To make a positive difference in every child’s life, Aruna chose the fields of psychology and education and has trained more than six thousand students so far.

Dr. Aruna M. Agarwal is an educator, entrepreneur, and child psychologist who has been working in the field of early childhood education for the last nineteen years. Based in Mumbai, Aruna also runs a pre-primary and primary school, which she started in 2004.

Recalling her childhood memories, Aruna recollects her time spent with her grandmother, who instilled in her the right values and made her realize the importance of time. She adds that her father taught her the importance of meditation and yoga.

Aruna comes from Delhi and completed her education there. She moved to Mumbai upon getting married. Aruna says she is inspired by the women in her family who are in different professions, and this is what influenced her to carve out an identity of her own.

Aruna says that she comes from a modern Punjabi family and got married in a family full of traditional values where she was not given the opportunity to work. So, Aruna didn’t work for eight years after her marriage and took care of her children.

Talking about her entrepreneurial journey, Aruna says that she started her school with a  Kidzee franchise, which underwent many trials and errors in its infancy stage. She shares that she faced the challenge of managing things on her personal and professional fronts. But Aruna kept her patience and was recognised for her efforts after a few years of her entrepreneurial journey.

Describing her COVID experience, Aruna claims to be the first one to switch to the online mode of classes with immediate effect. She fulfilled all her responsibilities on the professional front and helped children with special needs, which was a happy and proud moment for her.

Sharing her accomplishments, Aruna says she was proud when her son was recognised for his professional efforts.She equally feels elated when she is able to guide and bring happiness to her students’ faces; that makes her realize that she is on the right path.

When asked about her role models, Aruna says she draws inspiration from her father, who taught her to be the best in her field of choice.

Speaking about leadership, Aruna says that though she was an introvert during her early days, leadership traits came naturally to her. She adds that when she first started working, her natural leadership ability shone through as she managed a team effectively.

Drawing a comparison between education and experience, Aruna says that while education gives you knowledge, experience helps you make your decisions with wisdom.

Aruna believes in improving her skills with every passing year and never stops learning in the process. She says that constant learning is the only key to success.

If Aruna could go back in time through a time machine, she would try to rectify certain mistakes that she had made during her initial days. She would, however, continue in her current profession.

Aruna advises aspiring child psychologists to work on themselves and their mental health first before getting into the field.

In her free time, Aruna likes to dance, travel, and spend time with her friends.