Oxford Graduate's Heartwarming Letter Dedicated To Late Grandfather Goes Viral

University of Oxford graduate Juhi Kore took to social media to share a heartwarming note about her late grandfather’s struggle to get an education. Kore’s note went quickly went viral on social media and touched the hearts of netizens.

Juhi Kore graduated from the University of Oxford with a master’s degree in Comparative Social Politics. Kore took to LinkedIn and narrated her grandfather’s struggle to get an education and expressed how proud she was of him.

Kore wrote, “In 1947, the year India was declared a free and independent country, not every citizen was allowed to live a free and independent life.” She added that her maternal grandfather was one of those citizens. Kore described her grandfather as “a young school-aged boy who belonged to a family of the lowest caste, in a rural village in Maharashtra”.

Oxford Student Writes Letter To Grandfather

Kore’s grandfather’s parents did not want him to attend school for two major reasons. He was the eldest of four and needed to work on a farm to help his family. His parents were also afraid of the discrimination he would face from students and teachers.

Despite his family’s reservations, Kore’s grandfather was determined to get an education and made a deal with his parents. He would work on the farm from 3 AM and then go to school. Kore’s grandfather would walk for one and a half hours to reach his school without decent footwear and wasn’t allowed to sit inside the classroom.

Kore’s grandfather continued to work for his education and borrowed old books from other “outcast” students and studied under the village’s lamp. He faced bullying and discrimination from upper caste classmates and teachers and was not allowed to sit inside a classroom. His school’s principal recognised his potential and paid for his schooling and living expenses.

Kore’s grandfather learned English, moved to Mumbai, and got a Bachelor’s in Law while he worked as a full-time cleaner in a government building. He attained his Master’s degree when he was 60 and retired as a high-level government official in the same building he previously worked in as a cleaner.

Kore wrote, “I’m so proud of that boy, my maternal grandfather, for instilling the importance of education in me.” She announced that she had graduated with her Master’s degree from the University of Oxford. Kore said her grandfather passed over a year ago and they weren’t able to achieve their collective dream of him attending the graduation ceremony in person.

Kore ended the note about her late grandfather by saying, “In just two generations, he turned his reality of not being allowed to sit inside the classroom to having a granddaughter walk through the halls of the best university in the world. I’m so proud of him and I hope he’s proud of his legacy.”

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