STUDENT SUCCESS
Student Innovator: Irosha Banagala
Published March 2016
Junior Irosha Banagala is among 13 NDSU students selected to participate in the Clinton Global Initiative University in Berkeley, California.
The initiative challenges college students to address social issues with practical, innovative solutions. Each participant develops a new, specific and measurable plan to address the societal need they have identified. Only about 1,000 students around the country are invited to the conference.
Major: Hospitality and tourism management
Hometown: Colombo, Sri Lanka
Her project: Helping students in her native Sri Lanka learn English.
Effect on society: “My project offers additional resources for low-income government school students to prepare for the English language portion of the General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level national exam. Students’ English skills will improve and they will feel more confident and better prepared because of my project. Ultimately, more students will be able to pass the English language test.”
Next steps: “Each year, more than half of Sri-Lankan government school students are not passing the English portion of the General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level national exam. I will try to serve 25 students from low-income families who currently are in ninth grade and set to take the exam at end of 2018.”
