Beyond Silence And Darkness: 20-Year-Old Student Sarah Moin Scores 98.7% In ISC Class 12, Tops College

Lucknow: In a quiet lane of Nazarbagh, an extraordinary story has unfolded, one that is inspiring far beyond the city. Sarah Moin, a 20-year-old student, has secured 98.7 percent in the ISC Class 12 examination in 2026, emerging as the topper of Christ Church College and setting a powerful example of resilience.

Her journey reflects struggle

Her result reflects academic brilliance, but the journey behind it tells a deeper story of struggle, adaptation and determination.

Her journey to academic excellence, however, was paved with immense hardship. Born a healthy child with normal sight and hearing, Sarah’s life took a tragic turn at the age of four when she developed a gland on her neck.

Father took voluntary retirement from BSNL

“For her treatment, we took her to many health facilities. High dosages of steroids were injected to treat her gland. When the treatment got over, she started facing vision, hearing and speech issues,” recalled her father, Moin Ahmad, who took voluntary retirement from BSNL to focus on her well-being. Her mother, Julee Ahmad, works as a private school teacher.

As her condition worsened, Sarah gradually lost her ability to see, hear and speak, pushing her into a world of silence and darkness. Access to education became increasingly difficult.

She withdrew from school due to frequent treatments including Hyderabad visits

As her condition worsened, Sarah struggled to cope with her studies at a school in Hussainganj. “We often had to go to different places for her treatment, including Hyderabad. She was not able to cope, and the child had to be withdrawn,” her father added.

What followed was a phase where learning had to be rebuilt from scratch. At home, her mother took charge of her education, communicating lessons through touch by tracing words onto her palm. Sarah responded by interpreting these tactile signals into language, slowly building her understanding.

A major turning point came when Christ Church College introduced an inclusive education initiative.

Christ Church College introduced inclusive education section for special-needs children

The turning point in Sarah’s life arrived when Christ Church College took a proactive step towards inclusive education. The school opened a separate section specifically for special-needs children. “They hired a special educator who worked hard with many of these children,” said a grateful Ahmad.

With the support of special educator Salman Ali Qazi and assistive technology, Sarah found a system that enabled her to learn independently.

She wrote exam using refreshable Braille display

“Sara wrote her exam with the help of a refreshable Braille display that is connected with a laptop keyboard. This is an electro-mechanical device for displaying Braille characters, usually by raising round-tipped pins through holes on a flat surface,” said Qazi.

“The council had sent the question paper in word file, which the device converted into Braille dots. Once she completed writing, a normal printout of her answers was taken out in PDF format and that was sent to the council for evaluation. This year, two such children appeared for Class 12 exams. One was Sarah and another Abhinandan who scored 72%,” said Rakesh Chattree, president of the school.

Sarah scored 95% in Class 10 and 98.7% in Class 12

Despite losing two academic years due to illness and treatment, Sarah continued to push forward. She scored 95 percent in Class 10, a milestone that strengthened her confidence. In Class 12, she raised the bar further with 98.7 percent, including perfect scores in Geography and Mass Media and high marks in English, History and Psychology.

Her teachers describe her as exceptionally perceptive, while her journey highlights the impact of inclusive education and family support.

Behind her success stands a family that refused to give up. Her father’s sacrifice, her mother’s patience and her brother’s support created a foundation that allowed her to overcome every barrier.

Sarah Moin’s story is not just about academic success. It is a reminder that determination can overcome even the toughest challenges, and that true ability is defined not by limitations, but by the courage to rise above them.