Mangaluru: Immense self-belief helped Vaishnavi Ballal sail through a difficult phase to finally reaffirm the faith placed on her by her teachers and parents. When the II PUC results were announced, many who had immense faith in Vaishnavi’s potential had believed that she would emerge as a topper. Despite scoring 100 marks in physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology and Sanskrit, she seemed to have lost out on a rank, as she scored 90 in English.

When the CET results were made public, she had secured the 22nd rank in CET medical. A confident Vaishnavi felt she had done better in the exam. Undeterred by the developments, she applied for a revaluation. Post revaluation, her suspicions were proved to be correct, when six more marks were added, taking her total in the English subject to 96. Post the revaluation, she was declared as the second rank holder in the II PUC examinations. Another dream was realised, when she was moved 20 places up in the CET medical, to standing second in the CET medical.

She now dreams of becoming a neurosurgeon.

Her father Dr Rajesh Ballal is a reputed general surgeon. “My career choice is medicine, and I hope to remain busy round the clock in this profession,” the multi-talented Vaishnavi told reporters.

Vaishnavi is a trained percussionist, Bharathanatyam dancer, martial arts expert and Carnatic vocalist. While studying in the seventh standard, she had won the International Abacus and Mental Aptitude Competition organised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

She is also a spelling champ, and was presented an outstanding talent award for young achievers. Her father Dr Rajesh Ballal said he or his wife Vasundhara Ballal never had to tell Vaishnavi to study. “Vaishnavi studied like any other student. She sleeps for 6 hours in a day.

She was focused on music and drawing from an early age, but concentrates on academics during the examinations,” he said. Vaishnavi’s mother Vasundhara Ballal is an artist who makes ceramic models and paintings. Vasundhara said she was confident that her daughter will emerge a state topper. Vaishnavi thanked her lecturers in Expert PU College for helping her secure good marks.