Deepali Kannoujia's parents wash clothes for a living, her father is currently bedridden. Yet, she did not lose hope. The 16-year-old signed up for private tuition. 

Now, the youngster from Uttar Pradesh has bagged the YES (Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study) scholarship, administered by the United States (US) Department of State.

"My mother is my biggest motivation. I have seen her work so hard for the family every day which she continues till today. She can barely read and write but she always taught me to value education and focus on my studies," said the Class X girl, who is scheduled to fly to the US in August.

It was with the help of her school Prerna Girls' School, a unit of the Study Hall Educational Foundation, that she applied for the YES scholarship.

"I was not confident about my selection for the YES scholarship. But with encouragement from my teachers I successfully cleared it to secure the scholarship," she said.

On her father's becoming bedridden, she said, "I want to become a doctor. I have decided to opt for Science for my Class XII Board exams and appear in the NEET."

"I have never lived alone on my own. But I will have to do so once I go for higher studies. I believe that the programme will help me learn skills, including how to live alone, managing finances, doing chores while managing work and interacting with a wide array of people. These skills will help me throughout my life," she said.