Dear readers,
Hello again and guess what?
We’ve just wrapped up Semester 01 with our amazing Work-Study Scholarship students. What a journey it’s been! And now, with just one week to go before we kick off Semester 02, the energy around the Academy is electric. Our educators and staff are buzzing like busy bees! Finalizing NVQ assessments, organizing industrial placements, and preparing fresh, engaging learning materials for the upcoming semester. And just as we gear up for our next adventure, one of our distinguished partners stopped by to help our students sharpen their skills and take their talents to the next level.
Curious to know what happened? Let’s hear all about it from our very own Vihan!
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It is ever so rare that you meet people in this day and age who tick all the boxes when it comes to all things professional. Last week, I happened to meet such an individual in Mr. Madhawa Rathnayaka, Manager for Customer Care at Sampath Bank. I was given the opportunity to welcome him to our academy and I can safely say the energy showed almost instantly. We had the pleasure of having him over to speak to our students about two very valuable topics – careers at Sampath Bank and even more importantly, the values and skills that a professional should have especially when facing an interview and more so when working in a corporate environment.
Mr. Rathnayaka began by sharing a little about himself and his journey at Sampath Bank – a journey which really showed in the way he spoke and carried himself – immediately setting a tone that was both inspiring and down-to-earth. One particular point that we as educators noticed about him was, instead of launching into a one-sided speech, he asked questions, invited opinions, and even threw in a few jokes that had the students laughing—and more importantly, listening. There’s something incredibly powerful about a professional who doesn’t just talk to young people, but with them.
He painted a clear picture of what it truly means to be part of a professional team, emphasizing values like punctuality, courtesy, personal grooming, and above all, the attitude one carries into a workplace. But it wasn’t all talk—he walked the walk. Even in how he addressed our students, you could see the respect, warmth, and sincerity that defines someone who not only believes in professionalism but lives it.
One of the most valuable parts of the session was when he unpacked the typical career path one could pursue at Sampath Bank. Many of our students didn’t know that such structured and rewarding opportunities existed in the banking world – let alone any other field. With each slide, he helped them visualize a future they could reach, not through shortcuts, but by showing up, staying consistent, and being willing to grow—both personally and professionally. His ability to blend humor with insight kept everyone engaged and eager to learn more.
The education system in our country has rarely ever been the reason for someone to come out on top – professionally speaking. We as a country rarely ever focus (at an educational level) on instilling the markers necessary for someone to be considered a professional in any field – it is something a few of us have gathered through years of experience in our fields and many of us still look to find in our years climbing up the career ladder. I mean some of us – might I say many – still struggle with certain “professional” cues like holding a smile, making eye contact, or having a good handshake. Our goal is to change this, give our beloved students a holistic education. As most of you may know if you’ve been following along on our adventures – we at Avinya have put a large part of our efforts into building these skills from the ground up. It’s been an uphill climb, but the results are showing and I would certainly say that Mr. Madhawa only managed to push our students even further up the hill with his inspiring words. We truly look forward to working with him and his team to uplift our students and give them the experience needed in the working world.
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Thank you Vihan for summing up the career day perfectly! We will see you next week with a bright, new window into the next phase! Have a lovely weekend!
-Geeth