brand logo

Brains & Beauty In A Blazer - Alison Wijemanne

19 Apr 2020

By Mahika Panditha  As we approach another month, I would like to take this moment to shed some light on a very talented, young individual. Some of you may already know of her, some of you may not. For those of you that do not – Alison Wijemanne recently graduated from Monash University Malaysia and is currently working in the tea exporting business with her father. Do check out her Instagram - @alisonwijemanne for some beautiful shots! This stunning young woman’s passion is protecting animals and travelling, which we got the chance to talk to her about! Her goal is to be a successful businesswoman and diversify in several aspects of business so that she can ultimately be able to take care of her family as well as herself whilst also contributing to the causes she cares about (we are right there with you!). A fun fact about Alison is that she loves driving sports cars, isn’t that super cool? We definitely think so! Another is that her guilty pleasure is achcharu and reality TV! We had the honor of asking Alison some questions earlier on, and here is what she had to say! Take a look.    You recently graduated from university. How was the experience overall? Any favorite memories?   Yes, I just graduated from Monash University Malaysia with a Bachelor in Business and Commerce. It was the most enjoyable few years of my life. Malaysia is an amazing place to study and I got to enjoy myself so much while studying. My favorite memories are with my friends because they were really the reason I had such an amazing time. We were like a family and it was always so much fun.   Do you have any tips for people still in university?    My tip would be to enjoy the experience as much as you can because it’s only those few years that you can enjoy yourself before life starts getting serious so take in every moment. Have fun and let loose. But, never lose focus and forget the reason you are in university, and that is to study hard and get your degree.    We know you are now working full-time, here in Colombo! Tell us a bit about that.   Yes, I am working full time now with my father, Dil Wijemanne, we export tea to many countries and it’s so fun and interesting working with my dad. He has been taking me to work ever since I was small and making me taste tea with him, so I have been prepared for this role for a while now. Now that I joined full-time I am really looking forward to learning more from my dad and expanding our business. Working full time was a change from how I lived in university as it finally hit me how serious life is and that eventually we all have to step up to make a living for ourselves. I’m excited to start establishing myself in the business and learn more about the field I’m in.   How would you define your work-ethic and what keeps you motivated?   My work ethic comes from my parents, both of them are extremely hard-working people. My entire life my parents never pushed me to study or to be a certain way, unlike most parents, they really let me decide for myself whether I wanted to study and work hard. It was at a very early age that I realized I wanted to work with my dad and that I needed to study hard to do that well. I have always planned out everything in my life and I knew when it was time for me to put my 100% focus on my job. What motivates me is my own desire to be successful and make a name for myself and of course to make my parents proud. I know the type of life I want for myself and I’m motivated to make it happen.   What advice would you have for school-leavers who are just getting in to the workforce?   My advice would be to remember that success doesn’t occur over night, I’m not even close to where I want to be with regards to success, but I know that it takes years of hard work and commitment which not everyone can give. Life in university is fun and exciting, but you have to find a balance between everything. So, my advice is just always have determination to make it for yourself and always have goals for your life and hopefully you can get to that place one day, that’s what I tell myself.    We have to mention – you are absolutely stunning too! And you have a beautiful sense of fashion. How would YOU describe your style?   Thank you, I think dressing for your body type is important, being so tall I know there’s certain things that don’t look good on me. I like to dress for work in a modern but modest way. Suits are a favorite of mine as they make me feel really professional while wearing them. When I go out I just like to dress in a simple way but with unique items of clothing that look good on my body type. I’m still 21 so I like to dress in a youthful way because there will come a time that I will have to evolve my style as I get older.    What is your favorite piece of clothing in your wardrobe?   I can’t choose one favorite item of clothing because I feel like my outfits change so often and I have a favorite item of clothing each week. But, one thing I can’t live without is my pair of Lululemon black leggings, which I wear whenever I need to be comfy.    What is your favorite accessory?    Currently, my favorite accessory is a mini shoulder bag, because to me it’s the ideal bag to take out anywhere as it looks so old school and modern at the same time.    What is the one piece you think every girl should have in their wardrobe?   For a working girl, definitely a classic blazer, which can make you look so professional. For any other girl, I’d say a good pair of denim jeans is extremely important.    Other than working, you also heavily advocate for animal rights. What are your thoughts regarding the current Animal Welfare Bill for Sri Lanka?   My whole life I’ve had this connection to animals, it’s probably my biggest passion. Right now, in Sri Lanka, we are so backwards with the laws towards animals and it needs to change. There have been horrifying incidents of torture, killing, poaching and mistreating of animals. 2019 marked the year of the most elephant deaths, 360 amazing creatures were killed due to human activities while another large number of them were domesticated and abused. We saw people burning dogs and cats, poisoning animals, robbing them of their natural habitat, their body parts being sold on the black market. The saddest part is that often these cases are not investigated and even when they do, they can pay a small fine and continue their horrible acts. So, for as long as it takes, I’ll support this cause and the amazing organizations fighting for this cause. Sri Lankan’s should do better than this.   You have pets too! Tell us about them!    Yes, I have many pets. All of them are rescued and I’m at a current count of 14 dogs under my care but in total I can’t count how many dogs I’ve had in and out of my house. Over the years I’ve picked up many dogs and it became a habit of mine. My parents also love animals, so they could never say no to me bringing them home as they grew to love them as much as I did. They are the most amazing animals and I’m just happy they all got a second chance.   Along with this, we would love to know more about the AMI Tsunami Children’s House Foundation. How did this all begin?    In 2006, my late aunt started AMI Tsunami Childrens House Foundation with the idea of giving a safe place to the children affected by the 2004 Tsunami. 16 years later, my parents have continued maintaining this home and we now care for 24 amazing children. Our goal is to ensure that each child receives a holistic education which they can one day use to build a good future for themselves so that they will never have to go back to the life they left behind. Being able to watch the foundation grow throughout the years has taught me how lucky I am to have had the chance to grow up in a loving home with two amazing parents who never failed to give me anything I need and that unfortunately most people aren’t as lucky as I am. I look forward to continuing to playing a role in helping AMITSU grow to provide these children with a good education and a safe home with love and care to grow up in for as long as they need it.   What are some of your favorite memories from AMITSU so far?   This part of my life is something I enjoy sharing with all my friends and family and has taught me how important it is to give back. I hope to teach my own children the same things my parents taught me as I pass this foundation on one day. I love spending time with the children, especially on their annual Christmas party where they give us many performances and we get to give them presents.   How can we help and get involved?    You can help by contacting the organization to find out how you can help. This is by contacting us through our Instagram (@amitsuchildrensfoundation) or website (www.amitsu.org) or by calling us (0775810256).


More News..