At 22 Sharanya Sekaram is well ahead of most that run after qualifications and recognition.  
She’s currently working in research and policy with the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies as a Research Analyst and holds a Law degree with honours from the University of London.

Her average day is what you and I will find exhausting and unbearable, yet she braves it with an immense knack for multitasking. She is involved with development work of youth in the North and environmental work as well.

She also deals with the PR and Media fronts for many projects she is involved in and the study of Law she believes, has stood  her in good stead for everything she has done. An alumnus of Asian International School, she just graduated from APIIT Law School, affiliated to Staffordshire University in England. She is also the current president of the APPIT Toastmasters Club.

She is presently using her public speaking skills and experience to run training sessions for next year’s contest where she also will be competing, in effect creating her own competition! Before we move in to her interview, she also has some insight about the recently concluded Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, “The debate of the relevance of the Commonwealth in the modern landscape is a complicated and difficult debate but it does exist.

The healthy way for us to view CHOGM is to understand that if we are to learn anything from the criticism we face is that as citizens of this country we need to stop complaining and start doing what we feel is right for our country. Whatever side of the debate you are on – I have found that those who complain the loudest are those who do the least.

We are all citizens of this country we all have an obligation to help one another, and in Sri Lanka all over the country there are youth that need education, exposure and basic amenities that we all take for granted. Instead of asking why someone else isn’t doing it – why aren’t we doing it instead?”

Have you ever felt a clear calling in life? Would you advocate belief in destiny?
 
My one major passion that has never wavered for me in life has been writing – even as a hobby or pastime it is something I have always done and will always do. Apart from that,  I have always been very wide and varied in what I want to do and I have always been involved in a range of projects and programmes.

I believe that you can learn something from everyone, every situation and every experience - the world has so much to offer so you must take advantage of every chance that comes your way. When you start living your life with that mindset it is incredible to realize it really is an amazing world.

I do believe in destiny or rather that there are some things that are just meant to be or not meant to be. BUT I don’t advocate waiting for destiny to find you – you need to go find it. It’s the prize at the end of rainbow, everyone is destined for something great what makes the difference is those who go after their destiny. What you put into the universe is what you will get back.

 Were you always interested in the legal profession?
 
I actually never really wanted to study law when I was in school because despite my interest in the subjects, how the law functions and the role it plays in society, I was under the impression that all you could do with a law degree is to be a practising lawyer.

Luckily my mother, who is a lawyer herself encouraged me to give it a try and  I couldn’t have been more wrong.

 I studied law. And when I wasn’t struggling through readings, or had assignments or studying for exams – I actually loved it. The three years didn’t change my mind about wanting to practice – but it did open up a world of opportunities.

 It demands an instant respect from the working world – with no offence to any other degree – law is after all one of the most difficult to get into and often it’s the best and the brightest who choose this. It ranks up there with medicine, architecture and finance as highly competitive degrees.

As an LLB graduate you will demand a respect and have an edge that many others won’t. It’s the perfect choice if you are uncertain.
 
As a Toastmasters president, why do you think public speaking is for everyone to ace?

I am a huge advocate of Toastmasters – the organization changed my life.

I have found that there are hundreds of people in the working world who are incredible at what they do, they know their jobs to the last detail and are amazingly intelligent. But they just cannot effectively communicate and deliver a speech in that way.

In fact usually when people know there is going to be a speech at an occasion – they groan and complain. Worse many people are afraid of public speaking – it is the world’s number one fear, beating even death.  

Toastmasters help you develop your public speaking, communication and leadership skills

simultaneously by creating a safe and secure environment where there is peer-to-peer learning. It was after I joined Toastmasters that I really learned the true meaning of being mentored; that everyone has something to teach you and that you never stop learning.

The most amazing thing about Toastmasters is that there is no room for people who only wish to take and not give back – the people who really flourish are those who give double of what they take. For example, I have been placed the First Runner Up for the Impromptu Speech Contest at Division Level in both 2012 and 2013.

 When I became the President of APIIT Toastmasters and the youngest female to ever become President of a Toastmasters Club in Sri Lanka – I wasn’t as worried as I could have been.

The organization creates leaders and people who support you unconditionally and this has been exactly the kind of support that I have always been given from my committee who may be young but are truly a formidable force and by the dozens of Toastmasters from tens of other clubs who have always been there. 

 
You are the head of media and PR at Unity Mission trust (UMT). Tell us about the work of UMT?

The Unity Mission Trust has been in existence since May 2009 and is a non-profit Trust that is dedicated to fostering unity, integration, healing and reconciliation between the teenagers and young adults in the Wanni area and their peers from all over Sri Lanka.

Being a part of the team that undertakes projects of such a scale is another experience in itself. Logistics for nearly 600 people to sleep, eat, and carry out the camp itself in Killinochchi took up much of the teams free time for months.

This is an entirely volunteer run organization – not one of us who stayed up, sometimes past midnight organizing, packing, planning, doing files, raising funds - are paid. It’s done for a greater reason upon which no value can be placed.

Being a part of UMT you realize that the future of our country has hope, the dream of one people is tangibly close to a reality. You realize that you are a part of a much bigger picture – but what you can do in your small capacity can make real change.

Sometimes we need to step out of our little bubbles and start releasing the potential we harbor. We can do so much more than just talk, and more than can – we need to. The change we leave behind is the real legacy we leave.

Not how popular you were, how much money you made, how big your CV and accomplishments were – but by how many lives you touched and transformed.

 
What is the requisite for successful multi-tasking professionals?
 
Time management is  key – you have to be able to manage your time well and cleverly. For example I find that when I am stuck in a place I have to be where really I am not doing anything constructive or waiting for someone – I draft press releases for UMT or reply emails for work etc.

The second is you need to have a list of tasks, priority dates etc. This helps you stay on track and also you won’t get overwhelmed easily. The most urgent things get done when they need to and you know exactly what needs to be done when.

 Finally make time to have fun. This can be a struggle but a little bit of off time can do wonders for your ability to do even more than you already do. Meet a few friends for a night out, have dinner with your family, even just ‘waste’ time. All work and no play is never a good thing.

By Nivedha Jeyaseelan

Pics by Waruna Wanniaarachchi