 SDEI Alumni Association  |
SDEI Alumni Association
Guru Jaswant Kaur
Jiwan Shakti Kaur went to school at Guru Nanak Fifth Centenary (GNFC) for 5 years where she confesses she always came first in class. She excelled in athletics, especially racing the 100-meter-dash. It was common to see her sporting shorts on a chilly evening in Mussoorie, where she also served as a school prefect and subsequently captain for Ranjit house. After she returned to the U.S. she completed acupuncture school at the Southwest Acupuncture College in Santa Fe. She returned to India during the “4S years” with the SDEI program in Amritsar in 1995 and 1996 where she doubled as Bharawan Da Dabba regular and school doctor. She is now a Doctor of Oriental Medicine (DOM) and counsels in herbs and nutrition, offers acupuncture treatments, and teaches yoga technology at the GRD Health Clinic in Espanola, New Mexico.
If Jiwan appeared picture perfect in the 1980’s, Siri Nirong Kar Singh, AKA the “Savage,” was the ultimate agitator. He thrived on questioning authority, and hated following rules blindly. His activities caused him to move in and out of the school at least 3 times, and gave him the opportunity to study with Baba Nihal Singh and the Nihung Sikhs in Harian Vela, Punjab, while his cronies stayed on at GNFC. Upon his return to the U.S., Siri Nirong Kar sang in a heavy metal band called Tipper Gore and polished his trouble-making skills. He moved to Espanola in 1989, worked for 6 years at Akal Security, and became an Emergency Medical Technician. He then worked at the 4S School in Amritsar as “Major” where he was in charge of daily student routine. He also organized gatka performances and competitions and began ishnaan seva at the Golden Temple with the older boys. He was also in India in 1997 where he worked at Miri Piri Academy in Chheharta to set up special gatka trips and treks for the students. He has been furthering his EMT education to become a paramedic and will be licensed in July. He has also been working at the Espanola Ambulance for the past two years.
Siri Nirong Kar and Jiwan Shakti were married in January, 1991, and were recently blessed with a beautiful baby girl, Sarib Jot Kaur, whose birth Jiwan Shakti feels is the greatest achievement of her life. Jiwan Shakti valued her time in India because it taught her independence and how to deal with any situation. Jiwan Shakti and Siri Nirong Kar hope their family will stay involved with SDEI and its programs, and eventually Jiwan Shakti wants to start up a GRD Clinic in Amritsar, India.
Jiwan Shakti Kaur graduated from SDEI in 1988 and Siri Nirong Kar Singh graduated in 1986. The SDEI Alumni Association is pleased to feature our up-and-coming alumni and alumni families in future issues of Prosperity Paths. SDEI is a non-profit organization that directs Sikh Dharma’s programs for young people. The Alumni Association is dedicated to supporting our young people through scholarships and other programs. If you would like any information about the Alumni Association feel free to contact us at: 1A Ram Das Guru Place, Espanola, NM 87532, via e-mail at [email protected], or phone 505-753-8604.