Head Girl of Holy Cross College, Gampaha, Vihanga Nonis has compressed the energies of many lifetimes into the few years she has been Head Girl. Perfect Prefects features Vihanga Nonis who displays excellent collaboration skills.
Nonis has understood that from small things come great power. The pure simplicity of it all enables her to find happiness in small things. In this extremely competitive world where everything is a rat race, she says that we have forgotten how important little things are. She feels that the real definition of maturity is not really doing big things but understanding small things. A small ‘thank you’ cannot change the world, but it can change someone’s day. That day can really change someone’s life. She adds that a world where people admire each other is the heaven we are looking for. She strongly believes that the art of being happy lies in the power of finding happiness in small things.
She points out that when we look at the world at large, she feels young people should take up leadership positions. In the Miss Universe 2019 contest, Miss South Africa’s answer to a question inspires Nonis a lot. The Question was – ‘What is the most important thing we should be teaching young girls today?’ Miss South Africa’s answer was ‘Leadership’.
“When it comes to leadership there is no difference between men and women. There is a leader in each person waiting for a chance to lead. Abraham Lincoln once said ‘if you want to test a man’s character give him power’.
Being an important part of the global family, youngsters should have platforms to pursue their leadership. They need more encouragement to work selflessly as a leader in society. As the Head Prefect of Holy Cross College my mission is to encourage all young leaders in school to experience leadership and encourage them to recognize the leader within them,” pointed out Nonis.
Being a very optimistic person, Nonis believes that behind tears there is past and beyond dreams there is the future that begins now. Let’s not wait till someone gives us a chance, we can create our own opportunities because every destination is a new beginning. Doing your best today is the investment for a better tomorrow.
“I always believe in ‘Empathy’. We need to understand and share the feelings of another with sheer courage. I receive a lot of satisfaction when I successfully complete a task given to me. This is an incentive for me to work harder when I am assigned another task. Knowing that someone is trusting in you is a life changing experience. The trust that is placed in me is something I take very seriously. The one person who can change our lives is the one we see in the mirror. When life gives us a hundred reasons to cry let’s show life that we have thousand reasons to smile,” added Nonis.
Princess Diana who died in 1997 matches Nonis’ criteria when it comes to leadership. Diana won the love and admiration of the people by spreading love and became the people’s princess. She served the people and was a voice to the voiceless. Even after her untimely demise she is still remembered as a compassionate human being.
Nonis displays excellent collaboration skills. She points out that believing in herself along with her faith, determination, dedication and responsibility has enabled her to work efficiently with others. She says it is all thanks to Holy Cross Gampaha, a school that empowers young ladies. She is strong enough to stand alone, smart enough to know when she needs help and brave enough to ask for help.
“I firmly believe that team work does the dream work! Understanding my team, their strengths, and weaknesses creates the biggest magic in this world. I have 36 prefects working with me. They work in 36 different ways. They have their own extremes, talents, attitudes. It is impossible to change them into my version of a leader, but it is possible to encourage them to create their own version of a leader. Accepting this diversity and collaborating with them allows me to work with no pressure at all,” said Nonis.
Nonis is not only a talented leader but she points out that she has great potential in creative writing and composing drama. These activities are her passion and she devotes a lot of time to these two activities. It is a ‘time travelling experience’ when you watch or read something she says.
“You are able to live many lives in one life. I become three personalities when I read or watch. I become the audience, the character, and a critic. Sometimes it is our own reflection onstage. Or someone we have met in our lives between the pages of a book. I seek myself when I write, in retrospect I find memories,” she explains.
Nonis has many insights to offer. When a man or woman is willing to be what he or she is, as a society we need to be prepared to accept them as they are. We need to change our desire to change them. We keep forgetting that every life has a purpose. We need to seek it until we find it. There are no standards for a purpose. It is the effort we put into it that counts. I strongly believe that we should be grateful for what life has given us she explains.
‘Beauty is in the eye of beholder’. Hence, I think it’s our perspective that matters. I like stories where the artists recreate social issues and intense human nature in a more expressive way. Art should be able to express an opinion without tarnishing social ethics. When I watched the movie ‘The Book Thief”’ based on the novel by Markus Zusak, I was so much inspired by the character Liesel Meminger. She was able to transform herself into a much stronger personality. She was a girl who lost almost everyone she had, but she learned how to channel her anger into what is right and just. Lisel understood her role against an unjust society and became a writer to all the untold stories,” explained Nonis.
She explains that her biggest ambition now is completing her A/l exams successfully in the arts stream. The field of law and the fourth estate hold a special interest for her. She says that these two fields can make a powerful difference in society. She is determined that she will not be distracted by anything when following her dreams. Her longtime dream is to become a global volunteer and social activist.
“With the excellent academic and nonacademic background at HCC I have been able to obtain a good academic and a moral education. As a junior prefect I was able to experience leadership. Every Holy Cross College student receives the love and guidance of the teachers. My dear Alma Mater provides me with many platforms to showcase my talents as an announcer, actor, debater and a speaker. I have developed a balanced personality with many positive qualities. HCC is the place where I learnt what humanity is and the beauty of diversity. My Alma Mater has produced committed and versatile women who have the ability to heal the entire world with love. I’m very proud to be a member of the Holy Cross family,” stated Nonis.
