Surendran worked as a hotel housekeeper while he pursued his law degree.
51-year-old Surendran K Pattel who was recently sworn in as a district judge in Texas says his days rolling beedis and working as a housekeeper, pushed him to complete his education and achieve success in the US.
Born and raised in Kerala's Kasaragod, Surendran dropped out of school and took up daily wage jobs to earn a living.
"I dropped out of school after Class 10 because my family had no financial means to continue. I rolled beedis for a year as a daily wager and that changed my perspective on life," Mr Pattel told NDTV.
Determined to turn his life around, Surendran's friends from his village helped finance his education including his law degree. He also took up a housekeeping job in a local hotel while he studied.
"Once I finished my LLB, the practice I got in India helped me survive in the United States," Mr Pattel said, adding that his journey in the US was also not without its hurdles.
"When I ran for this position in Texas, comments were made on my accent and negative campaigns were run against me. My own party didn't think I could win, when I ran for Democratic Primary," Surendran said.
"No one believed that I could achieve this. But here I am. I have only one message for everyone. Don't let anyone decide your future. You should be the only one to decide it," he said.