CN INSIDER - 5th Issue

VOL 1

table
of

content

1. CN september Abstract 5. CN Excellence

2. Legacy of CN • In Conversation with Mr. Samith
Yasas
• Executive Board 13.14
• Executive Board 12.13 • Shelini’s Story
• Thilini’s Story
3. CN Highlights • Message from Spirit of the month
• Recognition for Zest of the month
• Outgoing Global Talent & Teacher • Appreciation for Calibre of the month
Functional News • A CNer talks

• Outgoing Global Volunteer 6. Partner space
Functional News
• Partnership Announcement of
• Incoming Global Talent & Teacher Fashionista
Functional News
• Testimonials from Fashionista
• Incoming Global Volunteer Partners
Functional News
7. quote of the month
• Partnership Development and
Public Relations Functional News 8. team behind

• People Management Functional
News

• Finance and Legal Functional News
• Marketing & Digital Experience

Functional News

4. Events

• EDvantage
• Fashionista
• LEAD
• Induction

CN INSIDER

The month of September began with creating an impact with the successful completion
of the event Fashionista, which strived to boost innovation through Design . The
seamless delivery of the event made it a good experience for the delegation , partners
and all the involved stakeholders. The positive feedback from all the involved parties,
strengthened our anticipation of conducting Fashionista as an annual signature event

of AIESEC in University of Kelaniya.
Furthermore, there were multiple stages of EDvantage and the final stage was
concluded successfully in September. It is with great anticipation that we are waiting

to see its outcome through oGT functional performance in the month of October.
After a careful and a thorough recruitment and selection process, CN Knights 21.22
ensured that the new members’ first day of AIESEC was a memorable one that they will
always cherish. Under the theme of Pirates of the Caribbean, the Mass Induction for
the term 21.22 was held for 2 days. The induction which was buzzing with excitement
, was chaired by Mr. Sanka Maransinghe who is a distinguished alumni of AIESEC in

University of Kelaniya.
Another most awaited day of the term,Local Committee President elections for the
term 22.23 fell in September. Dinushie Dissanayake, the Local Committee President
21.22 stated she was excited to see her successor. She added that she is very proud to
see two strong candidates who had the courage to envision a better future for AIESEC

in University of Kelaniya amidst all the uncertainties.
Last but not least, the process for Local Committee Vice President selection for the
term 22.23 will be commencing soon. Thus, the members of AIESEC in University of
Kelaniya along with the current Executive Board are eagerly looking forward to seeing

the CN Knights 22.23.

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ISSUE V | SEPTEMBER 2021

Our heartiest congratulations to the newly appointed Local Committee
President for the term 22.23 , Shehani Fernando ! All the very best to the

upcoming term!

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CN INSIDER

executive board 13.14

The Executive Board for the term 13/14, led under the guidance of Local Committee
President for the term, Mr.Thilina Dilshan, was truly a term that showcased the AIESEC
quality of being solution oriented by maintaining a resilient performance under numerous
obstacles faced. Mr. Thilina is currently working as the Deputy General Manager of Business

Transformation of the Sri Lankan business of Accenture.
He is also a travel enthusiast and a humble individual that implemented pragmatic
solutions for the development of the entity as a stable organization within the university
along with his Executive Board. Consequently, the fellow Executive Board Members:
Mr.Vikum Jayasekara holds a great reputation among the Sri Lankan gaming community.
Mr.Samith Yasas continued his AIESEC journey till the position of Member Committee
President. Similarly, they efficiently initiated plans to meticulously counteract against the
external resistance by being attentive to the entity’s stabilization process as a platform with

numerous leadership development opportunities.

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ISSUE V | SEPTEMBER 2021

The growth of the Local Committee’s iGCDP
function,was inspirational. Similarly,they were
second only to an entity in India. It was stated
that they consider the resilient personas of their
membership as the greatest achievement of the
time. Most importantly, the entity having the
capacity to financially fund the membership
to attend and embrace the AIESEC conference
culture, further proves its empathetic nature
and the financial strength maintained under
challenging environments.
The Executive Board was a highly performance
driven group of individuals that primarily intended
to facilitate that betterment of the entity by focusing
more on the number of project realizations. In
order to achieve their pre-set goals to overcome
the stigma based on AIESEC within the university
and thereby attract more potential members,
they introduced the initiative of “PBOXes” where
projects were designed and customized to facilitate
numerous iGCDP (Currently Incoming Global
Volunteer) functional exchanges that benefitted
the youth. Due to the immense dedication they
had towards the entity, they were internationally
recognized for the first time at a regional conference
in Manila, Philippines.

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CN INSIDER

executive board 12.13

“Commitment and team spirit got us through.” It was also mentioned that the Executive
Board 12/13 started Sparkles, the annual
At the beginning, since the 12/13 term was together awarding ceremony of AIESEC In University of
as a team, they envisioned their term to have many Kelaniya which recognizes and appreciates the
exchanges and success stories. Their key strength outperforming members. While all the functions
was that all of the Executive Board members contributed to the success during the term, they
wanted to get out of their comfort zones and make were also able to come up with the CN logo.
an impact. Most importantly, everyone wanted to
contribute to it. Everyone was aware of their path
and what they had to do and they were dedicated
to go the extra mile to make something happen.
In their term, the main goal was to achieve more
exchanges. Since they needed more members, they
focused on mass recruitments and they were able
to bring together a strong membership of more
than 150 throughout their term.
After recruiting a strong membership, they
executed strategies to retain the talent and to
identify and fulfill the main goals of members of
joining AIESEC. The continuous hosting of the
Local Committee weekly meetings enhanced the
engagement with members. This enabled them
to do more projects and groom the leadership
potential of the members.

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ISSUE V | SEPTEMBER 2021

Throughout their term, they achieved their purpose by getting full membership. At the same time, they
managed to keep 100+ members for the first time in a Local Committee throughout the term while achieving
the exchange targets.
Also, their hard work and commitment were recognized in the National Plenary with the Best Emerging
Local Committee Award and the Best Emerging Leader of the Year Award.
During the interview with the Local Committee President of AIESEC in University of Kelaniya for the term.
12/13, Mr. Dilum Dasarath was asked to share his AIESEC experience with his Executive Board in one
sentence and he stated it as “A perfect team with a very challenging situation and a very rewarding outcome.”

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CN INSIDER

Outgoing GlobaL Talent & teacher
Functional News

During the month of September, the biggest updates in the Outgoing Global Talent function are the third
and fourth phases of EDvantage. They have been able to attract delegates for Outgoing Global Teacher
opportunities and to provide them with an understanding of making a perfect CV. Four International
Relations (IR) partners had been invited to promote their Local Committees and teaching opportunities to

our delegates.
Furthermore, they are planning to approach the delegates of the event EDvantage and convert them into

sign-ups in the next month which will help them strive towards success as a function.

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ISSUE V | SEPTEMBER 2021

Outgoing Global The team ‘ Heading for The Future’ is working
Volunteer with the aim of starting opportunities by October.
Functional News Business to Business teams and Business to
Customer teams are working hard to get the
The Outgoing Global Volunteer function was best projects and the best participants for the
actively present in the month of September with betterment of the process. Most importantly,
one major session series,“ THE EPISODE” and the Initiative Groups of AIESEC in Informatics
project,Heading for The Future (H4TF)”. “THE Institute of Technology and University of Uva
EPISODE” is an initiative from Outgoing Global Wellassa are now in the process of member audits
Volunteer function to enhance the knowledge and functional allocation for the membership
of the membership regarding the roles in an after the Induction for the term 21/22. Both the
Organizing Committee. The members of Outgoing above mentioned Initiative Groups are excited
Global Volunteer function and the Initiative to do the Winter Recruitment within their
Groups showed continuous excitement during the universities as well.
series of “THE EPISODE”. In addition to this, all
the members of AIESEC in University of Kelaniya
were welcome to the interesting session on the
job description of Organizing Committee Vice
President for Events and Logistics conducted by
the current Customer Experience ( CXP )Manager
in Incoming Global Volunteer Function of AIESEC
in University of Kelaniya, Singhe Silva. The session
was conducted by Himasha Weerasinghe and had
around 75 participants.

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CN INSIDER

Incoming Global As the upcoming events of the function, they
Talent and Teacher intend to conclude the Winter Induction
News process by organizing a bootcamp for
the newbies, continuing “Sales Craze” to its next
During the Winter recruitment period,The stage and launching their novel initiative “ Project
Incoming Global talent Function infinite”. Similarly, Fereil Ouali (Local Committee
concluded its appointment of new Team Vice President for Outgoing Talent Function (oGT)
Leaders with the intention of welcoming the new 21.22, AIESEC in Carthage, Tunisia) conducted
membership within the month of September. an experience sharing and inspirational session
Similarly, they concluded the winter functional for the membership in their Winter Induction in
induction as well as a leadership program for the order to augment the motivation and the spirit of
newly appointed Team Leaders. They were also the newly joined members of the function.
able to successfully open internship opportunities
within the term as a climax of the efforts put by
the Local Committee Vice President for Incoming
Global Talent Function, Aaqil Yoosuf, the
Leadership Body and as well as the membership.
Among the several successful endeavours, the
highlights are represented by the internship
opportunities created in partnership with VS One
as well as TASS (Pvt) Ltd.

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ISSUE V | SEPTEMBER 2021

Incoming Global
Volunteer Functional News

Incoming Global Volunteer function was able to have a special edition of the Rev it up in 90 minutes
session series in the month of September. It was a special edition since it featured the team leaders of the
Incoming Global Volunteer function in the term 19/20. The session was moderated by Hiruni Lankasara
and Chathu Ranaweera. Throughout the session, the Team Leaders shared their experiences , hardships and
how they balanced academics with AIESEC. It was an inspiring session for all the members and it inspired

them to apply for higher positions.

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CN INSIDER Partnership
Development and
Further, the next special event was the Public Relations
Incoming Global Volunteer meeting of Functional News
September (iGVers Meet) which was held
under the theme of Hawaii and it was hosted In the month of September, the function was
by Hiruni Udumulla Arachchi. It was buzzing restructured to optimize the addition of the
with excitement with more than 50 participants members. The Partnership Development team
and it had multiple fun games such as scavenger was restructured into two teams as Partnership
hunts, virtual puzzles, and it was concluded by Development and External Relations. Jayani
a heartwarming performance by Pasan Herath, Hiripitiyage was appointed as the new External
a Business to B2B coordinator in the Leadership Relations Manager. The Partnership Development
Body. The essence of the iGVers Meet was later team has been working on finding new long-term
celebrated through a fun bingo to cherish the partners for the entity while the External Relations
memory. At the end of the event, all the members team has already conducted two External Relations
had uplifted spirits and were inspired to apply to training for the Organizing Committees of projects
higher positions in AIESEC. SUWA and HAY. The best part about this is that
the External Relations training and tracking of
Organizing Committees is done by our very own
members for the first time in AIESEC in University
of Kelaniya. Also, the Quadron is looking forward
to the first ever Colombo North BD Booklet Launch
and PD & PR SUMMIT that they are organizing for
all the CNers and Initiative Groups These are big
steps in the establishment of Business Development
Culture in AIESEC in University of Kelaniya as the
training was done by the Local Committee Vice
President for Partnership Development and Public
Relations before the External Relations team was
appointed. In addition to this, the winter Mini
Recruitment took place towards the latter part of
the month where they welcomed three more new
members to the team.

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ISSUE V | SEPTEMBER 2021

As the team behind Public Relations of AIESEC in University of Kelaniya, the Public Relations team
successfully updated the alumni database, thus mapping the history of AIESEC in University of Kelaniya
all the way back to 2009. They are now in the process of making a collection of all the Roll Calls in the
history of AIESEC in University of Kelaniya in order to bring back the memories of the past and share the
culture of AIESEC with the current membership. Furthermore, they are working on another new Social
Media Campaign for the public speaking contest “How About Yes!” In order to augment the engagement
of AIESEC in University of Kelaniya with the public. Another important milestone they achieved was the
establishment of a collaboration between AIESEC in University of Kelaniya and Computer Science Student
Society of University of Kelaniya, with whom they hope to initiate exciting innovations in the future. Last
but not least,Quadron welcomed three new members to the team, Nethli Melviya, Kuhanya Sivasangari
and Shaveen Arambage to strive for excellence in partnership development and public relations teams.

People Management Functional News

AIESEC in University of Kelaniya had the induction for the year 2021 on 11 and 12 th of September with
former Local Committee Vice President Sanka Marasinghe as the chairperson. The delegation engaged with

the induction with high enthusiasm on both days as it was under the theme pirates.
Furthermore, members of the initiative groups in Informatics Institute of Technology, and Uva Wellassa

University participated in the event and showed constant enthusiasm throughout the sessions.
There were brief introductions on Front Office functions and Back Office functions and sessions on our
legacy, purpose and much more which aimed at giving Newbies an idea on the essence of AIESEC and fun

events such as Punishment team, Fun team which introduced them to AIESEC culture.

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CN INSIDER

Finance and Legal Marketing &
Functional News Digital Experience
Functional News
As the financial foundation of AIESEC in University
of Kelaniya, the Finance & Legal function intends In the month of September the Marketing function,
to fully strengthen and efficiently manage the had a knowledge sharing session with Mr. Akthar
commercial investments of the Local Committee Favees, who is the Video producer of the National
with up-to-date strategies and planning. Showcasing Team in AIESEC Sri Lanka for the
term 21.22. Additionally, they have supported
The function places its focus upon overlooking the the induction and the other functional events by
ongoing projects Suwa and HAY by guiding the creating attractive content.
Organizing Committees to achieve their financial
targets.

Having concluded Fashionista, the main focus was
on wrapping up the event sustainably. Moreover,
we are focusing on the financial and legal aspect
of collaboration between AIESEC in University
of Kelaniya and the Computer Science Student
Association of University of Kelaniya. As the
highlight of the month the function managed
to downscale finance knowledge to Initiative
Group Managerial Boards while overlooking their
financial activities.

The function will be focusing on new initiatives to
increase sustainability of the entity through entity
events in the future.

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ISSUE V | SEPTEMBER 2021

Events

EDvantage

EDvantage is one of the biggest events organized
by the Outgoing Global Talent function of AIESEC
in University of Kelaniya with the aim of providing
the teaching community, knowledge in the
teaching field of different countries while making
their dream of working abroad a reality.
In the month of September, the second, third and
fourth phases namely CV Session, CV Competition
and Languagely were held and the event came
to its closure successfully. Guest Speech for
delegates of the CV Session was done by Mr. Maas
Savanghan (Global Manager for Training and
Development at Attune Lanka Ltd) and it was very
informative. Three winners were chosen from the
CV Competition and those CVs were able to raise
International Relations (IR) partners from India,
Algeria and Nepal.
Also, the organizers are extending their heartfelt
gratitude to the Official Gift Partners of EDvantage,
Indili and Dreemie for their generosity and
assistance.

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CN INSIDER

Fashionista

Fashionista is the first ever fashion event organized by AIESEC in University of Kelaniya where they strive
to advocate innovation through design. Having commenced work in July with the Organizing Committee
on boarding with 12 Organizing Committee Vice Presidents guided by the Organizing Committee President
Raveen Jayasinghe, the event execution process was three weeks long. Fashionista created an impact on an
untouched youth market in Sri Lanka by providing the opportunity for fashion oriented youth to emerge
through their designs. The theme of the event, Egyptian roots mixed with street fashion and Covid wear were
highlighted even though the event was conducted in a virtual setting. The Fashionista team raised a number
of meaningful partnerships with renowned companies such as Imperial College of Business Studies, HNB
Assurance, Andare House, Fit Meals, Buddy’s Delight, Salon Tobe and Shay Bakes. As an event conducted
for the young crowd between the ages of 16 to 24, the delegation of more than 200 interacted actively with

all the sessions conducted by our renowned facilitators.

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ISSUE V | SEPTEMBER 2021

The first workshop was conducted by Ms. Yasisurie Kiribandara, the owner of Yasisurie couture and CFTCSL
Fashion College. A workshop on sketching and illustrations was done by Ms. Sammani Pathiranagama who
is the owner of Olive Couture and also a famous fashion designer. The sustainable fashion expert Ms. Lonali
Rodrigo conducted a workshop on sustainable fashion as the owner of House of Lonali. Mr. Prassanna
Pathmanathan, the President of Colombo Fashion Council and International modelling coach, Mr. Dylan
Seedin, International Award winning photographer got together and did a workshop on modelling and
photography for the delegation of Fashionista. In addition to the workshops, Mr. Bryan Kerkoven, the owner

of Brian Kerkoven Model Management came in as a judge for the Fashion Modelling Competition.

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CN INSIDER

The Social Media Awareness campaign, #InnovationThroughDesign was done on behalf of “Fashionista”,
by the Public Relations team of AIESEC in University of Kelaniya and it was a huge success with
participation of 9 influential celebrities and influencers who advocated Covid wear as a fun and stylish
experience. We are grateful for the below mentioned influential figures Yureni Noshika, Joel Outschoorn,
Asha Edirisingha, Rasini Bandara, Megara Wijemanne, Amilani Perera, Thejani Wijesinghe, Sajani
Keerthisinghe, Chethana Ketagoda & Tharushi Kumarasinghe for their immense support in creating an

impact in the fashion industry.

Amilani Perera Asha Edirisingha Chethana Ketagoda

Joel Outschoorn Megara Wijemanne Rasini Bandara

Tharushi Kumarasinghe Thejani Wijesinghe Yureni Noshika

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ISSUE V | SEPTEMBER 2021

Fashionista came to an end successfully with more than 100 contestants out of which Kalei Selvi became
the winner, Sujintha Ravishani secured second place and the title for “the most innovative designer” while
Chamalka Siriwardena secured the 3rd place. The modelling competition was won by Sujintha Ravishani,
while Chamodya Hansani was the second and Amandi Rathnayake was the third.The title “the most famous

model” was won by Kaushalya Baddewela.

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CN INSIDER

LEAD

LEAD program is a short-term feasible industry
readiness program which develops digital,
professional and leadership skills in youth to add
value to their career and their profession.

In the month of September, the Organizing
Committee was able to successfully complete their
first project in the digital marketing field which
was to create a digital brand plan. The LEAD
Program has achieved its primary objective by
giving an opportunity to the participants to get a
good exposure to the industry. Their focus was to
give the best experience to the participants while
helping them to achieve a remarkable milestone
in their career. They also wanted to make sure
that their partner company Sternberg received a
project submission of good standards.
The reason behind the successful completion of the
project is the team behind the process. The team
has been enthusiastic from the very beginning
and their commitment has been consistent. The
members coordinated mentor review meetings,
company review meetings and managed to collect
feedback efficiently. The Organizing Committee
is grateful to the mentor of the project Mr. Sohan
Wijegunawardana for his guidance, commitment
and especially for humbly engaging with the
team and sharing his experience. Also, a humble
gratitude goes to Mr. Yashodha Pieris, Mr. Yasas
Bhanuka and Mr. Geeth Viduranga for their
support in making this project a success.

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ISSUE V | SEPTEMBER 2021

The newbie Induction, as the final milestone of the Winter Recruitment process of the entity, took place in
the month of September. The virtual event was extravagantly organized under the theme of “Pirates of the
Caribbean” where the newly recruited members were given the basic knowledge about AIESEC in a very
interactive yet convincing manner. The event utilised the optimum resources to create an ultimate first
impression on its newest membership by incorporating pre event activities to its implementation plan. In
order to portray the essence of AIESEC through enjoyment and engagement, the event was organized under
two phases and therefore took place within two days. Mr. Sanka Marasinghe, the distinguished alumni
of AIESEC in Colombo North, was the chairperson of the induction and provided the event with many
insights that inspired the new recruits to obtain a growth mindset that will truly benefit the entity in its

future endeavours.

In addition, the existing membership , People Management team and the Executive Board worked in unison
to facilitate the success of their efforts by retaining adequate participation of the newbies by providing
them with constant guidance and encouragement to step out of their comfort zones. They could effectively
promote the AIESEC culture within the newbies by creating an amicable ambiance of acceptance and
acknowledgement. Therefore, It is with high expectation that the entity entrusts the responsibility of its
development to the new membership. It is their ultimate belief that the induction has laid the foundation for

the realization of the said expectations.

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CN ExcellenceCN INSIDER

1. How is life after you left AIESEC?
I am really enjoying my life. Back in the
days people were saying, AIESEC is the
best time in their life. But it’s different
for me. I’m actually enjoying my life
even now. When I ended my Member
Committee President term back in
2016, I joined the HR function at MAS
. That was a really good experience
working with a lot of diverse people.
But after that I quit my job and became
a businessman. Even though with the
pandemic it’s quite challenging, it is a
really good experience.

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ISSUE V | SEPTEMBER 2021

2. How was your journey from member to MCP?
I started my AIESEC career back in 2011 after I joined University of Kelaniya. I had no leadership experience
or confidence during that time. AIESEC helped me to develop myself and understand myself by working
with many different people from all around the world.
One of the best experiences I had was with EXPO Sri Lanka 1.0 where we got 20 people from 16 different
countries down to Sri Lanka. Then I went for a CEEDer experience in Indonesia to help another AIESEC
entity to develop their AIESEC entity. It was a whole different experience for me at that time.
Then I became the Local Committee Vice President for IGCDP. It was a very challenging experience but
the experience was great because we had a very strong and diverse team. Then I applied for the Member
Committee Vice President position in AIESEC in Sri Lanka back in the 15/16 term and I eventually became
the Member Committee President. It was challenging because we had to work with a lot of different
universities, stakeholders and also with the government for VISA and intern matters.
During my Member Committee President experience, I got multiple chances to travel abroad, to go for
conferences, to share in conferences and to conduct sessions. So overall it was an amazing experience.
3. What is your purpose and passion in life and how has it helped you to come this far in life?
When I mature and evolve with experiences, the things that I want to do in my life also change. One of the
important things is that I committed more than 100% for whatever I believed in so I could achieve it. Even
when I was engaged with AIESEC, I wanted to give my best to AIESEC in University of Kelaniya and wanted
to become the best version of myself all the time.

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4. What is your current job role and how do you
think your past experience help you in your current
job role?
My AIESEC experience has definitely helped me
a lot. Currently I run a company in Real-estate
and constructions as my own business. I did my
degree in Business management and IT. I was in
the Human Resource department at MAS. And
now I’m doing a totally different thing. I learned to
challenge myself because of AIESEC. I got a loan
from my parents and from a bank to start my first
project in this business. I designed the plan with
an architect and built a house as my first project. It
was a challenging experience to balance both. We
have 40 employees working with us now.
AIESEC helped me in financial, non-financial and
ground level operational knowledge and most
importantly people management. In the future, I’m
hoping to invest in plantations as well to broaden
the scope of my business.

5. Who is your role model in your current industry
and your life?
There are so many people that we can learn
from. Especially in my industry, I really like
Robert Kiyosaki other than the people in Sri
Lankan context. His “Rich Dad Poor Dad” book
offers personal finance education to help you
learn about cash flow, Real-estate, investing, and
business building and the importance of school
and university education for our lives. You can’t
be a billionaire only by saving, you have to invest
to reach your targets. So where to invest, what to
invest, what is the right time to invest, when to
have a backup plan and all these things are very
important for our life. So reading these books were
very much useful for me in this industry.
Other than that it is my father who is my role
model in my life. He was a very caring person.
He has passed away now but I remember the way
he helped me in everything. Even in schooling,
laundering and all. Even my brother and mother
are also the same .They were not gender biased like
Mother has to do this thing and Father has to do
that thing. Bearing responsibilities and how much
you have to care about people are certain things
that I learned from my father.

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ISSUE V | SEPTEMBER 2021

7. What is the message you want to give to the
readers and the members of AIESEC in University
of Kelaniya ?
AIESEC is a great place. At the MAS interview, I
only talked about AIESEC projects. However, just
because you join AIESEC nothing will be added
to you. If you really work then that’s how the
true power of AIESEC starts affecting you. Grab
Leadership Body and other Local and national
level positions and internships so that you can
experience the difference in each position. It
will be a really good experience when you start
working in the corporate sector. So grab all these
opportunities and enjoy. Do your work and enjoy
the work you do more!

6. Have you been through hardships and if yes how
did you get through them?
Yes, of course. There were so many hardships when
I was doing AIESEC and even right now. With the
pandemic we have to drag our projects, some of the
workers are not coming to work and the material
cost of construction is high these days. So for all
these things we had to come up with solutions. As
a solution oriented person I try to find solutions
to survive by finding out the best option for that
specific problem.
Basically what I do is; I buy lands, build houses
with my own money and sell it. It takes a lot of
time with this pandemic situation. So I have to wait
until I get a sale because customers can’t come and
visit houses. So sometimes I also get demotivated
because I have invested a lot of time and money
for it. At that time my fiancé helped me a lot by
motivating me and appreciating my work.

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CN INSIDER

shelini’s Story

Local Committee Vice President
Incoming Global Volunteer

(Value Delivery and Business to Business ) 21/22

I was an introvert who soon after getting into university, cluelessly joined AIESEC without
knowing what AIESEC really was , Also after receiving a message from an anonymous person
called a Team Leader, I was told that I have been allocated to a function called Incoming
Global Volunteer( iGV ) and that I am a member of an iGV project called BE SRI LANKAN. I was
clueless, yet excited since this was something new for me.Thus, my AIESEC journey began as
an iGV member in the project BE SRILANKAN which was led by Jayandi Premachandra who
won the best iGV team leader summer in Sparkles 2020. Since my first project was a travelling
project I travelled around the country with three chinese exchange participants. My university
life became more fun with AIESEC and I, who was an introvert, started to mingle with people
while developing my leadership skills. This happened gradually as I faced many challenges
in a practical environment. After completing my first project successfully as a team member
I was able to overcome many of my weaknesses and I could make three new foreign friends
because of AIESEC.Second step was another iGV project which was a women empowerment
project in which we had two beautiful Japanese volunteers. This project was led by my second
team leader Malithi Thudewaththa.

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ISSUE V | SEPTEMBER 2021

There I met two new foreign friends and
I could expand my network. After being
motivated seeing how my team leaders
were, I was so enthusiastic and keen to learn
and discover myself. Therefore,I applied for
a national organizing committee which was
the Island-wide World’s Largest Lesson
2020.I was appointed as the HR manager
for Colombo North from the organizing
committee where I had to manage 100+
delegates while learning so many new things
regarding people management. Due to the
motivation I gained through that experience,
I wanted to discover myself more so I applied
for many more positions in my entity. It was
then that I was seen on almost every flyer
that went out from AIESEC in University of
Kelaniya. Further, I was appointed as the
People Management Coordinator of iGV
function, Business Development Coordinator
for events of Business Development team,
IR Coordinator of IR and Matching team, and
was a member of the People Management
Team. After getting into almost all the teams
in Colombo North, I learnt to balance a lot of
work simultaneously.

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CN INSIDER

Upon being a multitasking person,I In my story all I have is wonderful memories
discovered my potential. I didn’t stop there which made me happy even at hard times
and was in need of taking a new step in my during my university life. My university life
AIESEC journey so I applied for the Core became much more beautiful and I started
Committee Team of International Presidents’ loving it because of the people I met in
Meeting 2021. That was one of the best AIESEC. One quality I would like to highlight
experiences in my AIESEC journey where I in my story is “SELF AWARE” which is one
could meet a bunch of new people from all of the main leadership qualities that AIESEC
the entities around Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, tries to develop within young people like
due to the pandemic situation, the event you and me. Always Try new things either
got canceled. However, the experience I got you win or you learn.
while being in the Core Committee , working
with a very well experienced set of people
made me apply for more opportunities.I was
appointed as the Organizing Committee
Vice President for External Relations of
the Leadership development Seminar
2020. Being in that organizing committee
motivated me to apply for the Executive
Board of AIESEC in Colombo North for the
term 21/22. I was privileged to get selected
as the Local Committee Vice President for
Incoming Global Volunteer Value Delivery
and Business to Business which enabled me
to talk to you through this article.

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ISSUE V | SEPTEMBER 2021

Thilini’s Story

Local Committee Vice President
Incoming Exchanges
(IR and Matching) 21/22

It was one fine day in 2019, and I was a
fresher at the University of Kelaniya, being
as nervous and as curious as any fresher
could be. At the same time, I was so excited
to experience the life of a Sri Lankan
university undergraduate and always
wanted to try out something new. That is
when I heard someone mentioning “AIESEC”.
Filled with curiosity and excitement, I went
to the recruitment interview, not knowing
what exactly I would be doing if I got
selected. Fortunately, I was recruited as a
member of the Incoming Global Volunteer
function where I was able to get my first
team member experience as a part of the
organizing committee of “Ayanna 12.0”.

Induction 2019 was where I started feeling
connected to this large, global youth-run
organization. In addition, I felt that AIESEC is
an organization with a beautifulvision; “peace
and fulfillment of humankind’s potential”,
and a clearly defined “Why” and “How”. It
was also amazing to see how everyone at
the induction enjoyed being themselves; full
of life, passionate, supportive, enthusiastic,
and either shy, or loud, or quiet, but most
importantly dancing to a piece of random
music called “jives”! Even though I couldn’t
completely understand every detail about
AIESEC on that day, when I was leaving the
induction premises, I was determined to
explore this wonderful organization more
and do something different.

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Little by little, I realized why “leadership development” is an integral part of AIESEC, and how
AIESEC helps every young person to be a leader with a purpose, and a right vision. Therefore, I
joined the iGV IR and Matching Team as an IR Coordinator in 2019 where I was able to get one
of the BEST Team Experiences in my life while learning to step out of my comfort zone and
have a different perspective on how I view diversity, leadership, AIESEC, and its impact on the
society and young people. In addition, iGV IR and Matching Team is the place where I grew, and
therefore it is always a very special place for me.

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ISSUE V | SEPTEMBER 2021

While I was working as an iGV IR Coordinator Moreover, I got selected as the IR and
I joined the Content Writing Team of the Matching Strategist of the iGV IR and
National Showcasing Team of AIESEC Sri Matching Team, one of the most challenging
Lanka. As a content writer, I could explore yet the best team leader experiences I have
the passion I had for writing. After a few ever received through AIESEC. The next
months of working as a content writer, I got most significant milestone in my AIESEC
the opportunity to be the Lead Podcast journey is being the LCVP for iCX IR and
of the first-ever podcast team of AIESEC Matching. The role itself is very challenging
Sri Lanka, where I, along with my team, and diverse, and I must say that all these
successfully delivered the first 12 episodes wonderful experiences have molded me
of The Leadership Is Also About podcast (and are still molding me) into believing in
series. In addition, I was one of the Organizing myself and what I am capable of doing as a
Committee Vice Presidents for Events at the young girl who is willing to make a positive
Leadership Development Seminar 2020 change in society.
organized by AIESEC in Colombo North .
through which I could meet an amazing set
of people. As a team, we delivered one of
the most successful events Colombo North
has ever witnessed.

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Furthermore, receiving the “Best Young Leader” award at Sparkles’21 is one of the greatest
accomplishments of my AIESEC journey. As much as I am grateful for the award I have received,
however, I always believe firmly that the greatest awards/rewards that I have received along
the way through AIESEC are the wonderful, and passionate young change-makers that I have
met, every single achievement small or big, every team experience good or bad, and all the

times I have done mistakes and learned never to repeat doing the same..

Finally, let me conclude by saying that today, I am not the same nervous, and purposeless girl
who joined AIESEC back in 2019. I have discovered and rediscovered myself while realizing
how relevant AIESEC is in today’s society. In addition, I have always felt empowered by the great
leaders I have met who have encouraged me to share the same feeling of empowerment with
my fellow AIESECers because as AIESECers we believe that every young person is capable of

developing themselves as value-driven leaders.

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ISSUE V | SEPTEMBER 2021
Message from Spirit

of the month
AUGUST

If I recall, I joined AIESEC in March, 2020. To Be honest, I used to be an introvert but AIESEC took me
out of my comfort zone and taught me what getting to know new people and exploring happiness is all
about! Being the Matching Manager of iCX, working as the GET Specialist of the PM team while doing an
internship was never an easy ride. Nonetheless, it would have not been possible to be where I am today
without the guidance and support of the amazing people around me. Thus, I take this as a chance to thank
all my leaders and my amazing fellow members who encouraged me to do my level best for CN. At last,
being the Spirit of the Month would be a moment that I’d forever cherish in my AIESEC journey but this

would never be the ending, but a start to take CN to the next level!!!
-Sachini De Silva -

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• Performing well in the member • Built 2 new IR partnerships built
and OCVP position in Suwa • Conducted 4 follow up meetings

• The execution and moderating of The • Actively takes part in functional work
EPISODE of oGV • OC leader in EDvantage
• OC member in Fashionista

• Immense contribution for the success • Well managed the functional work
of Inside Out

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ISSUE V | SEPTEMBER 2021

• Worked in Fashionista OC • Leading the Inside Out Team and making
• Worked in the research team and re- it a success

searched on 5 new companies • Good leadership and team management
skills

• Designing recruitment content • Excellently managed PR work and the
• Designing AIESEC essence flyers campaign

• Execution of OCP duties very well & con- • Excellently managed the Recruitment
ducting a great event process with the support of other team
members

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• Task completion and continuous engagement • Creation & Completion of iGV performance
and enthusiasm towards oGTe work evaluation tracker

• Taking over responsibilities and completing
the tasks beyond the set expectations

• Approached several companies • Moderator of the VLEAD session
• Good team management skills • Execution of oGV products
• Had a company meeting with ESOFT

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ISSUE V | SEPTEMBER 2021

• iGT Matching process initiation and content • Effective IR Management
creation • Moderator of the LEAD session by Sapna

• Approached iGT applications Madurangi

• Initiated research team and did the first • Well execution of work
market research

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A CNer talks

Surviving is hard. But being an introvert makes surviving ten times harder. Always
being misjudged as rude, cannot come out of the comfort zone easily, takes more
time to adapt, and has so many insecurities. That is how introverts are. And per-
sonally, how I was. Because of my shyness and introverted personality, making new
friends and socializing were not easy for me. Facing new people and talking with

them were the hardest things in my life.
However, with the promise to myself that I would face new people with confidence,
I started a new chapter in my life, “University”. But life does not go as planned. I had
to pause writing my new chapter, since the university was closed down due to the
pandemic. I could not even talk to my colleagues properly. Without having so much
idea about university life, one year passed, in my home. And at the end of the day,

I was the same introvert.
Then, reality hit me like a ton of bricks. A Year has already passed and nothing
changed. That is when I heard AIESEC registrations were open. I did not know
much about AIESEC then, and I heard that I have to face an interview to get select-
ed, the scariest thing in my life. But anyway, I applied and faced the interview, and
I was 99.9% sure that I would not get selected. Somehow a few days later, I got this
email saying, “It is with great pleasure we notify you that you are a CNer now.” And
later I was allocated to oGV function with a bunch of friendly people. Life may not

go as planned, but it goes better sometimes.
The next challenge before me was to adapt to the new community. To work with
new people and get along with them. Surprisingly, adjusting to the new culture was
not as hard as I expected. The friendly, supportive, and welcoming environment
made it so comfortable. Being an oGVer, I got so many new experiences in this
short period of time. For the first time in my life, I presented myself in front of in-
ternational audiences, participated in meetings with IR partners, made new friends
and worked with people in other functions as well as other entities. Even though
most of these situations were foreign to me, they did not feel uncomfortable or stiff.
I was excited and waiting to grab the best of the opportunities the whole time, which

I consider is an observable improvement in myself.
There is a saying, “Some steps need to be taken alone. It’s the only way to figure out
where you need to go and who you really are.” I have taken the first step which is
the hardest part in the long haul of transforming my introverted self with so many
insecurities, to a more confident and stable personality. Hopefully, the new path I
chose will lead me to my glamorous destination, since “The secret of getting ahead

is, getting started.”
-An article by Himasha Weerasinghe from the Outgoing Volunteer Function.-

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ISSUE V | SEPTEMBER 2021

Partner Space

Partnership Announcement
of Fashionista

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CN INSIDER
Testimonials from Fashionista
Partners

SALON TOBE
OFFICIAL BEAUTY CARE PARTNER

It was a privilege to be a part of AIESEC Fashionista and partner with their great
event that showcased some amazing talent. As a judge I was impressed by the
young talent in our country and would like to thank AIESEC for giving these creative
minds the opportunity to showcase it. I would like to appreciate and thank the great
work done by the AIESEC team and wish them all the best in their future endeavours

- Michelle Oodugama, Proprietor Salon Tobe -
IMPERIAL COLLEGE OF BUSINESS STUDIES
OFFICIAL EDUCATIONAL PARTNER

I’m really honored to be a part of this initiative “Fashionista” and a huge applause to
the organising team and to those who came out with such creative thoughts. I was
really pleased to see the participation and the creativity hidden within the youth
and their enthusiasm. Keep up the good work and we will be more than happy to

be a part of your future endeavours as well.
Praveen Namasivayam - Assistant Manager -Recruitments

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ISSUE V | SEPTEMBER 2021

BUDDY’S DELIGHT
GIFT PARTNER

We were extremely pleased to be able to be the food and beverages partner for the
event “Fashionista’’ organized by AIESEC in University of Kelaniya & Informatics Institute of
Technology (IIT). It was interesting to note that the youth are in the correct mindset to accept
the situation as it is and positively blend with the current circumstances. It is time all of us
get together in this Covid war as one family, by bonding with each other so that we all can
survive during this difficult situation. Thus, Fashionista is a result of Understanding about this
importance and it has given the opportunity for the Fashion Industry and the Fashion Oriented
Youth to discover and showcase new Fashionable Wear that brings up new Trends. I am really
thankful to the Organizing Committee, for giving us the opportunity to be a part of this worthy
cause. Buddy’s Delight is a place where you will discover amazing treats for yourself and that
perfect gift to impress and delight your loved ones . Our focus is on innovation, quality and the
personal touch to provide a vast variety of surprise treats, drinking chocolate, bars, bon bons

and Chocolate goodies.
I would hereby like to give my sincere wishes to the team for an excellent future, and the

courage to inspire the youth in greater causes.
Ms. Adheeb

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Quote of
the month

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not
realize how close they were to success when

they gave up.”
- Thomas A. Edison -

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ISSUE V | SEPTEMBER 2021

team behind

Shehani Fernando Sudheera Fernando
Local Committee Vice President Local Committee Vice President
Partnership Development and
Marketing
Public Relations (Branding & Showcasing)

Hiruni Udumulla Arachchi Nawoda Jayasinghe
Public Relations Manager Public Relations Coordinator

Dilshan Hettiarachchi Dilsha Ranaweera
Public Relations Coordinator Public Relations Coordinator

Binuri Lokubarana Gihini Wijayasinghe
Public Relations Coordinator Public Relations Coordinator

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AIESEC
IN

UNIVERSITY OF KELANIYA