7 Days That Transformed Me: Soft Skills Session that led to a Moment I'll never forget.

Hey folks!
I recently completed a 7-day Soft Skills and Employability Training by the Naandi Foundation Program supported by Mahindra Pride Classroom at my college : Shivraj College of Arts and Commerce and D.S.Kadam Science College, Gadhinglaj —and it turned out to be a journey I’ll never forget.

It started as just another training session at college—but little did I know, it was roller-coaster journey that left me more confident, inspired, and even featured on my mentor’s verified Instagram!

So let’s begin but first let’s dive into the organization:

The Naandi Foundation Program, supported by Mahindra Pride Classroom, is a non-profit organization working to empower youth through skill development, employability training, and education. Their programs focus on enhancing soft skills, communication, and professional readiness—bridging the gap between academic learning and real-world careers.

What the Program Was About

The sessions focused on developing key skills that are essential in today’s job market, including:

• Building Confidence

• Presenting yourself during an Interview.

• Healthy Habits for Healthy Life

• Value of Time, Money and Environment you are in

• Building Daily Time Table and the Priority Matrix.

• Professional Communication

• Mobile Hacking - It’s Symptoms and Solutions

• Problem Solving

• Personal and Professional Ethics- It’s six pillars.

• Group discussions

• Preparing and delivering impactful presentations

• Resume writing, Frequently Asked Interview Questions, and more

Each day brought a fresh activity with realistic examples of struggles faced by sir and how he solved it! and even most recognized persons like Droupadi Murmu and more; that made us realize our struggles are like a rupee coin but these examples helped us build our confidence, push our boundaries, and work on our goals. The sessions were not just informative—they were highly engaging and motivating.

My Personal Growth

Every day brought a new session, new topics to learn and even new exciting activities to teach those big lessons. Like in Building Confidence - Eye contact, Voice, Grooming and Body Language are the major things to work on.

I was a person who didn’t used to speak in classes even after knowing the answers but this game literally changed me. One day sir made us play a game where groups were made and 2 groups competed for each other and a bottle was kept in front of us; now sir would tell words that we must touch or grab like he would tell us eyes or shoulder or mouth or legs and the speed of him telling this would increase as the time passes and just suddenly he would tell bottle by that time either one from each group would get that bottle (Our team won 3 times but failed with the last one). So, here Bottle represents Opportunities which you might get or not depends on how active, patient and dedicated you are. This game literally changed the game of my mind and from this I learnt just grab the opportunity coming infront of you whether you are ready or not.

The sessions on group discussions and presentation preparation were my personal favourite. In which I had to work on my voice — it’s variation and even the expressions on my face (as guided by sir). I had never realized how much thought and strategy goes into presenting ideas clearly and confidently. These sessions helped me see the power of voice, structure, and body language in professional communication and even got to test improvement in myself.

I also began contributing more actively in discussions and started seeing growth in my self-expression and confidence.

The Final Day: A Moment I’ll Never Forget

On the last day, I was given the opportunity to go up on stage and share my experience from the program (This was the most unexpected thing happened that day with me. He just directly said Shreya you do it and selected the other one and I was like(in shock): OK, did I hear him correctly or have I became deaf…..a wholesome moment for me). It was one of the most special moments of my college journey so far.

In my speech, I expressed my gratitude and shared everything we had learned over the past 7 days. Most importantly, I made a heartfelt promise to our educator—to grow from the learnings he had given us and apply them sincerely in my personal and professional life.

Recognition That Meant a Lot

Rajat Moreshwar Warade Sir, Chief Executive Officer of Addvic Technology OPC Pvt Ltd. and Founder of Biryaan Foods Pvt Ltd , was our trainer for the program. He has the most inspiring yet motivating story of his own life of how he has became a person that he is now. A passionate educator with incredible life experiences, he didn’t just teach us soft skills—he inspired us with real stories from his journey. His energy, insights, and encouragement left a lasting impact on all of us.

What made this moment even more unforgettable was his response to my final speech—he appreciated my words and even posted about it on his own verified Instagram account.

To be recognized like that by someone I truly admire was both humbling and inspiring. It reminded me that when you speak with sincerity, your message can go further than you imagine.

What I Learned

• Keep Learning and Keep Growing.

• Decide your own Environment not the other way around.

• Never Give up on yourself and your student life.

• Time and Money can ruin you or hold you.

• Growth begins when you step out of your comfort zone.

• Soft skills are the foundation of real-world success.

• A single opportunity can change the way you see yourself.

A Note of Thanks

A heartfelt thank you to the Naandi Foundation Program, Mahindra Pride Classroom, my college, and Rajat Sir for this incredible journey. I will carry these lessons with me in every next step I take.

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Thank you for reading! If you’ve had a moment of personal growth recently, I’d love to hear about it too. Let’s connect and keep learning together!