rank with a score of 1,157. “Our teachers played a key role. They motivated us to work hard,” said Ramalakshmi. She was undeterred by the floods that affected her school.
