[100 Emerging Women Leaders] No work after retirement? Heera Nawaz who wants to be an educator till her last breath

For many, retirement signals the end of work life, but for Heera Nawaz, it is the beginning of a new phase.

An educator, poet, and columnist, Bengaluru-based Nawaz retired as a teacher in 2020. After a short stint as a BPO corporate trainer in Bengaluru, she began her teaching career that spun almost 25 years.

But even after retirement, Nawaz did not want to stop imparting knowledge and being a role model for children. She decided to start educating a few children from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds in her locality.

“If I can be a role model for a generation of students and motivate them to grow up as informed and responsible individuals, only then my dream is fulfilled,” she says.

Nawaz recalls that as a teacher, she would also learn more about life from her students and colleagues. 

“They were so hardworking and active in both academics and co-curricular activities. They taught me there is no substitute or shortcut to hard work. They taught me to be ambitious and to aim for the skies; even if you do not achieve that, you will at least reach the trees,” she remarks. “They taught me to communicate lucidly and cogently and how to be street smart and shrewd and clever in the manipulative ways of the harsh world.”

While Nawaz urges her students to read inspiring biographies of leaders from across the world, her journey is quite motivational too. During the pandemic, she was diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) and also lost sight in her right eye due to a TB-induced tumour. 

“The bank had advised me to write a will and make arrangements in case things turned for the worst. Even in those dire days, my faith in God and my prayers kept me strong. My friends and family too never gave up on me,” Nawaz recalls.

After countless visits to the doctor and lifestyle changes, she was back on her feet. 

Apart from being an educator, Nawaz has been a columnist for publications such as Reader’s Digest, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Deccan Herald, and The Times of India. She is also a poet and is a part of many poetry clubs across Bengaluru where she teaches people the art of writing verses.

Although she calls herself a workaholic, she advises everyone to learn to unwind after a long day and enjoy the tiny joys of life.