Bio
Ashma Khadka is the second of three daughters in her family. Her parents own a tea shop in their village, which serves as their main source of income. In a traditional society that favors sons over daughters, Ashma and her sisters have been treated with equal support and Ashma's achievements have consistently made her family proud.
Ashma has always been at the top of her class, and she cemented her academic standing by securing the joint-highest score in the SLC examinations. She was also recognized by the Nanda Kishor Pratibha Kosh, an organization that celebrates the successes of students from five Village Development Committees east of Gwarko in Lalitpur, for her achievements. After her SLC results, she faced a difficult decision. Her heart was set on pursuing a degree in Science, the high financial cost compared to a Humanities degree made her hesitant to burden her family. Consequently, she initially decided to pursue Humanities.
However, upon being selected as a Samaanta Fellow in 2012, she immediately resumed her studies in Science. Ashma successfully completed her higher secondary education at Graded English Medium School (GEMS) in Dhapakhel, Lalitpur, in 2012, becoming the first member of her family to complete higher education.
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