By Kithsiri Senadeera, Sri Lanka Association of NSW Inc
The Sri Lanka Association of NSW (SLANSW) hosted its annual HSC High Achievers Awards Ceremony on the 5th of April 2025 at the Glenhaven Community Centre, Glenhaven. This event has been a special feature in the SLANSW calendar since 2002.
The main objective of this program is to recognise, felicitate and honour those HSC students of Sri Lankan descent from all ethnic groups – Sinhalese, Tamil, Moors, Malay, Burger and religious denominations – to make them role models and mentors by highlighting their achievements.
The students who sat the High School Certificate examination (HSC) in 2024 and received an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) of 95 and above were felicitated and honoured.
The event commenced with the playing of the National Anthems of Sri Lanka and Australia before a large gathering of the students’ families and well wishes. Whilst commemorating the outstanding academic achievements, the event witnessed thought-provoking speeches as well as delightful heart-warming songs dedicate to parents.
After lighting the Traditional Oil Lamp by the VIP Guests, the co-ordinator of the event Mr. Kithsiri Senadeera delivered the opening speech with a brief history of the Award. The welcome address was delivered by Mrs. Anoja de Alwis, the President the SLA. She invited the students to join the SLA and to take up the challenge of leading the Association for the benefit of the Sri Lankan community into the future.
The Chief Guest Mr. Nick Berman former mayor of Hornsby Shire Council in his speech appreciated the recognition of High Achievers. The two guest speakers gave excellent ‘Life-Changing’ advice providing a solid foundation for a successful career to the High Achievers. Mrs. Padmi Dissanayake inspired the students to pursue their paths with resilience, creativity, and independence. Mr.Hanif Brims told the students “…No substitute for hard work… learning is a continuous process“. He also stressed the importance of being fit and healthy. Ms.Nicole Hartas, Business Development Manager at CIMA, spoke about the ‘Corporate World’ and how to adjust to the today’s dynamic environment.
In Honouring and Respecting the Parents by the Awardees, the students stood up to present a thank you message to their parents and worship them in a traditional manner by bowing down, as a sign of gratitude for their unconditional support. This incredibly heartfelt gesture was accompanied by Miss Kitaara Wijayasekara’s magnificent rendition of the song “You Raise Me Up”. Her mesmerizing voice kept everyone on the edge of their seats, making the event a day to remember. This beautifully complemented the day’s central theme of never forgetting the inherently Sri Lankan value of thankfulness. It was a highly emotional moment for the children, parents and the whole gathering.
Beautiful tribute songs for mothers ‘Ma bala kale ammage ukule’ මා බාල කාලේ අම්මාගේ උකුලේ by a group of children from Soul Sounds Music Academy and ‘Adaraye ulpatha amma’ ආදරයේ උල්පත අම්මා sung by Miss Ruvi Pooliyadde were thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated by all.
Eleven students were nominated for the Award. The High Achievers were awarded trophies inscribed with their names, a Certificate of Achievement and a gift bag valued at $150/= to commend their efforts. A great sense of pride washed over the parents and guests, who realised that the future of Sri-Lankan Australians is in good hands. The students’ ATAR was kept confidential according to University Admissions Centre (UAC) guidelines.
The sound engineer Dr. Cecile Fonseka provided excellent sounds and music appropriate to the occasion. The event was covered by professional photographers- Robin Bosco of RCB Films still photography and Maduka Weerasinghe of Studionz50 video photography . Mr. Thilak Ekanayake, Mr. Presenji Jayawickrama, Mr.Ravi Iddamalgoda, Ms Sadhana Weerawardena and others were very helpful to make the event a resounding success.
One of the Awardees gave the ‘Thank you’ speech on behalf of the High Achievers. The Vote of Thanks was given by Ms. Swarna Samuel.
Miss Vidushini Sadeeskumar, the Master of Ceremonies a former announcer of The Sri Lanka Rūpavāhinī Corporation greatly contributed to make this event a memorable one. The event went smoothly and flawlessly. The Event Co-ordinator was Mr.Kithsiri Senadeer.
The photographs of the event from Robin Bosco are provided below.
SLA – Annual HSC High Achievers Awards Ceremony 2025
