“Indian origin attorney Surendran K. Pattel, 51, who was recently sworn in as a district court judge in Texas, says his time rolling beedis and beginning to work as a house cleaner motivated him to finish his schooling and achieve success in the United States.
Who is Surendran K Pattel
Surendran k Pattel has recently become the judge in Texas’ Fort Bend County’s 240th Judicial District Court.
29th May 1971, This Indian origin attorney was born to daily wagers in Kasaragod, a coastal town in Kerala; the story of Surendra making up the ladder is both awe-inspiring and motivating.
Struggles of this Indian origin attorney
Surendran k Pattel, who was born and raised in a low-income family, experienced many ups and downs as a child. His childhood was filled with hardships and sacrifices.
Because of his family’s financial situation, he was unable to continue his education after Class 10. To meet his family’s financial needs, he had to drop out of school and work as a day labourer.
He was still a child and could not do any skilled job, so he had to work as a daily-wage labourer at a beedi-making house. He rolled beedis all day, like many other poor kids in the neighbourhood. But he was not like the other kids who had accepted their fate.
If you are born poor it’s not your mistake, but if you die poor it’s your mistake.
Bill Gates
He knew that this was not the life he deserved. He worked as a beedi maker for one year, but his struggles during that time shaped who he is today.
The Quest To Change the Fate
During the day, he worked as a beedi maker, and at night, he fantasised about becoming a lawyer. He worked hard and managed to finish his education. Pattel wanted to study law at the Calicut Government Law College, but he couldn’t because of financial constraints.
Working extra shifts, he completed his B.A. and then was enrolled at the E.K. Nayanar Memorial Government College with the help of a friend’s financial assistance.
While completing his studies, he worked part-time as a housekeeper in a nearby hotel. Because he stayed at work, his attendance suffered immensely, and faculty members refused to allow him to take exams. He begged the teachers to let him take the exam, in exchange for a promise that he will stop studying if he didn’t do well.
Winds can be controlled when the will is strong. When the grades were released, it was clear that he deserved to study more. It was at this point that everyone in the college realized what a gem he was.
The faculty of his university recognized his potential and his desire to become a lawyer, and thus everyone began to support his dream. With the support of his family, friends, and teachers, he received his degree in law in 1995.
Dreams do come true when you dare to see them
Later, in 1996, he began practising law in Hosdurg, Kerala and rose to prominence.
He moved to Delhi in 2005 and began practising before the Supreme Court of India.
He moved to the United States in 2007, where his wife had already been hired at a prestigious American medical facility. Following that, the couple was granted permanent residency and relocated with their daughters to Houston, Texas.
Pattel passed the Texas bar exam on his first attempt and then applied to the LL.M. programme at the University of Houston Law Center. He graduated in 2011 and began working in family law, criminal defence, civil and commercial litigation, real estate, and transactional matters before opening his law firm.
The Final Vote
After finishing his LLB, the experience he gained in India helped him to sustain himself in the US, as his adventure in the US was not without challenges.
People commented on his accent and ran negative campaigns against him when he was driving for this role in Texas. His party did not believe he could win the primary election.
Nobody expected this Indian origin attorney will succeed. However, here he is. Surendran k Pattel has only one message for everyone. “Don’t let others decide your fate. “You should be the one making the decision.”
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