Beyond Degrees

 

Report on Motivational Session by Mr. Sajan Pappachan

Venue: Conference Hall

Date: 19 September 2025

Time: 8:30 AM to 1:30 PM

The PG Department of Computer Applications, Marian College Kuttikkanam, organized a motivational training session for the MCA Batch 2025–2027 on 19 September 2025 at the college Conference Hall. The session, titled “Beyond Degrees: Crafting a Life of Meaning, Not Just Career”, was led by alumnus Mr. Sajan Pappachan, a motivational trainer, entrepreneur, and CEO, who currently manages three successful companies in India Kuwait, and Behrain.

The program began with a short introduction by Mr. Satheesh sir, faculty member of the department, who briefly mentioned that Mr. Sajan Pappachan was one of the most multi-talented students of his time at Marian College. After this welcome, Mr. Sajan Pappachan took over the session and began by introducing himself and sharing his personal journey. He spoke about his hostel life at Marian College, his entrepreneurial ventures, and how he established his first IT company in 2012 at the age of 21. He also shared about his family, mentioning his wife and child, and highlighted his child’s unique achievement of publishing a short book at the age of nine, which was recognized as an antique book of

record.

In his talk, Mr. Sajan Pappachan focused on the idea of identity and personal growth. Using quotes, anecdotes, and Malayalam film references, he explained what it means to be productive human beings and reflected on the challenges of identity crisis, such as aspirations, mood swings, relationships, personal philosophies, and dreams. He also spoke about the expectations of the modern industry, stressing the importance of qualities such as expertise, ethics, integrity, adaptability, communication skills, problem solving, teamwork, networking, and professional appearance.

The session became highly interactive when Mr. Sajan guided the students through a SWOT analysis exercise, encouraging them to write down their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This was followed by his explanation of the “Quadrant of Potential,” which classified individuals into four types skilled but lacking passion, passionate but unskilled, neither skilled nor passionate, and skilled with passion. He motivated the students to find ways to align both skill and passion to ensure success and fulfillment in life.

Later, he introduced a group activity to develop teamwork and creativity. Students were randomly divided into groups through a number-based system, and each group was asked to select a leader. In a unique twist, leaders were chosen by closing their eyes and moving their hands randomly to pick the next leader, fostering spontaneity and trust. group was then assigned a topic and tasked with presenting their ideas in the form of a creative tableau. The activity encouraged teamwork, creativity, and leadership, while also testing the students ability to think critically under time constraints. After the presentations, each group shared an overview of their experience of the group activity, followed by constructive feedback and reflections facilitated by Mr. Sajan. 

The session finally drew to a close with a comprehensive reflection on the day’s activities. Through the initial discussions, students were encouraged to think beyond academics and to see education as a path for personal meaning, not just a career. The group activities, which involved creative thinking and teamwork, helped participants discover the value of collaboration, leadership, and out-of-the-box imagination. The SWOT analysis exercise gave them a framework for critically examining their own strengths and weaknesses, while also identifying the opportunities and threats that shape their personal and professional journeys. 

The introduction of the Quadrant of Potential further deepened their understanding by showing that true growth happens when passion and skills work hand in hand. By combining these different elements, the session left students with a holistic perspective urging them to become more self-aware, to nurture their abilities, to embrace creativity, and to move forward with confidence in their own potential.