Delhi Skill and Entrepreneurship University | Vivek Vihar Campus
On November 19, 2025, something remarkable unfolded in the halls of DSEU Vivek Vihar as our team organized an interactive outreach session with the students. What began as a routine interaction, evolved into something far more profound: a raw, honest conversation about ambition, possibility, and the courage it takes to step into the unknown.
Facilitated by Anshul, Tarun, and Gandhi Fellowship alumna Swati Gupta, the session drew the students into a world many had never seriously considered: India’s social development ecosystem. More like an invitation to reimagine what leadership looks like on-ground and careers they can pursue once they learn to embrace discomfort and thrive beyond it.
The session was made possible through the support of Dr. Amit Singh Khokhar and the dedicated DSEU faculty team, whose coordination created an environment where authentic dialogue could flourish.
When Vulnerability Becomes the Most Powerful Teaching Tool
After the initial introduction, we witnessed the energy of the room shift from confusion to curiosity, as Swati Gupta stood up to share her story. What followed next was the unvarnished truth of a young leader in making from a small rural town in Assam who once struggled to string together sentences in English but today leads a team of multiple people herself. “I did not speak English fluently like I do today when I began my journey,” she said. “And when the Fellowship placed me on the ground among peers who seemed far more confident and fluent than me, it became my steepest learning curve. But that discomfort shaped me.” This felt like an honest confession that bravely acknowledged fear, inadequacy, and the messy, uncomfortable process of growth that is designed for every Gandhi Fellow. Swati also spoke about growing up with limited urban opportunities, minimal academic guidance, and few role models pursuing careers beyond her immediate surroundings. For many students in the room, particularly those from similar backgrounds, her words felt like recognition.
Someone like me can do this.
Where Confidence Is Forged, Not Found
Swati didn’t sugarcoat her fellowship journey. She described in detail what a typical day in the life of a Gandhi Fellow looked like, back in her day; navigating district-level work, communicating with government officials, presenting her ideas, and learning to adapt rapidly in environments where nothing felt familiar.
“The Fellowship was my turning point,” she explained. “Because it demanded courage, discipline, and humility.” Today, Swati works as a Grants Monitoring Coordinator at an international development organization, a role that requires analytical rigor, stakeholder management, and the ability to craft narratives that resonate with the global diaspora of development. She painted a vivid picture of her career journey and how the skills she acquired during her fellowship are now the foundation of her professional life.
The students at DSEU had limited knowledge about the Gandhi Fellowship and career opportunities in the development sector. This conversation with Swati ended up being a revelation to them as they had only ever pictured development work as something abstract. The person standing in front of them, confessing to the fact that she was once in their place, hesitated to speak in front of big groups; today, writes grant proposals and evaluation reports referred to by international donors.
The discussed transformation wasn’t theoretical anymore. It was standing right there.
The Elephant in the Room: “Is This Relevant to My Career?”
Post Swati’s introduction to the journey came the moment that every honest outreach session needs: pushback. Students began asking the hard questions, the ones that revealed their actual concerns beneath the polite engagement:
“How is the Gandhi Fellowship relevant if I come from a commerce or finance background?”
“Can someone from marketing or business find meaningful roles in the development sector?”
“Will this experience help me build a dynamic career outside the social sector too?”
These questions expressed the genuine hesitation of young people trying to understand how their academic training fits into an unfamiliar career path. Swati confidently guided them through the various career opportunities they can pursue after the fellowship both in the development sector and outside of it. She also explained to them the entire placement process of each fellow and their skills being matchmade to perfection with our hiring partners to ensure a fruitful career experience for our fellows at the end of their 23-month journey. Students visibly relaxed after this point of conversation. They began to see the development sector as a space where their skills were not just relevant but desperately needed.
The message was unambiguous: The Fellowship does not restrict your career. It expands it.
From Inspiration to Action: The Gap That Needs Bridging
As the session progressed, a pattern emerged. Students were curious but they were also uncertain about the next step.
“How do we apply?”, they asked repeatedly. “How do we ensure that our application stands out from the rest?” This simple question revealed a critical insight: inspiration without clarity leads to hesitation. Many students who left the room inspired to look up the fellowship would likely struggle to convert that energy into action if not guided with assurance. The solution to this problem could be a brief walkthrough of the application form in our future sessions. Not just encouraging students to apply but clearing the path to make the goal feel achievable.
What This Session Really Achieved
The DSEU Vivek Vihar session accomplished something rare in outreach work: it didn’t just inform students about an opportunity; it shifted how they saw their career trajectory. A whole new world opened for them. For students who had never imagined themselves in the development sector or in leadership roles of any kind, the session planted a seed. It validated that you could come from a lesser privileged background but as long as you are ready to hone your skills and put in the hard work, you are unstoppable.
If you give yourself the chance, you can.
Moving Forward: Building Bridges, Not Just Awareness
The DSEU Vivek Vihar session is a reminder that effective outreach requires more than information dissemination. It requires:
- Real stories from people whose journeys mirror the doubts students carry
- Honest dialogue about both the challenges and opportunities
- Practical clarity on how to take the next step
- Recognition that students from diverse academic backgrounds bring invaluable skills to development work
As the Gandhi Fellowship continues its outreach efforts, this session serves as a reminder that the development sector needs more passionate finance professionals who can manage budgets at scale, marketing experts who can build movements, communications specialists who can tell stories that shift policy, and analysts who can turn data into impact. It needs students who might be uncertain but are curious, and ready to be surprised by what they’re capable of. This session wasn’t an endpoint. It was the beginning. And for some students in that room, it may well have been the moment their future changed direction, toward something they might not have imagined but now can’t ignore.
