Roots & Routes

I grew up in a rural village in Sri Lanka, far away from the noise of the city—yet close to something far more powerful: nature. I remember falling asleep to the distant howls of jackals, collecting bird feathers scattered across our ancestral paddy fields, counting bats in the dusk sky, and guessing which migratory bird had just arrived in our backyard. Long before I learned the word ‘biodiversity,’ I watched butterflies dance on flowers. My mom, an exceptional observer herself, shared her quiet love for the natural world with me. That curiosity became mine.

As a kid, I loved nature in general, and drawing it too. In middle school, I realized I was completely captivated by science. I’d make detailed notes during lessons, explain concepts to friends, and find joy in teaching what I understood. But growing up, I had no clear roadmap for what came after high school. As a first-generation college student, all I knew was to keep doing my best, and to follow the trail of things that sparked my heart. I stopped comparing my journey to others and started carving out a story that was my own. Eventually, I got into my dream university.

I began my undergraduate studies dreaming of becoming a chemist. I loved the logic and elegance in Chemistry. But when it came time to declare a major, I realized my favorite moments were not in the lab—they were in the field, watching birds, tracking ants, and wondering how species evolved. I chose zoology, and I’ve never looked back.

In my first year, I took a course in Evolution and Biogeography that completely changed how I thought about life on Earth. A year later, while trekking through a tropical rainforest on a field trip, I learnt how evolution comes alive—how birds colonize islands, how lineages split and diversify. I was lucky to learn from and work with FOGSL (Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka) and gained hands-on experience in field biology that shaped both my skills and sense of purpose. For my undergraduate research, I delved into evolutionary biology—a decision that brought together everything I loved: animals, questions about the past, and the process of discovery.

By the time I graduated, I realized how much more there was out there—opportunities, ideas, and ways of thinking I hadn’t known existed. In August 2021, in the middle of a pandemic, I moved to the other side of the world to begin my PhD at the University of Minnesota, the same place I had dreamed about for years. The transition wasn’t easy, but it was powerful. Living in a place where winter can feel like a tundra half the year has deepened my appreciation for life’s resilience.

My PhD has been the most transformative experience of my life. It has tested my strength and grown my compassion. I’ve learned not to let others define my limits. I’ve learned how to be both kind and firm—with myself and with the world. And I’ve learned that my early instincts weren’t wrong: I do love science, I do love nature, and I do care deeply about evolution. I am still the curious kid from the village—but now, I get to ask questions that span continents and timescales.

Today, I’m still chasing the questions that once echoed through the fields of my childhood—only now, with more tools, more experience, and the same quiet sense of wonder.