Hima Ma'am is a gem of a person and counselor. I found a friend in her as well as felt motherly affections on connecting with her. We have been in touch for about 4 years. I was struggling with my Ph.D. work in the initial years because there was no clarity on what needs to be done. Ma'am always encouraged me to write down whenever confused; it helped in prioritizing. After writing down the things, the next step is to make a timeline of how long each task would take. This brought clarity in terms of what is more time consuming and needs more attention. I would also ask her opinion before writing important emails related to big decisions in my Ph.D. journey.

Apart from my professional life, Ma'am has been an amazing guide to my personal life. She is a very patient listener and I never felt in any meeting that she is in any hurry. In fact she would ask multiple times, if anything else is coming in my mind to vent out, before I leave. First I would pour my heart out, and then she would guide me as a mother. My life has been a roller coaster ride. She advised me on how to proceed in life and helped me on how to handle rejection. I was never hesitant in discussing any matter with her, no filters.

She gave me an opportunity to perform in a street play "Baat karo, baat karo, apne dil ki baat karo" on World Mental Health Day. This was a very unique and memorable experience with all the counselors of Student Wellness Centre and students of IIT Bombay. I wish Hima ma'am continues to bring happiness in the life of students. We are very fortunate to have her in our campus.

?