Chevening lessons for first-generation leaders

By Raju Kendre (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajukendre) 

Chevening alumnus Raju Kendre grew up in a nomadic tribal community in central India. For years, he watched generations of talented young people miss out on opportunities based on prejudice and exclusion.  

Raju’s journey through the education system was often isolating, but friends, mentors and supportive ecosystems showed him that ‘knowledge becomes liberation when it is shared’.  

Eight years ago, Raju founded the Eklavya India Foundation (EIF) which has supported more than 2,500 students to study at leading universities in India and abroad.  

Here are the five mentorship lessons Raju’s journey has taught him:     

Mentorship accelerates growth faster than knowledge alone 

My parents were married in childhood and never had the chance to complete primary school. Our family lacked basic social, economic, and cultural capital, and the world of higher education felt distant; designed for people unlike us.  

For many years, I believed hard work and resilience alone were enough. But I learned an uncomfortable truth: in systems not built for you, hard work without guidance is often invisible.  

During my Chevening journey, I met people who translated complex systems into navigable steps: how to build partnerships, how to negotiate, and how to scale a social mission on national and global platforms. These conversations gave me the confidence to expand EIF’s work beyond our small district where it began eight years ago.  

Today, our students are studying and contributing in more than ten countries across the world. The journey from a quiet village to a global network of first-generation scholars was the result of people who believed in me, humanised my journey, and helped me see myself as a leader.   

Finding the right mentor is about values, not titles 

Finding the right mentor is not about reaching out to the most accomplished or powerful person you can find; it begins with asking a deeper question: Who understands my journey and the future I hope to build?  

For those navigating exclusion or inequality, mentorship is most powerful when it comes from people who have walked similar roads. Titles do not guarantee empathy, lived experience does. Speaking with someone who has navigated discrimination, financial hardship, or systemic barriers can reveal what feels possible. 

A real mentor is not interested in what you already are but is invested in who you can become.  

Effective mentees show commitment, not perfection 

The strongest mentorship relationships are built on honesty and consistency, not perfection. At EIF, the students who grow fastest are rarely those labelled ‘naturally brilliant.’ They are the ones who showed up to every workshop, asked difficult questions without shame, absorbed feedback, and continued to push forward after setbacks.  

They treat mistakes as lessons and, importantly, return to support those who come after them. This cycle of learning reflects a core leadership principle: progress is strongest when it is shared. 

Mentorship multiplies opportunity and impact 

Mentorship extends far beyond university admission. For first-generation learners, it builds confidence, belonging, and networks. Mentorship not only helps students enter top institutions, but complete their degrees, pursue dignified careers, and develop leadership skills. 

When people see leaders who look like them succeed, their aspirations expand. Over time, social capital becomes shared capital, and leadership becomes collective. It shifts the mindset of entire families, turning education from a distant luxury into a pathway to dignity.

Take one practical step today: ask 

Your first mentorship relationship will not be flawless or perfectly planned. It begins with one brave act: reaching out.  

Write to someone you admire. Share who you are, what you hope to achieve, and ask for one concrete piece of guidance. Sometimes a single conversation can shift your entire horizon.  

Mentorship is not an accessory to success. It is the bridge between possibility and reality. I am living proof of this, and through the thousands of young people at EIF, I see every day how mentorship within marginalised communities reshapes futures.