Sidheswari's story

From first nerves to big dreams: How Sidheswari found her voice through Trinity’s GESE

When Sidheswari’s teachers first mentioned the idea of doing a GESE exam when she was in fourth grade, she had some reservations.
“I was thinking, how am I going to do it?”
Encouraged by her parents, she decided to give it a try anyway.
“My father and my mother said, you should try, no matter what. It’s not the destination - it’s the journey which matters.”
Looking back now, Sidheswari sees that moment as the beginning of something much bigger.
“Looking back, this was one of my first steps toward communication confidence.”

That mindset became the foundation of her experience with Trinity College London and marked an important milestone in her personal development. Although she remembers worrying about how the exam would go, the reality was more positive than she expected.
“She was so calm,” Sidheswari recalls about the examiner. “I had an image in my mind that it was going to be someone strict - but I was shocked when I passed.”
That early success gave her a sense of pride and possibility.
“I was happy and proud of myself because I know I’m the first one in my family to do it,” she says. “Even though it was just a year, the experience played an important role in shaping my confidence in communication and personal growth.”

Today, those communication skills continue to support her in everyday life. Growing up in different parts of India meant adapting to new languages and environments.
“It did help me in a lot of other ways too,” she explains. “I was born in Andhra Pradesh, where we speak Telugu, and now I am in Maharashtra, where people speak Marathi - so English is one of the ways I can communicate with people.”

For Sidheswari, communication is not just about passing an exam - it is about personal growth and resilience.

“If it turns out good, I’m happy. If it turns out wrong, then okay, fine,” she says. “It helps you know what you need to work on and improve.”

Looking ahead, she has ambitious plans. She is particularly interested in technology and emerging fields such as AI. She explains. “I realised that to make AI, we need perfect data, so I became interested in data science.”

She adds that communication skills now play a central role in her journey in technology and innovation.

Beyond her career goals, she also dreams of exploring the world.

“I have this huge thing on my bucket list — I want to travel to each and every country and try food there,” she says with a smile.

When asked what advice she would give to other young learners considering a Trinity exam, her answer is simple and encouraging:
“Go ahead and do it. Everyone needs some kind of shaping in their life.”

Her journey is a reminder that confidence often begins with a single step. As she puts it:
“Small beginnings. Big dreams.”

"Looking back, this was one of my first steps toward communication confidence."

Find out more about Trinity GESE exams
More Trinity success stories