Growing up in Jalandhar, Punjab, Harbans Kaur lived in a small village. She was the first person in her entire family to go to high school and even graduate. At the time, school was only available until 8th grade. Harbans studied by herself in order to pass 9th and 10th grade, so that she could land the job she wanted. At only 19, she started her first job, teaching at an elementary school in her town. Over time she worked her way up higher, and within the next few years she became a district head, managing 5 different schools and over 60 teachers alone! At the age of 30, she got married and eventually had 2 sons. In 1979, when she was 39, she moved away from her hometown of Jalandhar to settle down in Ludhiana, Punjab. 

Years later, Kaur’s first son moved to the US. In 1999, she retired after teaching for 40 years and started visiting him often in 2002. In 2012, she finally moved to the US and has been living here permanently in Ruby Hill ever since.

Since moving here in 2012, Harbans has built a large friend circle throughout the community, with whom she meets often. At the age of 68, she learned how to drive from scratch, and worked hard to clear her test in English. She participates in a knitting group in Ruby Hill, goes to lunch with her friends, and more. When her grandson was younger, she enjoyed spending lots of time with him and drove him to and from school. Every day, Kaur goes on a walk, spanning around 1.5 hours and 70% of the whole community’s distance. She also loves to cook and travel. Some of her favorite destinations have been Australia, London, and Mexico. 

Every day, she wakes up at 4:30 AM in the morning. For an hour and a half, she meditates/prays, until 6 AM. At 6:30 AM, she has her morning tea. At 8 AM, Kaur goes on her walk throughout the community, until 9:30 AM. Throughout the rest of the day, she spends her time cooking, catching up on news, and spending time with family/friends. She always goes to her room by 7:30, spends 1.5 hours hearing about the newest debates/news, and goes to bed by 9 PM. She follows this schedule every day without fail and likes to keep everything organized.

“Study hard,” Kaur says, “Keep good company, and have close friends.” Respect your elders, parents, and those around you. These things will keep you happy throughout your lifetime.