I have big news for the readers of my column—yesterday I was accorded the honour of being selected for the Exchange4Media’s English Journalism 40 Under 40 Award. Having forayed into the field of journalism through this very column in 2020, I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to my readers, without whom this achievement wouldn’t be possible. Another person who must be credited for her role in this achievement of mine is Nanni Singh, CEO of ShowCase Events, my mentor and guide in this competitive arena.
At the awards ceremony yesterday, much was said about the importance of mentorship for students in this competitive age. In this context, I would like to highlight the contribution of Ritu Rahul Rathod, creative writing and communication coach and founder of Moonlight Musings, who has dedicated her life’s work to mentoring young students. With a Master’s degree in Marketing Management from the University of Bombay, she has been teaching students since 1996, in New York and Mumbai. Moonlight Musings began in 2011. Rathod shares, “My pedagogical style offers a one-stop-shop for learning everything concerning the English language. Engagement with my students is an empathetic and emotional commitment. Also, I work with students from world over. They are free to connect with me at any time with any question. I feel obliged to support them in their overall personal development.”
Their most popular courses include PSAT, SAT prep and creative writing. She proudly shares that her students perform exceptionally well at school and usually need only one attempt at the SAT. On average, there are 300 students under her mentorship at any given time. She commences classes from age five with no fixed upper limit of age. Women and young professionals especially benefit from her program.
When asked about challenges, Rathod replies, “Mostly, the challenge has been to keep upgrading my skills and stay relevant in the age of Instagram. It was imperative for me to remain modern and constantly refurbish my teaching style to become relatable.” This has paid off as she has witnessed exponential growth since starting out. Word of mouth and recommendations from the parents of her students have also really helped. “I am my own competition. I try to incorporate innovative and participative learning skills to keep my students’ attention and interest level high. Since I work with several students from different countries (USA, Canada, England, Australia, Israel, Hong Kong, Singapore and many more) it allows me insight into this varied and dynamic field and enables me to learn along with my students. I am also working with top mommy blogger networks to curate exclusive programs for students,” adds Rathod.
She feels that education is essential to prepare a child for the future. More specifically the art of communication needs to be constantly worked upon as it’s the only way to express ourselves and understand those around us better. Thus she asserts that this skill must be given special attention in all schools. In her free time, Rathod teaches children of sex workers in Mumbai through the NGO Prerana. She is also in the process of signing up with various Indian universities to offer her specialised services to students and teachers.
The cost per child at any of the Moonlight Musings courses for a term which lasts a period of four months is approximately Rs 16,000. Rathod conducts the classes on Zoom or through a hybrid model when it is feasible to do so. This enables children from around the world to participate alongside Indians.
Her popularity is evident from the reviews she receives from her dedicated students. Misha from Hong Kong says, “I have really improved and progressed immensely through your classes.” Srihan from Chennai adds, “I feel more confident and can conduct better conversations with people across age groups—all thanks to the classes by Moonlight Musings.”
The fruit of labour is sweet indeed and with access to a dedicated mentor, the labour itself seems sweet.
Noor Anand Chawla pens lifestyle articles for various publications and her blog www.nooranandchawla.com. She can be reached on nooranand@gmail.com.