Name: Lira Rejenarison Place of origin? Madagascar School year? Graduate student Major? Public Policy and Administration Interests? Community development, sustainability and cross sector collaboration with an emphasis on Corporate Social Responsibility What’s the first thing you notice about people? One thing that I tend to assess is how much people are tolerant and are open to cultural difference and variety. I strongly believe cultural mingling is one of the most powerful and efficient educational way to harness and foster mutual understanding and peace building. My encounters with a large array of cultures from all over the world have made my life significantly richer. Professional mentors which has helped me particularly to build my leadership skills and extend my network. Who in your life has influenced you the most? How did they do it? I had the chance to have wonderful and inspiring mentors at different stages of my life and each of them have influenced me differently. Some have helped me to grow spiritually whereas others have helped me to discover my potential, build my confidence and pushed to me to go outside my comfort zone. One of the best advice they ever given to me is to try to think out of the box as a leader, to fully embrace cultural richness. I also had numerous professional mentors which has helped me particularly to build my leadership skills and extend my network If someone were to make a movie about your life, who would you hope would play you? My choice may appear to be a little edgy and unexpected but I truly respect Meryl Streep and Jude Law as actresses and as a human beings. They are both two beautiful and strong women. l yet very much engaged in advocating for causes that are dear to me. I just think it is admirable for a person to use the influence that he/she have to serve the community to make greater impacts. Do you think all people are equally valuable, or do you think some people in certain situations might be more valuable than others (say, a severely retarded patient vs. a doctor who could potentially save hundreds of lives)? One lesson that I learnt from one of my mentors is that dexterity is not a sign of greater intelligence but is usually rather a result of experience and opportunities that one has been acquainted to. A true leader, however, is the one valuing equally all the potentials he is surrounded with and work toward identifying inner abilities in each individual, place them at the right place where they can perform the most and help them grow. What are some things that make you really happy? I have learnt that little things build up to contribute to someone’s well-being or even a society as a whole. We just tend too often to focus on significant accomplishments that we tend to forget how little things keep us balanced and happy. To me, a genuine child’s laughter is the best remedy for any illness. A grateful smile from someone I helped is the best reward ever. Would you ever sky dive or bungee jump? Absolutely yes. The only reason I have not done so is because such experiments are pricey. Sky diving and bungee jumping are definitely on my bucket list If you could give one piece of advice to a large group of people, what would it be? Don’t be afraid to learn from each other. How would you explain your basic life philosophy? I cite Gandhi: “Be the change you want to see in the world”.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 20:42:18 +0000
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