Gopika’s dreams had the colour of skies and the vigour of flying. Literally.
The girl from the tribal settlement of Kavunkudy in Karuvanchal in Kannur district has become the flagbearer of aspirational youth after she became the first air hostess from a tribal community in Kerala.
Interestingly, she flew for the first time when she went for training a year ago after Air India Express selected her as an air hostess.
Gopika had definite plans in mind about her career trajectory even when she was studying at Velladu Government HS and Kaniyanchal school. She was clear that routine jobs wasn’t her cup of tea. But it was tough for the daughter of daily wage labourers Govindan and Biji to even dream of becoming an air hostess. Gopika defied odds to dream, relentlessly pursued her dream career and achieved it.
First obstacles came after completing Plus 2. Due to the exorbitant fees charged by aviation institutes, Gopika had to shelve her dreams of becoming an air hostess and take up BSc Chemistry from S N College, Kannur.
She landed a job a year after completing her degree course, but the picture of cabin crew in uniform in a newspaper rekindled her dream of flying. Gopika came to know about an aviation course conducted by government and grabbed the opportunity to join a one-year diploma course. The Dream Sky Aviation Training Academy at Kalpetta, Wayanad, overhauled her dreams. She started attending interviews even before completing her course.
Despite not making the cut at her first attempt, Gopika did not lose heart. And she struck gold in her second try. After undergoing training for three months, Gopika boarded her first flight in official capacity from Kannur to a Gulf destination.
“If you have a dream, pursue it fearlessly. You should also have the confidence yo achieve it. Without that we will reach nowhere. Don’t announce to the world about your goals or your pursuit. Let the results talk for yout hard work,” Gopika said.
Her tip to the aspiring youth: Always visualise your dreams. And shun all negative thoughts as you pursue your dreams. This, according to her, can propel you to achieve your sky-high aspirations without fail.