Dayan Kousalya Kahandawa Arachchi

• What does being a First-Generation College Graduate mean to you?

Being a First-Generation college graduate places a lot of stress and determination on an individual. Also, I am an only child, which places a greater degree of making my parents proud for all that they sacrificed by immigrating here. They left my home country of Sri Lanka while it was upon turmoil with a major civil war occurring. Their first mission was to raise a child and give them all the opportunities and resources possible, almost all of which they had no access to.

• What is your proudest moment from your time at UCSD?

Starting the Sri Lankan Student Association alongside a few of my close friends. Upon arriving on campus we thought there were only 4-5 Sri Lankans. By our junior year the number had grown to about 10 and we thought that was impressive. However, once we started the organization the number has grown to over 60 Sri Lankans currently attending on campus, from a variety of education levels and backgrounds.

• Who are the family members, friends or loved ones who have been most influential throughout your college journey? Are there any words of gratitude you would like to share with them?

The friends that I met my freshman year in Revelle ended up mainly being some of my closest friends in general throughout life. We have had endless everlasting memories. Also, the friends that I formed through the Sri Lankan Student Association have some of the closest bonds as not only do we connect through similar hobbies and ideals, but also in culture. However, the biggest sense of gratitude goes towards my parents as they always believed in me and gave me a sense of independence that may be hard for the usual only-child. Not only did this mean that I was able to learn new experiences that were outside my comfort zone, but also meant that I could take risks that would end up making me a better-versed and multi-faceted individual.

• Who are the staff, faculty or mentors who have been most influential throughout your college journey? Are there any words of gratitude you would like to share with them?

Some of the most influential people have been the graduate and doctoral students that I met through the Sri Lankan Student Association. They gave me a different perspective on life, that education is everlasting and that you can always build new principles and disciplines upon one another. Also I would like to thank Thomas Chalfant in the Jacobs School of Engineering Mechanical and Aerospace Department for accepting me with the tutor/apprentice position in the department's prototyping and machining lab. From here I learnt a lot of my design and manufacturing, which would have been near to impossible to learn in a classroom setting. This helped me which eventually aided in me obtaining my internship and prospective job.

• What do you plan or hope to do after graduating?

I am aiming to step foot in the Aerospace/Aeronautical engineering industry then make progress into completing my Master’s in Business Administration whilst getting work experience. I am a fanatic about learning new engineering processes, such as rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing. In the long-term, after years of industry experience I hope to retire with my own engineering firm and spend time on my various hobbies, such as motorsport and photography.

Campus Affiliations

Campus Involvement

• Sri Lankan Student Association - Co-Founder and Principle Member

• Triton Rocket Club - Former Deputy Lead (Structures)

• MAE Machine Lab - Lead Tutor/Apprentice

Cultural and Resource Centers

• APIMEDA (Asian Pacific Islander Middle Eastern Desi American) Program and Services