Anupriya Lakra made her dream a reality to become a pilot at the age of 27. The girl, hailing from Malkangiri district, a Maoist-hit in Odisha, also became the first female pilot from the remote district.
At 23, Anupriya did not want to continue with her engineering. Therefore, she quit college and enrolled in an aviation institute. Five years later, she is the first female pilot from her district. Anupriya studied her matriculation at a convent in Malkangiri and her higher secondary at a school in Semiliguda, Times of India reports.
Mariniyas Lakra, Anuupriya's father, a Halvidar in the Odisha Police, proudly said that his daughter will be joining a private airline as the co-pilot.
"I am very proud of my daughter. Since childhood, she wanted to make it big in life and today she has succeeded in doing so. All the credit goes to her hard work and to her mother who stood by her through thick and thin," her father was quoted as saying to TOI.
"Though we faced severe financial constraints, we never allowed that to come in the way of our children's education. I allowed my daughter to chase her dream and supported her all through. I will urge all parents to support their daughters and the choices they make in life and career," said Anupriya's mother, Jimaj, a homemaker.
Anupriya's accolades also grabbed the attention of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who congratulated on her feat, which she achieved with a lot of hard work. The CM tweeted, "I am happy to learn about the success of Anupriya Lakra. The success achieved by her through dedicated efforts and perseverance is an example for many."
