Meet girl from small village, who lived in joint family, learned English at 15, later got in Harvard with full scholarship, she is...

Seema Kumari's journey from a small village in Jharkhand to the prestigious Harvard University is nothing short of inspiring. Born in Dahu, a remote village where most people depend on farming and girls rarely continue education beyond a certain age, Seema broke barriers that once seemed impossible to cross.

Her parents were never formally educated. Her father worked in a local thread factory, and they lived in a house shared with 19 family members. But her life took a new direction in 2012 when she was just nine years old. That year, an NGO named Yuwa came to her village. The NGO used football as a way to empower young girls — and Seema joined right away. Football became her escape, giving her strength and confidence.

In 2015, Yuwa started its school in the village. Seema’s classroom size went from 70 students to just six, which gave her access to personal attention and quality education. This helped her grow not just in academics but also in confidence.

Through football, Seema began traveling, first to tournaments in India, and then to international camps. These experiences opened up her world. At age 15, she started learning English. In the next few years, she went on exchange programmes to Seattle, joined summer schools at Cambridge and Washington University, and dreamt of studying abroad.

She hadn’t even heard of Harvard until an English teacher from the US, Maggie, joined the Yuwa School. With her teachers’ help, Seema applied to top universities. She couldn’t afford test fees or travel for exams like the SAT. But in 2021, during the pandemic, Harvard waived its testing requirement. That gave her a real chance — and she grabbed it.

One night, she got the email she’ll never forget: she was accepted into Harvard, with a full scholarship. She was so shocked that she woke up seven times that night to recheck the message.

Now in her final year, Seema is studying economics and is part of several student groups at Harvard. Her goal is not just personal success — she wants to return to her village and start a programme to help girls become financially independent.

Before even reaching Harvard, she was fighting social norms — refusing early marriage, coaching football to pay her fees, and wearing shorts despite criticism. Today, Seema is showing rural girls across India that dreams can come true, no matter how far away they may seem.

Even celebrities like Priyanka Chopra and Kiran Mazumdar Shaw have praised her journey. But for Seema, the real achievement will be when she can help more girls change their future — just like she did.