Outfitted with data on US universities and the admission course of, Padmavathi Devarakonda supplies counselling providers to student-athletes
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A globally licensed profession counsellor from the College of California (UCLA) and Univariety, Hyderabad, Padmavathi Devarakonda is the one skilled from Telangana to be recognised by the Worldwide Profession Counsellor’s Membership. She has carved a distinct segment for herself within the subject, bridging the hole between sporting excellence and academic alternatives on a world scale.
Padmavathi’s journey into profession counselling may appear unconventional at first look. Armed with a background in Masters and Analysis in English, one may anticipate her to pursue a extra conventional path. Nevertheless, her story took a flip when her daughter launched into her tutorial journey within the USA. At 52, Padmavathi discovered herself reigniting her profession, pushed by a long-held need to delve into profession counselling. Now, with six years of expertise, Padmavathi’s focus stays steadfastly on sports activities, significantly tennis.
Her intensive travels over the previous 20 years have enriched her private experiences and influenced her method to counselling. “I’ve had the chance to expertise completely different cultures and parenting kinds,” says Padmavathi. Specialising in sports activities counselling was a pure development when she accompanied her daughter on the tennis circuit. “I observed a obvious lack of expertise relating to sports activities scholarships obtainable in US universities, significantly for tennis gamers.” Decided to fill this hole, she established Aca Sports activities Counselling in 2017, a enterprise to information student-athletes in direction of tutorial and sporting success overseas.
Catch them younger
Padmavathi emphasises the significance of early intervention, recommending profession counselling as early because the eighth grade. She believes in nurturing a steady dialogue with college students, whether or not they’re pursuing teachers or balancing sports activities alongside their research.
Regardless of rising consciousness in city areas, Padmavathi notes a persistent lack of understanding relating to worldwide sports activities scholarships in rural areas. Her mission extends past merely facilitating admissions; she strives to empower college students with complete steering, making certain they meet the tutorial and athletic standards demanded by prestigious universities.
Aca Sports activities agenda
Padmavathi prioritises establishments that worth tutorial excellence and athletic prowess when deciding on schools and universities. Her meticulous method includes assessing college students’ tutorial information, standardised check scores, extracurricular achievements, and personalised steering by way of psychometric checks and profile-building actions.
Padmavathi discusses psychometric checks’ advantages: “The check helps information the scholars because it measures their pursuits, persona, and skills (numerical, communication, summary). It additionally exhibits their strengths and weaknesses in order that we are able to work in the correct course.”
Navigating the admissions course of might be daunting, with particular deadlines and timelines. Padmavathi advises college students to start out early, significantly for athletes whose recruitment course of typically begins a yr upfront.
As soon as admitted, Padmavathi emphasises the necessity to steadiness sports activities and teachers. She underscores the significance of self-discipline, punctuality, and moral conduct, reminding college students of their tasks on and off the sector. Her recommendation: “Keep the required GPA, be punctual, keep away from distractions throughout follow classes, and steer clear of medicine and plagiarism.”
Deal with health
On the interconnectedness of health, efficiency, and diet in an athlete’s routine, Padmavathi stresses the significance of sustaining self-discipline not solely in coaching but in addition in meals habits and sleep patterns to optimise efficiency. Whereas she acknowledges that coaching in gymnasium is probably not compulsory, she highlights the importance of an authorized coach in making certain efficient coaching strategies and strategies.
Padmavathi acknowledges that accidents or efficiency setbacks pose substantial hurdles for athletes. These setbacks not solely deliver bodily ache but in addition induce emotional misery and emotions of helplessness. Nevertheless, she emphasises the significance of confronting these challenges head-on, viewing them as alternatives for development relatively than insurmountable limitations.
