PRIYANKA VAIRAVASUNDARAM, RECIPIENT OF THE DIANA AWARD
Priyanka Vairavasundaram is a Chemical Engineering Undergraduate from Monash University Malaysia. For the past 6 years, Priyanka has been delivering motivational talks, conducts school holiday camps and students' enrichment programs. She is a firebrand speaker and possesses contagious positive vibe. In her journey as a student during lower secondary, she was deemed as average and looked down upon by herself. After attending a similar program to what she has been doing thus far, she gained a newfound spark and brightness in herself. This was what inspired her to pass on this enlightenment to other young kids who are experiencing crucial challenges in their often deprived and difficult lives. Priyanka wishes to be part of that good that can spark the youth’s lives for the better.
Priyanka has covered about 3,900 over school students since 2015. She has also conducted training for Tamil school students under the SEDIC sponsored programs. Her most recent program this year is the SPARK TALK, in which she delivered motivational talks to approximately a thousand Tamil school students. Her sharing of her own transformation from a mediocre to an excelling student, obtaining straight A’s in public exams has sparked the lives of many students. She has forever changed their attitude that being better is possible.
Priyanka wants her mentees to develop their own vision and fuel their dreams, day in day out. Her students are usually left speechless upon witnessing Priyanka’s soul-stirring speech; they would come up to her and ask about her future programs and get in touch with her. She never fails to stay connected with the previous participants of her programs and keen on knowing their progress.
In July 2020, Priyanka was awarded with the prestigious Diana Award, established in the memory of Princess Diana for her active social work and humanitarian efforts. She was nominated by Professor Dato Dr. Anwar Fazal. This neuro linguistic (NLP) practitioner and coach was recognized by the Deputy Education Minister, Dato’ Dr. Mah Hang Soon. She was personally invited to his office at Putrajaya and accorded with an appreciation certificate from the Ministry of Education. Likewise, the Deputy Chief Minister of Penang and the Hindu Endowment Board Chairman, YB Prof. Dr. Ramasamy in recognition of her success, provided her with some financial assistance. The Penang State education director too issued her with an appreciation certificate to recognize her tremendous feat.
Refer to the below articles on Priyanka’s Diana Award achievement: