If you have an intense WHY behind your goals, you will keep moving forward no matter how difficult the journey becomes. But motivational words become truly powerful when you hear them from someone who has actually walked the road.

This World Vision Day, GTA would like to share the inspiring story of Alpana Dubey, an IRS officer who lost her eyesight at a young age but never lost sight of her dreams.

Whether you are reading this story or listening to it through technology, we hope Alpana’s journey leaves you astonished, inspired and, most importantly, determined to pursue your own dreams.

When Life Suddenly Changed

Every person carries a dream that gives meaning and direction to life. For Alpana, that dream became an inseparable part of who she was.

Born into a nuclear family, Alpana grew up with her father working as a senior Central Government officer and her mother as a teacher. She was a bright and studious student who enjoyed academics. Alongside her studies, she also had a keen interest in music and sports.

Life seemed to be moving smoothly until an unexpected health crisis changed everything.

While preparing for her Class 10 pre-board examinations, Alpana began experiencing an acute headache that continued for almost a month. Medical examination revealed that she needed surgery.

The surgery was intended to treat her condition, but an unfortunate complication resulted in Alpana losing her eyesight during her early teenage years.

For Alpana and her parents, it was an emotionally devastating moment. A young girl who had dreams and ambitions suddenly had to learn how to navigate an entirely different world.

But she made a choice that would define the rest of her life.

She refused to let what happened to her decide what she could become.

Acceptance Became Her Strength

There were limited technological resources available in India at that time to make studying accessible to a visually impaired student.

Alpana had to rely on screen readers and accessible digital formats. Even obtaining study material was a challenge. Her parents would manually scan books and convert them into electronic formats so that Alpana could access them using screen-reading technology.

The process was slow, difficult and demanding.

Yet Alpana and her family chose a powerful mindset:

Acceptance.

They accepted the reality of the situation—not as a surrender, but as the starting point of a new journey.

Instead of constantly asking, “Why did this happen to me?”, they began asking, “What can we do from here?”

That change in perspective opened the door to possibilities.

And her dreams became stronger.

“The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person's determination.” — Tommy Lasorda

From Dreams to Determination

During her teenage years, Alpana developed an interest in both physical science and social science. Her dreams were diverse. At one point, she imagined becoming an astronaut; at another, she dreamed of becoming an IAS officer.

The two ambitions could not have been more different, but they had something important in common:

She wanted to achieve something meaningful.

She began taking steps towards her civil services aspirations after Class 10. Years of education, preparation and persistence followed.

After completing her graduation and post-graduation, Alpana completed her MBA in 2012. She then entered the corporate world and worked for around two years as a talent manager.

Her corporate experience gave her valuable professional exposure, but her civil services dream remained alive.

Eventually, she decided that it was time to pursue it seriously.

She prepared with determination and, after years of effort, successfully cleared the Civil Services Examination in 2017.

The Road Was Never Easy

Clearing the examination was an extraordinary achievement, but the journey to reach that point was filled with challenges.

Information that other students could access easily often required additional effort for Alpana. Study materials had to be converted into accessible formats. Reading and learning through technology could take considerably longer.

Even in her professional life, she had to explain her working methods and demonstrate how she could perform her responsibilities effectively.

But every challenge became another opportunity to prove that limitations do not necessarily determine potential.

She did not ask for the road to become easier.

She learned how to walk the road differently.

Today, Alpana Dubey is serving as an Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax in Pune—a remarkable achievement built on education, perseverance, family support and an unwavering belief in her dreams.

She Lost Her Sight, Not Her Vision

There is an important difference between sight and vision.

Sight allows us to see what is in front of us.

Vision allows us to see what could be.

Alpana may have lost her physical sight, but she never lost her vision for the life she wanted to create.

Her story reminds us that circumstances can change our route without having to change our destination.

Sometimes, the greatest obstacle is not the situation itself but the belief that the situation has already decided our future.

Alpana chose to believe otherwise.

Her Message to the Young Generation

Alpana’s words for young people are simple but powerful:

“Always keep on dreaming and never let go of your dreams. Hold on to them and do everything possible to realize them. Your dreams are nothing but your deep little inner voice—which cannot and should not be left unheard.”

Her journey is a reminder that dreams do not come with guarantees.

They come with challenges.

They demand patience.

They require courage.

And sometimes, they require us to find a completely new way of reaching them.

A Vision Worth Celebrating

This World Vision Day, Alpana Dubey’s story gives us a reason to look beyond what our eyes can see.

We may all face circumstances that seem impossible. We may encounter setbacks that force us to rethink our plans. We may even find ourselves standing at a point where the path ahead looks completely different from the one we imagined.

But the question is not always whether the road is difficult.

The real question is:

How deeply do we believe in where we are going?

Alpana lost her sight as a teenager.

She did not lose her ambition.

She did not lose her determination.

She did not lose her dreams.

And ultimately, she proved something that every generation needs to remember:

You don't need to see the entire path to keep moving toward your vision.

Sometimes, all you need is the courage to take the next step.

Dream. Believe. Persist. And never let your circumstances become bigger than your vision.