Nobody to Somebody

Sentitemsu Imsong - From a struggling family to a continental traveller Part 6

It is hard to imagine that a man coming from a humble background, struggling to put things together, would one day be travelling across countries and continents. However, Sentitemsu Imsong did just that.

Hailing from a small village called Asangma under Mokokchung town. Senti took a giant step in deciding to travel to the metropolitan city of Bangalore to do his PhD. It was at this time that Senti and I became good friends. Since the day I met Senti his life has been an example to me, seeing his sincerity and hard work ethic. His life has been and continues to be a lesson of great humility and dedication to not only me but many of the youth of this generation and I believe it will be for you too. I believe Senti is just like you and I, the only difference being that many of us may not have such a clear-cut goal in life yet. He works diligently to move forward and he has become very successful. Sentitemsu's lifestyle is a great example of how we should be.

One of Sentitemsu's greatest qualities is his faith. No matter what situation he faces, whether good or bad, he chooses to love and trust God. Throughout his life God has blessed him in his studies and he has gone from finishing his PhD with a Distinction to holding records at universities. He's been given the opportunity to travel the world and has even been invited to visit and work in other countries by governments and universities.

Senti was among the top 10 from the whole state of Nagaland during his matriculation. As a boy music was his passion and he wanted to pursue a career in it, starting from studying at Patkai Christian College. This college has been known for its excellence in Music for years. However, there is one problem; the problem being that the college is very expensive to study in, making it difficult for students coming from lower-class families. So, with a lot of disappointment, Sentitemsu was not able to afford to go to Patkai Christian College and chose to study science at Kohima Science College instead. Kohima Science College is a public college and financially affordable for most people. In spite of the turn of events, Senti believed that God had a much better plan and purpose for him and he continued to work hard in his new found interest. He secured the state overall third rank during the Higher Secondary College level exam and then became the university gold medallist in Physics at Bachelor's Degree level. Senti went on to do his Masters Degree in Physics at the University of Hyderabad and though he experienced many hardships during that time, struggling to make ends meet, it did not stop him from swimming across the waves of difficulties and discouragement to pass his Masters with a first class result.

Senti tells how God really blessed his efforts and he was accepted at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, to study his PhD. IISc was one of the top scientific research institutes in the country and he became the first student from Nagaland to study at this reputed institute. During his stay at IISc Senti got several opportunities to visit countries in Europe to attend conferences and give talks. Not only was he the first from Nagaland to study at this Institute but he also finished his PhD in record time and bagged the best thesis award in Theoretical Physics.

Following his PhD, Senti went as a Post-Doctoral fellow to Germany where he stayed for two years. While in Germany, Senti lived a life that gained much respect from many around him, including his Landlord and he built up some great relationships. This was evident to me when I had the opportunity to visit him at his home in Germany.

Currently, Sentitemsu is a Post-Doctoral fellow in Israel. He has several publications to his credit, most of them being in International Journals. Senti remains a humble and God fearing man just as he was when I met him before he achieved so many things. He loves what he does and has the desire to motivate people to excel in what they do. Overall, I can describe Senti as a man of humility, determination and great faith. He's a man with big dreams and a man that fears God. Though he comes from a very humble background, his testimony has become an inspiration to many.

Don't let your circumstances stop you from fulfilling God's purpose for your life. Humble yourself; have a dream for the future; persevere and don't give up when things don't seem to go as you planned. I encourage you to think about how God blessed Senti over the years. God guided him from one step to the next and Sentitemsu learnt to put his faith and trust in Him, allowing Him to take control of his life. I believe that if you place your life in God's hands, just as Senti did, He will lift you up in due time.