The Canadian Tamil Youth Alliance held its first ever Top Talents Awards Gala and Dinner last Friday, June 18. Top Talents was created to recognize and celebrate the achievements of Tamil youth aged 17-30 by recognizing and rewarding talented youth among the community with an award and a $500 bursary. Its aim was to motivate youth to achieve greater success by recognizing and rewarding those youth who have contributed to society and are positive role models for their peers.
Today we will look at the winner of the CTYA Top Talents Youth Volunteer Award Winner. This year, the CTYA Top Talents Youth Volunteer Award was presented to Ms. Anojini Kumaradasan.
The Top Talents Youth Volunteer Award winnder is presented to an individual who has demonstrated meaningful volunteerism with local charities, organizations or community based groups. Furthermore, the individual must strives to improve the quality life of others with a commitment to make a difference. Decisions are made based on the applicant’s personal statement and references (if submitted) by a panel of judges. The selection panel is interested in the nominee’s overall success, leadership qualities, determination, performance, and commitment to success. The individual must have shown both academic and non-academic success.
Anojini is exceptional community leader, role model who is genuinely interested and involved in making the lives of others better. Not only is she an active volunteer in various projects, but she has taken leadership roles in initiating projects and campaigns, She was the President of the Tamil Student’s Association at Jarvis Collegiate, she used this role to assist marginalized Tamils but hosting a series of fundraising events and donating the money collected to the C.A.R.E. program. Anojini was also the Downtown Youth Coordinator for CANTYD. Anojini has also lead workshops including Meditation in the Modern World and Peer Pressure and Bullying through her Peer Leaders Group. Another notable program Anojini initiated was the “New but not grade 9 breakfast program”, a mentoring program geared at upper year high school students. She is the secretary of the OXFAM international development agency which works to improve poverty and achieve justice. Anojini is also incharge of the communications division of CanadianHART, where she has contributed to the media team, and is a member of TYO.
Anojini has illustrated a genuine interest in volunteerism towards creating a better world. She has taken part in organizing the Terry Fox run at her high school, fundraising campaigns to build a school in Sierra Leone through Free the Children, and many other campaigns through Amnesty International. She volunteers with the Canadian Scounts, Growing Together Reading, Tamil’s Information Magazine, Toronto District School Board’s Language Program, Sick Kids Hospital, Free the Children and Oxfam Canada just to name a few. She has dedicated more than 1000 hours of community service, all while pursuing her Bachelor of Arts in Criminology at York University. Her compassion and dedication towards the betterment of world citizens makes this individual a role model to every citizen, and an ideal recipient of this award.
She has received prestigious awards including the Ontario Government’s Volunteering Service Award, the Federal Government Youth Volunteer Award and the Lieutenant’s Governor General’s Community Volunteer Award.
Furthermore, Anojini has also excelled in academics and fine arts. She has completed the Annamalai’sUniversity Diploma in Dance in 2009, and has completed level 4 in vocal and violin, and level 6 in dance under the Thamil Isai Kalamanran at the Tamil Academy of Fine Arts and Technology.
There is no doubt that Anojini’s volunteerism has contributed to the betterment of society, Anojini is an excellent role model to her peers. We are proud to present Anojini with the CTYA’s Youth Volunteer Award.
