Uri: TV actor Hina Khan on Thursday interacted with the students at a school in this border town in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district and urged them to focus on achieving their dreams.
Khan, known for featuring in popular daily soaps "Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai" and "Kasautii Zindagii Kay", visited the Army Goodwill School at Boniyar in Uri sector in the north Kashmir district, and interacted with students and teachers there.
"I felt really wonderful coming here, meeting the students, and seeing their confidence levels," Khan told reporters after the visit.
The 38-year-old actor, who hails from Srinagar, said she got to learn a lot about the school and its infrastructure.
"The children are so confident and intelligent. I even learned that many students here have qualified for NEET, which is great," she added.
Khan said she was amazed to find out that the students have complete clarity on what they want from life.
"They are very clear about what they want in life: some want to pursue engineering, while others want to become doctors but they know what they want," she said, while appreciating the confidence among the students as well as the way they are treated at the school.
"Everything is subsidized, and I believe the credit goes to the defense forces for establishing so many schools in such remote areas. In fact, I was telling them to do something like this in the main city as well, so that children there can also study, receive such quality education, and have access to such great teachers," she said.
Khan asked the students to keep alive the desire to achieve something in life.
"We must keep that desire alive. I know it is a bit tough and hard, we have gone through it, they are going through it, and all the youth go through it. But after these hardships, when you eventually reap the rewards, you will be very happy," she said.
Teachers and students expressed gratitude to Khan for spending time with them and said her interaction had a positive and inspiring impact on the students.
"We feel deeply honoured for seeing such a celebrity in our school. Having a public figure like Hina Khan was absolutely a huge boost for our school community," said Riva, a class 10 student.
Another student, Umra Ali, said having Khan as a guest at the school was an absolute privilege and an inspiring experience.
"Her interaction brought incredible energy to our students as well as to our campus. It makes the students think beyond imagination, believing that we can achieve a lot in our lives. Also, Hina Khan is a Kashmiri, so seeing a fellow Kashmiri reach such heights is truly inspiring," she said.
This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.