This blog isn’t about smooth rides or lucky breaks. It’s about a woman who faced life’s harshest realities and chose to get back up and rewrite her story. She found herself at life’s crossroads after a devastating personal loss. While the world seemed to crumble around her, she decided to rebuild, brick by brick, by embracing the world of Data Science.
A thriving career that took a different turn
Sheetal Vadaga’s life has always centred on balancing her dreams with her responsibilities. Born and raised in Jagdalpur, a small town in Chhattisgarh, she grew up in a modest household filled with big ambitions. Despite the restrictions typical in traditional families, she completed her B.Sc. in Mathematics and, through sheer determination, convinced her parents to allow her to move away to Coimbatore to pursue a diploma in computing at C-DAC. This marked the beginning of her professional journey in 2000 when she landed her first job at Mascon Global Limited.
Her career took off as she moved to Hyderabad in 2003 after her marriage. Though she initially took a break to adapt to her new life, Sheetal restarted her IT career with vigor, balancing her work with weekend classes to pursue a master’s degree in Software Technology from Bharathidasan University. Over the years, she worked with prominent companies like Virtusa and HP, building a strong foundation for her future.
But life is rarely linear. In 2011, the arrival of her first child marked a new phase. By 2015, she was a mother of premature twins, one of whom she tragically lost. To focus on her family, she stepped away from her thriving IT career and began channeling her energy into something new: starting and running a Montessori preschool, which she successfully managed until 2020.
An unimaginable loss, mother’s duties, but an unstoppable will to start over
In 2021, Sheetal’s life was shaken to its core. Her husband, Satish, contracted COVID-19 and passed away within a month. “The grief was paralyzing,” Sheetal shares. “But I had two young children looking up at me, needing me to be strong. I couldn’t let them down.”
Faced with a future full of uncertainties, Sheetal knew she had to start over, not just for herself, but for her 10-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son. Returning to IT after a seven-year gap wasn’t easy. She leveraged her late husband’s connections and joined a real estate company’s IT wing. However, the job was a stepping stone, not a destination. Recognizing the need to update her skills for long-term stability, she decided to upskill by enrolling in the Data Science and Business Analytics program in 2022.
“I was scared of failing,” she admits. “The industry had changed so much since I left. But I told myself, if I can survive the worst life has thrown at me, I can survive this too.”
Balancing her job, coursework, and parenting was a tightrope act. Late-night study sessions became her norm, often spilling into early mornings. Slowly but surely, Sheetal found herself cracking complex assignments, learning new tools, and rediscovering her confidence.
“The program was well-structured, even for someone like me who had been away from the industry. Every milestone, big or small, felt like a step closer to reclaiming my dreams,” she reflects.
Creating ripples of change for others
While Sheetal focused on rebuilding her career, she also made it her mission to help others. She now mentors women facing similar challenges and is funding the education of two children who, like hers, lost their father during the pandemic. Their mother, a distant friend, has become one of Sheetal’s mentees. She encourages her to pursue further education and find financial independence.
“I want my kids to see that setbacks don’t define you; how you rise matters,” she says. For Sheetal, success is about more than personal achievements. It’s about creating ripples of change for others.
It’s the detours that often teach us what we’re truly capable of
Sheetal’s ultimate goal is to secure a position at a reputed MNC. For her, it’s not just about financial stability; it’s about showing her children that no matter how many times life knocks you down, you can always stand back up. “This journey isn’t just mine,” she says. “It’s a lesson for my kids and anyone struggling that resilience and education can rebuild lives.”
Her story, marked by loss and hope, grief and determination, is a testament to the power of reinvention. It reminds us that while life may not follow the path we plan, it’s the detours that often teach us what we’re truly capable of.
