One day, a long long time ago, a little girl drew a big “V” in block letters on a piece of paper. She colored it in and hung it up on her wall. The only thing next to the piece of notebook paper was a picture of her family.

People who wandered into her room were confused and would often inquire about the random letter that she clearly spent time sketching and decorating.

They knew it must have some significance. To be so methodically designed, perfectly symmetrical, and tacked onto the wall – right next to a picture of the most important people in her life.

On occasion, after being interrogated for quite some time, she would smile and respond, “Victory. It stands for Victory.”

But it was only the few people in that photograph – next to the big, bold “V,” – that knew what the letter stood for.

All that changed on her graduation day when she got up on stage to read her Valedictorian speech. On this day, she shared her secret with the rest of the world.

It wasn’t by luck. And it wasn’t her skill. It was her perseverance and persistence. She knew she wanted something so big that she had to remind herself of it every single day. Every single time she walked through the threshold of her room.

And, that night – on her graduation day – as she accepted her award, she remembered the “V” that she hung up on her wall. The “V” that she drew because she knew, at the age of 10, that she wanted to be the Valedictorian of her class.

This little girl is all grown up now.

This little girl turns one year older today. 

And, with every passing year, I’m more convinced that the “V” she plastered up on her wall did, in fact, stand for “VICTORY” instead of “Valedictorian.”

Because, since that day back in 2005, she has set a number of goals for herself – only to CRUSH them. Demolish them. Coming out victorious every single time.

This little girl has traveled the world. She has planned film festivals and choreographed dances. She went off to get her MBA, became class president, and is going to be starting work at Google in the Fall.

But, ultimately, it’s not the awards or recognition that make her victorious. It’s the lives she touches daily. The people she inspires. The hearts and souls she connects with. And I am so lucky to be one of them.

That, Hema Bajaj, is VICTORY. And you are victorious every single day.

I love you and wish you the happiest of birthdays. You deserve nothing less.