Most popular Ms. Lanka - Nilushi Madurangi
by Nilma Dole
A sweet smile accompanied by a
charming personality is what you see when you talk to the Most Popular
Ms.Lanka 2009 winner Nilushi Madurangi. Voting by the readers of the
Sunday Observer, Nilushi said that even though it was the first time she
has ever gone on the ramp and taken part in a beauty pageant, she has
learnt a lot.
 “My motto in life is that, you should aim for the moon and even if
you don’t reach it, at least you will have a star in your hand”, she
said with a coy smile. Nilushi said that she gained plenty of confidence
after entering the competition and thanks Ms. Gwendoline Kuhuthewa for
her advice and support.
“I admit that I was nervous and I could have done better but the
pageant was a learning process for me to be more confident in the
future”, said she. Nilushi is married to a marketing professional whom
she met while she was doing CIM. “I’m so happy that I have a supportive
and open-minded husband who encouraged me to take part in the
competition and without him, I wouldn’t have come this far”, she said.
Married to Shanaka Wanduragala for six years, she said that he was the
happiest person when she clinched the title of the Most Popular Ms.
Lanka.
Having done her O/L at St. Sebastian’s Convent, Nilushi did her A/L
exam privately. “After I did my A/L, I went into marketing where I
worked in a company for 4 years. However, my ambition was to be a
teacher and today, I’m doing just that”, said Nilushi. She added “I have
enrolled for Diploma in English Teaching at the Colombo University which
I hope to complete and then do a degree and masters.” Nilushi already
has a Diploma in Child Psychology and Nursery and has experience working
in a Montessori.
“My future plan is to open my own school to help the less fortunate
children giving free education. Since I love working with children and
helping a child learn, I will continue in this profession”, she said.
Having a three-year old baby girl called Shanaya, Nilushi does her role
as mother, wife, educator and now, beauty queen, with ease. She likes to
read books on religion which she says is close to her heart. “I also
love harnessing my creative talent by painting and designing and for the
Ms.Lanka pageant, I won the mini-title of Ms. Designer for the designer
creation I hand-made myself”, she said.
Her advice to young girls is: “If you have the talent, you should
make the most of it by brushing it up. It is very important to have
intelligence and brains and to be yourself.” She also said, “If you are
a married woman and have a supportive family then it is up to you to
take every opportunity to do your best”. Nilushi firmly believes that
Sri Lanka has the potential to produce talented and intelligent girls to
represent the country internationally.
Acknowledging God, Nilushi sends a special thank you to her husband
and child, her loving parents, people who have supported her, the Sunday
Observer staff and the readers who voted for her. |
