Daughter of security guard in India goes viral for her inspiring graduation story
A heartwarming video capturing the emotional journey of an Indian security guard’s daughter graduating from a prestigious U.K. university has gone viral on social media.
About the video: The now-viral video, posted on Instagram by Dhanshree Gaikwad over the weekend, highlights the touching bond between Dhanshree and her father, who defied societal expectations to support her education abroad. The edited video starts with the emotional moment of the father crying and hugging Dhanshree upon receiving the acceptance letter into the University of Plymouth to bidding farewell at the airport and finally attending her graduation ceremony.
“To everyone who said to my father, ‘You are just a guard, you can’t send your daughter abroad.’ He’s my lifeguard and he did it,” Dhanshree wrote in the video.
“#graduated Thank you Pappa for believing in me,” she added in her post’s caption.
Going viral: In less than a week, the video has already garnered more than 22 million views and over 2 million likes. Viewers praised and congratulated Dhanshree and her father, noting their inspiration and pride found in their story.
The video also reached local celebrities and officials like Ayushmann Khurrana, Jiya Shankar, Pragati Srivastava, Esha Gupta and Priyanka Chaturvedi, who expressed admiration and applauded Dhanshree for making her father proud.
“Ugh my heart,” Shankar commented. “Immense amount of respect for your father and super proud of you. God bless you guys.”
“Thank you for making your dad proud,” Srivastava said. “He deserves all the happiness in the world. More power to you.”
Dhanshree’s story: According to the graduate, she worked continuously from 2016 to 2022 after receiving her bachelor’s degree to financially support her family. Despite facing challenges as the eldest sibling, Dhanshree and her family planned for her to study abroad to get her master’s, taking two years to prepare. After saving money from post-COVID employment and exploring scholarship options, Dhanshree’s family, including her brother and father, supported her in obtaining a loan to pursue higher education. Dhanshree ensured that her family did not have to face financial concerns by covering expenses through part-time work in the U.K.
Dhanshree expresses gratitude: Since going viral, Dhanshree shared a new video to thank everyone for their love and support. The recording features Dhanshree getting ready and attending her graduation ceremony.
“I never imagined that sharing my background would have such a profound emotional impact on others. It’s incredible to see how my story resonates with thousands of people who feel like my success is their own. The overwhelming appreciation I’m receiving for what I consider to be the bare minimum—making my parents proud in exchange of their hard work—leaves me truly blown away…. I’m so grateful #blessed,” she wrote.
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