Lakshmi Kambampati kept a journal for 30 years before deciding to turn it into a book. The most amazing part may be that she didn’t lose it somewhere along the way.
“We’ve been to 60 countries,” Kambampati said of herself and her husband, Mohan. “Travel is in my blood.”
It’s also been her way of helping those in less fortunate circumstances. After teaching in Wichita public schools for 19 years, Kambampati retired and volunteered for the Peach Corps, which took her to teaching posts in Liberia, Tanzania and the eastern Caribbean. She also taught in India as a Fulbright Scholar.
Her memoir, “Uncharted Paths,” was published last month. She will hold a book signing and reading at Watermark Books from 6-7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28. The 218-page book retails for $25 and is also available online.
A native of India, Kambampati immigrated to the United States in 1980 with a master’s degree in geography. She continued her higher education here, training to teach math. While much of her book covers overseas adventures, it starts with the culture shock she first experienced leading a classroom of underprivileged students here.
Kambampati writes just as honestly as she talks, noting, for instance, that she “always wanted to be a Fulbright Scholar because it’s such a prestigious program. I applied quite a few times and was rejected. Finally, my persistence paid off, I guess.”
Kambampati, who has been called “teacher” by students in many cultures, said she’s learned just as much as her pupils.
“Each country had given me some kind of lesson and experiences.”
Editor’s note: Lakshmi Kambampati was profiled in a 2021 article about Peace Corps volunteers in The Active Age. To read that story, visit theactiveage.com and type “Lakshmi” in the search box.
