Originating from a tiny seed, St. Mary's has nurtured and helped numerous flowers to blossom over the course of these fifty illustrious years. As we admire our school, we thank our founder Sara Ma'am for being the strong roots of our sanctuary. She filled the institute with unfathomable love and kindness which helped us evolve into the resilient individuals we are today. Sara Mathew ma’am is still our strength, letting the branches grow in the form of our teachers who help build us as better human beings.
With the incessant need to know her more, we reached out to some of the people who knew her and worked with her over the years.
As we interacted with them, we were told that she was a person with a tough exterior but, at the same time, was the most understanding, caring and compassionate individual they had ever come across. She was someone who had strict rules when it came to discipline and hygiene, but on the other hand was a very calm, affectionate and warm social worker who did her best to motivate everyone around her. She was her staff's strongest support.
Jain ma’am with immense fondness told us about her first year in St Mary’s. Once, everyone had assembled in the hall to celebrate Sara ma’am's birthday. While everyone focused on Sara ma’am, she called Jain ma’am onto the stage asking her to join and cut the cake with her since she knew it was her birthday too. This memory stands to be the closest to Jain Ma’am's heart, because after that day they celebrated their birthdays together every year forth.
Sara ma’am held a special place in the hearts of many. Chandran sir is one such person. He calls Sara ma’am his godmother. He joined the St. Mary's family back in 1972. He knew ma’am through her driver, who was a common friend. She gave him various opportunities to contribute towards the growing school. And this was when his life took a brighter turn. She was like family to him. They laughed together through the good times and shared sorrows when things got rough. When Sara ma’am fell ill, Chandran sir was in Nainital and immediately came back to Delhi to support her. He spent the rest of her days by her side, giving her the care and love she needed.
When we connected with a few alumni of our school, they were unable to recall even a single moment when there wasn't a beautiful smile on Sara ma'am's face which instantly filled them with the energy to conquer the world. Her serenity never faded, even when she was faced with the toughest of situations.
She believed that children must relate with nature in order to build their self esteem, sensitivity, and overall psychological well-being.
This was the vision on which Santa Maria was built. The limited space and funds didn't stop her from creating a safe and nourishing environment for the young and impressionable minds.
She was an angel who loved everyone with all her heart.
NAANI KI KAHAANI, NAATI KI ZUBAANI!!
Being the dynamic and effervescent personality that she was, we have always known Sara ma'am to have played multiple roles such as that of a teacher, a colleague and an administrator. But here we have our very own founder ma'am in the role of a grandmother, a facet of hers not many would be cognizant of.
Ashish Sir being her grandson tells us,
At home, she was the head of the family. Along with her husband, she was the leader of a large joint family which lived together in Delhi. With six grandkids running around the house, she was the favourite adult to snuggle up to when they were sad, or the one they'd beg for a sweet when they were hungry. At school, their grandmother was the boss. She commanded respect, led from the front and developed the school in key areas.
As we asked Sir if he had to associate her fruits, which one it would be and why, "Definitely, the coconut, as I have to pay homage to our Malayali roots. Most who knew her professionally would say that she was hard on the outside. But, my grandmother also had the amazing knack of forging strong bonds based on love and respect with people from all across the country" he responded.
Her visions and ideals have definitely shaped the perceptions of her grandchildren of life and the world itself. Sara ma’ams saying, 'Whatever you do, do it well. Be the best at it.' is still the mantra and inspiration for not just the school but her grandchildren too.
Her generous and empathetic soul had made and saved many lives. Even after leaving us with beautiful memories and musings, she continues to inspire the people she met. She shaped so many individuals during their happy and even difficult times that she is still a part of them today. She worked hard to build the school from scratch and made us what we are today. This encourages us to achieve our goals even if it seems unlikely, if we work hard enough.