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Advocate to change ‘HERstory’ – Tehani Chandrasena

05 Jul 2021

By Mahika Panditha    As the world changes every day, we are in need of positive change and youth who are determined to change the world. Having watched this young lady grow up, it’s a pleasure to say that she is bound to be a game changer. Nineteen-year-old Tehani Chandrasena is just about to graduate from Asian International School and hosts her very own talk show “Tell Tehani”, alongside working as a social media manager for Everystory Sri Lanka.  Today, we dive into  the details Tehani’s work with Every Story and The Z-Club of Colombo, as well as her college application process. Tehani is bound for Mount Holyoke in Massachusetts, US, this August. We wish her nothing but the best and cannot wait to see how this young lady is going to thrive. Before I say too much, let’s get right into it. Tehani Chandrasena, everyone!    Hi Tehani! Before we get into it, do tell our readers a little about yourself!    Hi! I am a 19-year-old, soon to graduate from Asian International school in Colombo, and I presently host “Tell Tehani” for Hi TV and work as the social media manager for Everystory Sri Lanka. I love dancing and I have been privileged to be tutored by the best dance schools in Sri Lanka. My passion for advocacy was fuelled at a very young age and I embraced every opportunity to learn and get involved with projects and societies which were involved with causes close to my heart.  I grew up with my mum, who supported me in all activities (although I knew I pushed it at times and rightfully got an earful for doing so) and an ever-obliging Grandpa who always came to the rescue when my mum was away on work. As a Christian, I feel blessed to be part of my WoW Life Church family, and firmly believe that faith overcomes fear!    You are a social media manager for Everystory Sri Lanka. Tell us about the work you do with them. What inspired you?   Working at Everystory Sri Lanka has easily been one of the best experiences of my life. I only started in April of this year but I feel as though I have been a part of the team since the beginning. Everystory Sri Lanka identifies themselves as a storytelling collective that works to create spaces in Sri Lanka where alternative narratives that are not seen in the mainstream spaces of Sri Lanka find a voice.  I work alongside seven brilliant women who are the very heart and soul of the organisation. Being in this particular work environment has taught me many things. Initially I showed up at my interview for the position of an intern, but they gave me the opportunity to handle all things related to social media, thus leading to the title of “Social Media Manager”. I essentially do all things related to the organisation’s social media profiles, and this means resharing content, creating content, liaising with translators, putting together the monthly reading list into Instagram story format, and more. It is a demanding job, but it is comforting to know that if ever you need help all you have to do is ask.    Congratulations on winning the Zonta International YWPA Award! As an avid member of The Z-Club of Colombo, what drives you to push for change, especially for the girl child?    Thank you so much! I joined the Z-Club of Colombo when I was 14 years old and learnt a lot about the importance of empowering women in Sri Lanka.  While most of us take our schools and education for granted, there are so many who are not privy to completing up to Grade 10 in Sri Lanka due to economic and social constraints. The Z-Club, and Zonta as a whole, focuses on empowerment, which is quite different to “charity”.  I don’t take my education at AIS for granted and constantly feel gratitude for having the ability to not only complete my A/Ls but also have the opportunity to go onto college. There are so many girls who don’t have the same opportunities, and sometimes society (more rural than urban) focuses on the boy to be educated as he needs to be the breadwinner, while the same importance is not placed on the girl child. This is one of the reasons I would like to actively work towards creating awareness and hopefully pave the way for girls to be educated.  I am so grateful for the Zonta International YWPA programme as it really encourages you to go the extra mile and recognises your work in the field of social service and advocacy. Being an international recipient of the Zonta YWPA award has given me an opening to start in my own small way and I am super excited.    You are set to go to Mount Holyoke College this August; how was the application process?    Well, it’s a bit of a long story, and one which I believe is a miracle. As a family, we faced quite a few challenges starting from early 2019, and the onset of the pandemic in early 2020 made things worse economically. I had put my dreams of going to college overseas on hold. But I am spiritually guided by two awesome human beings, Fiona and Kirby De Lanerolle, who constantly re-affirmed that nothing is impossible with God.  Mid last year, my friend and one of my role models Harin Perera’s mother gave us a lot of insight into the possibility of me going to college in the US by obtaining merit and need based grants and scholarships.  While I had resigned myself to not going to uni overseas, it didn’t mean that I had let go of that dream, and I think that is the most important thing. Once I had known that applying to the US was now on the table, I did my best to research every little thing that I envisioned in my “dream college”. There are so many people that I am beyond grateful to – the teachers that wrote my recommendation letters, my neighbour and her family for helping with little things at all odd times, and most importantly Sir Iraj, who helped and guided me with my personal essay and other college essays. It was a long, tedious journey to get through, but one that has manifested into a very rewarding experience.    What made you decide to go to a Women’s Ivy League?    Believe it or not, I had no idea Women’s Ivy League colleges even existed!  To give you a brief understanding of what they are; Women’s Ivy League colleges, also known as The Seven Sisters, are a consortium of prestigious East Coast liberal arts colleges for women. They are essentially the female equivalent to the once predominantly male Ivy League (Harvard, Yale, etc.), created to give the opportunity of an Ivy League education to women.  Mount Holyoke College, where I will be attending this August, was founded by Mary Lyon in 1837, nearly a century before women gained the right to vote. It is also the first of the Seven Sisters! For me, it was mostly the rich history of the college and the consortium as a whole that cemented my decision. Something else that furthered my decision was the ability to experience a women’s space. Having gone to a co-ed school, this was not something I had experienced, and it is something that really interests me.  Why did you choose to study International Relations and Gender and Sexuality Studies?   When asked the question what do you want to be when you grow up and what do you want to do – I always found myself not quite having an answer. It was only when I was about 14 that I realised I was passionate about making a change.  My dream is to one day set up an NGO of my own and work at the UN (you must ALWAYS dream big). I believe that an undergraduate degree in International Relations and Affairs would open up several other avenues in line with what I hope to do and create a solid base for me to work off of. Gender and Sexuality Studies is something I unfortunately had no idea of its existence until I started my application process.  My aunty, who is a shining light, went through her transition a few years ago and as a tween/teen, that was a beautiful journey for me even though I was on the sidelines just watching and observing as it happened. My aunty taught me the importance and power of questions and that knowledge and empathy are two of the greatest things you can have in life. It is for this reason that although I don’t know much about Gender and Sexuality studies, it is something I am eager to learn about.    Do you have any advice for students that would like to go down a similar path?    My advice to someone who is interested in International Relations and/or Gender and Sexuality studies is to know that you are going into a field which sounds very calm, but in reality, it is one which is constantly being challenged. The world we live in is not one that is accepting of change or differences. Understanding that differences in opinions, beliefs, and lifestyles should be embraced and valuing human life as a gift is the starting point. Having your own opinion is fine but remember you don’t live in this world alone. We are surrounded by people from different walks of life and if we are to co-habituate, we need to respect what each of us brings to the table.  Lastly, you must absolutely love what you want to do. While it may be something out of the box and not what is “trending”, if it ignites a fire inside of you – go for it. I am blessed to have a family that encouraged me to follow my own path and even tread on dangerous waters. But eventually I believe that if it is your passion, you will pursue it and do well.  Clothes by Fusion14  Photos © Nuwan Ramaweera


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