As Dr. Arunkumar Govind Patil moved on to the next stage of his life, the early seeds of discipline and curiosity began to grow into something more clear: an unmistakable calling to become an engineer. A childhood interest slowly turned into a goal-driven ambition. What used to be quiet observations of roads, bridges, and buildings became conscious interests that led him down a path where imagination met precision and vision required hard work. This time in his life was when the engineer inside him woke up. It was a turning point for him because he started to realise that his future lay in understanding and shaping the physical world.

Arunkumar’s intellectual interests grew stronger as he got older. He became more and more interested in things that needed logic, structure, analytical thinking & value addition. He understood math concepts clearly, even though other students often had trouble with them. He didn’t find numbers scary; they talked to him. He liked patterns. He was excited about solving problems. He started to realise that his mind worked in a way that was naturally suited to engineering: it was methodical, stable, and focused on finding solutions. He would often spend extra time figuring out how things worked instead of just memorising facts. This skill would later become his greatest strength on construction sites, where you need to be able to understand and adapt to problems.

As he got better grades, the world around him started to affect his goals. During this time, India was growing, getting bigger, and becoming more modern. Development projects were happening all over the place. New roads were being built, and railway lines were being extended & upgraded. These sights made his vision stronger. He could see how infrastructure changed communities, brought people together, and helped the economy grow. He learnt that engineering wasn’t just about making technical drawings or doing maths; it was a field that changed lives, helped the country grow, and had a lot of responsibility. This new understanding gave him a deeper sense of purpose. He wanted to be a part of this change. He wanted to help the country grow by building strong structures that would last for generations and help people.

He didn’t just suddenly decide to study engineering; it was a gradual realisation that came from years of thinking and watching. As he learnt more, he realised that this path was right for him in terms of his skills, his way of thinking, and his goals. He knew that being an engineer required being patient, precise, and disciplined, which he already was. It called for honesty and responsibility, which were values he learnt as a child. And most importantly, it required him to be ready to face challenges head-on, which he already was. With this new understanding, he made the important decision to go into engineering education, which would change his life forever.

It was both exciting and hard to start an engineering programme. Through his Pre -University academic performance results, he got admission in Maharashtra’s reputed Govt. College of Engineering at Karad in Year 1987. The curriculum was tough, with hard subjects that pushed students to their mental limits. But Arunkumar faced this stage with the same honesty and discipline that had always been a part of him. He didn’t want to take any shortcuts or only get a basic understanding; he wanted to learn everything about every idea, every method, and every calculation. He knew that the world he wanted to work in—construction and infrastructure—didn’t allow for mistakes. A single mistake on paper could cost a lot of money on the job site. One wrong detail could have an effect on hundreds of people. Because of this responsibility, he took his studies seriously and worked hard.