First Sri Lankan woman graduates from MUN engineering
Kushani Sandagiri made history last week when she walked across the stage during a convocation ceremony in St. John's to accept her degree in engineering from Memorial University.
Sandagiri is the university's first Sri Lankan woman to graduate from the program.
"This is the 100th year anniversary. So, for 100 years, I'm the only Sri Lankan girl who came here to do an engineering degree. I couldn't believe it when I heard it for the first time," she said.
Engineering wasn't always a career on Sandagiri's radar. She said engineering is considered a man's job in her home country.
"I had this idea about being a journalist one day. Then I had another idea because my parents are involved in banking, so I thought maybe I could be a banker too," Sandagiri said.
But a high school math teacher changed her trajectory after noticing her ability to problem solve. He pushed Sandagiri to pursue engineering.
"After high school, I did a national diploma in chemical engineering in Sri Lanka," she said. "I worked in the only oil refinery."
Her experience in the oil refinery led her to MUN. She said the tuition, the city's culture and the province's proximity to P.E.I. sealed the deal.
"I really wanted to be in a beautiful place where I like hiking. I like connecting with nature when I'm stressed," Sandagiri said. "The other fact was I'm a big fan of Anne of Green Gables the novel.… I got to know it's based on P.E.I. Then I realized, oh, it's closer, maybe I can go there for a visit."
Sandagiri didn't have an easy road through her degree. She worked to support herself financially while helping her family at home in Sri Lanka.
"I remember struggling to pay my tuition on time," she said. "At one point, I was sending groceries and medicine to my family during an economic crisis."
Now that she has completed her studies, Sandagiri is looking forward to the future.
"I wanted to migrate somewhere and do my higher education and work in oil and gas, not because of the money, but because of the complex experience I can get from that field," she said.
Sandagiri has a degree in process engineering. She will continue to work for the oil and gas industry with Suncor in Fort McMurray, Alta.
In the meantime, she hopes to inspire other women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math.
"There was a handful of people I could look up to, especially women in engineering," Sandagiri said. "I'm one of them now."
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