Luck by Chance: In Conversation with Unacademy Educator Pranav Pundarik
A chanced internship offer and the willingness to try something new led Top Educator Mr Pranav Pundarik to Unacademy in 2017. To mark Unacademy’s fifth anniversary, we chronicle the journey of Top Educators such as Mr Pundarik. Here’s his story.
It is often said that a person meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it and Unacademy Educator Mr Pranav Pundarik is a living testament to that saying. Born in Allahabad and raised in a household where education was paramount, Mr Pundarik spent most of his growing up years watching his father, a Professor of Commerce, dedicate his heart and soul to the profession. While Mr Pundarik admired his father’s passion and looked up to him, he was confident that teaching was something he did not want to pursue. The reason was simple — he did not think he would fall in love with any other profession as he had with the ‘idea’ of becoming a Researcher. This resolve that stayed with Mr Pundarik from his childhood into his early adulthood came crashing down in 2017.
“I had just got admission into NIT Rourkela, and I was in the first year pursuing Biomedical Engineering when I came across an internship opportunity by Unacademy. At that time, Unacademy as a platform was in its nascent stage, and I did not know much about the scope it carried. However, the idea of teaching on the platform and reaching Learners across the country spiked my curiosity, and I decided to give it a try.”
What started as an experiment for Mr Pundarik in 2017, turned out to be monumental and life-changing for the 21-year-old Educator within just a few short months. The platform not only gave Mr Pundarik the exposure he needed, but it also supplemented his own need to learn, evolve and challenge himself daily.
“I joined as a Content Developer, but very soon, I was offered a chance to teach Biology. Pre-medical was just introduced on Unacademy, and they were on the lookout for Educators who were well-versed with the subject and could provide Learners with the right tools,” says Mr Pundarik.
Today, Mr Pundarik is ranked among the top three Educators in the NEET UG on Unacademy and has a watch time of 72 million minutes. “Everything I have achieved is because of Unacademy and the belief the team had in me.”
Mr Pundarik recalls that the beginning was perhaps the most difficult. “Initially, when I had joined, the sessions were pre-recorded, and all I had to do was submit 50–55 videos a month. Achieving this number in tandem with my studies was a bit difficult. Still, I managed to push myself nonetheless,” recalls Mr Pundarik, adding that Unacademy as a platform motivates you to do better. “I was addicted to improving myself and my content. I wanted to reach more Learners and every day I pushed myself to do better. ”
Today, three years after his accidental tryst with Unacademy, Mr Pundarik admits to having fallen in love with teaching. In addition to pursuing his graduate studies, Mr Pundarik is also preparing for Civil Service Exams. “I never planned on teaching. I never wanted to do it, but now I cannot imagine my life without it. Teaching has become a part of me and my identity,” says Mr Pundarik adding that his commitment was renewed when a couple of his Learners identified him at the airport. “That moment just made me realise that I am making a difference.”
One of the qualities that Mr Pundarik thinks sets him apart is how well he can connect with his Learners. He credits that to a ‘barely-there’ age gap. “I can connect with the Learners on a generational level. I understand what they need and what example might help them understand the concept better,” says Mr Pundarik.
He also believes that his persona as an Educator is the amalgamation of all the Educators he has come across. He admits to subconsciously having picked up their best qualities and teaching methodologies. “One of my teachers from school told us that teaching is a job that requires many talents. One needs to be a scholar, a writer, an actor and presenter, and I remember his statement vividly even after all these years. For me, teaching will always be an art and me, the artist.”
At Unacademy, we cherish passionate Educators like Mr Pranav Pundarik and we are indebted to them for helping us further our mission to democratise quality education and make it accessible to all. This interview is a part of our 5-part anniversary special blog series.
