Major Pallavi Shivanna shares her remarkable journey from a small-town girl in Mysore to becoming an Army officer, leadership coach, and mental health advocate.

Growing up in a lower-middle-class family as the first graduate among her siblings, Pallavi’s path was shaped by a TV serial that sparked her desire to wear a uniform. With characteristic determination, she navigated her way to the Services Selection Board interview in Allahabad—a two-day journey she undertook alone despite never having traveled so far before. Her authenticity during the interview secured her position, marking the beginning of a career that would challenge and transform her.