Photo Credits: University of Waterloo Marketing
CTYA’s Blog has started a new Feature on Fridays, Thulirkal. Thulirkal meaning bud reflects the young Tamil youth we will be featuring. These youth are the buds of our community, and are growing into strong, achieving young men and women! Each week we will feature a Tamil youth of the week. For more information or to suggest a youth to feature, please feel free to email us at blogs@ctya.org!
This week, we’ve brought you Renishaki Kamal!!
Renishaki Kamal is an enthusiastic and passionate individual at the University of Waterloo. Born and raised in Canada, she values her ethnicity and cultures and educates those around her about traditions and Tamil history! She’s usually easy to find in crowds as her pottu is her trademark. She has been actively involved in Waterloo, where she served as a First Year Representative to a VP Social Commisioner and also VP – Academic. this coming year, she will serve as President of the Student Union for the Faculty of Arts. She also currently serves as Arts Undergraduate Student Senator at University of Waterloo.
CTYA Blog Team: Thank you Renishaki for sitting down with us today. So, let’s get warmed up. Ok, now don’t think, just say what first comes to mind. 1, 2, 3…
Favourite Travel Destination? Rome, for it’s architecture
Favourite Superhero? Storm
Health or Wealth? Health
Mom or Dad? Both – I’ll say my grandmother, just to be on the safe side!
Superpower you would want? The ability to see the future upon a decision being made. Like, if I chose to do something – I could see what would happen and if I didn’t-I’d be able to see that too.
CTYA Blog Team: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Renishaki: I was born in Montreal, Quebec and raised in Toronto and currently in Waterloo for school. I’m a student at the University of Waterloo pursuing a Bachelors of Arts-double majoring in Sociology and Geography. It’s not a typical choice of degree but I followed my passion to learn about society and the way of living and I’m fortunate to have parents that support me. I love learning and helping others, thus my involvement on campus has helped me tie them both together. Under the Arts Student Union at UW I have been involved from my first year, from a first year rep to a VP Social commissioner and then VP Academic and this upcoming year, President. Arts Student Union is where my heart is at, but I’m also a student ambassador under the Arts Undergraduate Office, UW’s Visitors Centre and UW Housing and Residences. I have been fortunate to participate in a partnership program with an NGO by the name of “Solidarity in Action” and I went to Peru as a participant to volunteer in a shantytown with construction, women’s group, youth in action and health & dental campaigns. It was an amazing experience – perhaps not for my parents – but I loved everything about it! Following my return from Peru I applied to become the trip leader for the next year and -my mom may has a hard time accepting this for a second time- I’m heading to Peru again, as the trip program leader with 14 participants. I love that feeling of learning and then sharing my experiences alongside connecting with others as they experience the journey.
CTYA Blog Team: What got you involved in extracurricular activities at university? Why is it so important in today’s world to get involved in extracurricular activities?
Renishaki: I believe extracurricular activities help one learn everything outside of a text book. You learn how to be around others, other personalities, what makes you feel comfortable, who challenges you, how you react and so forth. These were some reasons why I got involved, but I also wanted to better my soft-skills like, time management; punctuality; communication; media; etc. Another reason was- as if I haven’t said too much already- I like to criticize and only some people respond to criticism well but most do not, so instead of being one to simply complain about what’s going on, I rather step up to the plate, listen to people’s (students’) concern, and address them!
CTYA Blog Team: Your working on a project in Peru through Waterloo this summer, tell us a little about this project and what you hope to achieve through it.
Renishaki: Through my experience in Peru, I got the chance to see the raw environment and circumstances of how most of the world’s population lives. I’ve written stories based on those in unfortunate communities but I wanted to see it for real and be honest to my writing. Learning the lifestyles in Peru, I related it closely to the way of life Tamils are used to back in their motherland. I hope to gather as much knowledge in Peru projects of constructions, leadership programs, education mediums and inspire NGO’s to understand these projects are applicable in Tamileelam as well.
CTYA Blog Team: Strong leaders are important for the growth of a community, in your opinion, what are three important qualities of a leader?
Renishaki: Patience, honesty and supportive.
CTYA Blog Team: In addition to all that you do, you’re a writer, what got you interested in writing?
Renishaki: I love sharing my experience and my thoughts, I’m quite a descriptive story-teller when I speak-trust me, I include every detail-so the listener can paint a picture in their head but I can’t talk to the entire world and words in writing tends to be more concrete in memory and therefore I chose to express my experiences in writing and making it more accessible. I’ve also wrote many songs in Tamil and composed songs about the struggle back home.
CTYA Blog Team: Imagine yourself in 10 years from now, where would you want to be? What are some of the things you hope to achieve by then?
Renishaki: 10 years from now? – I wish I had my super power right now- I hope to continue learning and being involved. I hope to be somewhere else on the grid, share my knowledge and make a small impact. I would want to continue to learn more languages and perhaps master them. I know culturally my family may want me to finish school, get a job and get married – but I rather have that come naturally than scheduled. I just want to travel and participate in humanitarian projects.
CTYA Blog Team: Finish the sentence. “To me, Tamil youth are..”
Renishaki: …warriors as we’ve got a history unlike others and an abundance of valuable traditions, culture and knowledge to share.
For more information or to suggest a youth to feature, please feel free to email us at blogs@ctya.org! Catch up with us next Friday where we’ll be bringing you another Talented Tamil youth story!
