Indira Gandhi National Open University, or more commonly referred to as IGNOU, in Saudi Arabia, has much reason to celebrate in producing the fourth consecutive gold medalist in the MA English examinations worldwide. Shahmida Mohammed, the successful gold medalist, is a woman of substance, having secured several professional and academic credentials under her belt, who says that she has achieved it “for my mom and dad, who deserve the medal more than me!” Shahmida attended Jeddah's very own International Indian School, which she graduated from in 2003, and then proceeded to complete her Bachelors in Science in Physics from Ansar Women's College in Kerala, India. She is currently teaching at the Jeddah Peace Public School after a brief teaching stint at the Delhi Public School. Despite her background in science, Shahmida believed that an MA in English is what she really needed to do due to her love for novels, poetry, and drama since her childhood. Her main inspiration, says Shamida, was her fourth-grade English teacher, Sabitha Rahim, who inculcated Shahmida's penchant for the English language. Shahmida recalls the event as one of the most memorable moments – a milestone – of her life. She was honored with the gold medal at an elaborate ceremony in Jeddah where she received the medal from Indian Ambassador Talmeez Ahmad and Director of Educational Consulting & Guidance Services, Saudi Arabia, Riaz Mullah. Shahmida was also honored at a ceremony back home at the IGNOU campus in New Delhi, India, where she received her gold medal from Professor S. K. Joshi, the former Director of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The task was no where as easy as it sounds, especially for Shahmida, who handled her career, family, and academic responsibilities simultaneously. In her second year of MA, Shahmida was blessed with a baby, and she found that she had to rely on her family and the her mentors for their unconditional support: “My family and the IGNOU team were always with me, encouraging me to go on. They were always supportive with praise and prayers. I had lost hope towards the end of my second year because of my new responsibilities, that of becoming a mom!” Shahmida continues that her mentors at IGNOU, Saudi Arabia, played a crucial role in motivating her to persist: “I had a little one to care for and it was Mr. Atiq's (consultant at IGNOU) phone call, motivating me and boosting all the confidence I had lost! Dr. Shahnaz also called me and filled me with optimism. The fatherly figure of our center, Mr. Riaz Mulla, also encouraged me to roll all my strength and hard work into success. I worked very hard and I'm so pleased with myself today.” “My husband, Anees Aslam, was also very supportive,” says Shahmida. When asked to determine the factors to which she credits her success, Shahmida says that it was entirely due to the top-quality classes at the IGNOU center. In addition to the weekend classes, the study material provided was extremely helpful and easy to understand. Solving the past papers is also a great way to prepare, tips Shahmida. But the key, she says, is to be interested in what you're studying: “because of my great interest in drama and poetry, my learning process became easier and fun.” Shahmida concludes by thanking God first, then her family and the IGNOU center in Saudi Arabia for their unwavering support and confidence in her capabilities: “Once again, I thank Almighty Allah, the IGNOU team, my family and relatives for all their assistance, big and small. And I pray that IGNOU Saudi Arabia moves on strong and firm, producing gold medalists year after year.”
