Ikya Ekanayake - An Inspirational Journey Of A Multi-faceted Student

Intro - The beginning

My story begins in a luminous purple classroom where 28 curious pairs of eyes carefully surveyed me as I took my place to begin my election speech for the class council. This was the beginning of the journey that allowed me to experience many new things and opened my eyes to the world of leadership intertwined with my passion. After being elected Assistant Head of Sigma house I was able to proactively work towards bringing our Sigma house to become the champions for the first time in many years. My innovative approach to leadership was the gateway to bringing our team together and encouraging each student to believe in themselves. After weekly team meetings, extended hours at school, and constantly honoring success, we managed to work in harmony to bring Sigma to the top. 

Crescendo - Gradual increase of volume

A new chapter of my leadership journey unfolded as I progressed to become elected as the Deputy Head Student of Sigma. As my passion for the sciences grew I strived to branch my interest in leadership to it. This is why I founded Study Nova, a program built to promote the exchange of knowledge between students to transform and enhance the learning journey of our students. Not only does this program provide educational knowledge but also introduces an opportunity for the students to build connections and get advice from their seniors. Why you may ask? Well, as a younger student I came to face many new and difficult situations in terms of my education and my career paths that would have been solved more efficiently if I had guidance from a person that had witnessed or traveled down the same road. To add to the mentorship initiatives I had carried out, I organized a STEM awareness program for students ranging from ages 10 to 14 to educate them about various career pathways in industries across the STEM Field. 

Sforzando - Abrupt and loud

While the world around me was slowly falling like fragile autumn leaves, roads covered with dust and pavements deprived of the casual footsteps that once tread its surface I sat in my bedroom trying to fight the sleep that pooled my eyelids. It felt like I was wasting every day waiting for the uncertainty to become certain and for the world to tell me everything was going to change with a flicker of a flame. Thus, I took it upon me to start a project that not only benefited my personal development but would also give back to the community. I wrote a book. Yep! I started writing my book ‘Fun Introduction to Chemistry’ back in the summer of 2020, along with my best friend Riane who did the illustrations for the book. Although it wasn’t an easy feat, with the support of my parents and close friends I was able to self-publish this book 12 months later. Waking up to the email stating that my book had been approved and published washed away the struggle contained in the past 12 months filled with constant uncertainty, hardships, and endless all-nighters.

As my love for cosmetic chemistry grew and my thirst for knowledge even greater, I began my very first blog ‘Cosmetium’. Where I relate my experiences as a person to transition to certain concepts and information about the cosmetic chemistry industry. This way of relaying information not only allows the reader to relate to the content but also gives them an educational insight. Dancing is also another dimension of my persona, at a young age, this gave me the self-esteem and confidence to be able to face larger audiences. With experience in genres like Bollyrock, hip-hop, salsa, contemporary, and jazz I managed to get accepted into Dxbfelicity (k-pop dance group) through which I was able to participate and win the champions title for the Kpop Dance competition at Canadian University Dubai.

Vivace - Lively and loud

My aspirations may seem impossible but I do believe that hard work and persistence will be able to take me there. Currently, I hope to become a successful cosmetic chemist to develop formulations that will not only be cruelty-free but will also be environmentally friendly and affordable. I wish to become a figure young girls could look up to in the future and aid them to pave their yellow brick roads down which they would tread towards each of their unique dreams or goals. My motto in life is to believe that the experiences I have, the people I meet, and the risks I take would mold me into a better person of tomorrow.