The story of Kavini Nimthara Induruwa who was born in the United Arab Emirates to Sri Lankan parents is one of courage and determination. She was always fascinated by space and space engineering and now she has made her own rocket, pursuing all those dreams.
After her basic education, she became an Honorary Graduate in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Sheffield, England. This story of Kavini, a 22-year-old girl who has added a meaningful preface to her beautiful youth, is a precedent for anyone who wants to win life.
“Since my childhood, I had a great interest in science and space. When I was a child, we lived in a house near the Dubai airport, so I always saw planes. I was very interested in it. When I grew up, I read books about space. My biggest passion was building rockets and I decided to make one.”
It was not as easy as she thought for the little girl who decided to do such a big job. “I made this rocket as the final project of the university. This was not an easy task. I first learned about electronics from YouTube and books. After learning that way, I made it step by step. When I had three days to hand over the project, I got Covid-19. But I did it. It was on the third try that the rocket managed to stabilise itself and land safely on the ground.
Kavini, who constantly researched and inquired about SpaceX-Starship in 2019 and SpaceX-Falcon 9, with the motivation she got from that, developed and launched the rocket on her own, and her name started to be heard among everyone at Sheffield University. The reason for that is that until that time, no undergraduate candidate had made such a rocket on his or her own for the final project of that university.
Financial strength and motivation
But Kavini did all this step by step by herself. Kavini gratefully remembered that there were many loved ones behind that success. Kavini said that while her parents provided the necessary financial strength and motivation, her teachers, friends and her boyfriend Rigo, who is a drone expert, were also a great source of strength for her.
This young woman left the university with her degree, not to stop her journey there. Armed with a lot of experience by engaging in many related projects at the university, she also joins an internship at a rocket-related company. In the meantime, she added all the information including the rocket she made to her LinkedIn profile.
“About a month after that, I got a message from Jaguar Land Rover asking me to come for an interview. I couldn’t believe that such a big company called me. After I passed all 3 interviews, they hired me as a permanent employee. Just six months after starting working as a systems engineer at Jaguar Land Rover, I got promoted last week. As a systems engineer at Jaguar Land Rover, the first thing I did was to add new accessories and various systems to their newly introduced cars. Now I am working as a lead engineer to bring it all together.”
“I have always dreamed of working in the space industry. In England, there are many opportunities in that field for Englishmen. If someone from another country wants to take that opportunity, they must at least obtain a permanent resident visa. They must have several years of experience. Therefore, I need more time. I will continue to live with my dream and work hard to make it come true.”
Kavini is a girl with a strong heart and a lot of motivation. “Success is not a single straight line. It is a line that goes up and down and finally goes up. I have also faced many obstacles. When I entered the university, it took me some time to get used to England. When my parents left me in England and went to Dubai, I cried a lot and said don’t leave me. But I made up my mind that I came for my purpose, and in the early days, I was the reason for being a student ambassador. Even the kids who were bothering me must have understood that no matter how much they bullied me, I was smarter than others,” she added with a smile.
“Therefore, if you have a goal you can be successful if you keep your eyes on that goal regardless of what anyone says or does. Sometimes our aim may not be successful. But the journey towards it is worth it because of the experiences gained through mistakes and failures. “
Balanced personality
“If you have a balanced personality, it is very easy to achieve success in life. My only dream in life was to conquer space. My life is very simple. I have been a vegetarian since I turned nine years. And now I am doing my job with passion. Apart from studying, I also studied oriental music from Lakmini Udawatta and Meshan Rangayathana. I also learned to play guitar and drums on my own during the pandemic. I learned leadership training and speech from the Dubai Toastmasters Club.
Although born in Dubai, Kavini loves Sri Lanka very much. She visits this country from time to time to see her parents’ relatives. That is why she has a good understanding of Sri Lanka. “I think that parents and children in Sri Lanka are under a lot of stress due to exams. It is important to pass exams to go to university. Also, if you have a dream that you like, work hard for it. Also, enjoy life like a child. Live with sports, music and dance. I was able to speak Sinhala well since I was a child, and I loved rock music since I was a child. This time we went for a walk in Anuradhapura. I like the history of Sri Lanka very much. That’s why I want the children of Sri Lanka to do new things and bring international fame to Sri Lanka while achieving their goals and dreams. When we get old and look back on life, we will be able to enjoy life in the right way.”
