One Small Yes That Changed Everything
On 6th February this year, just a month after I joined the University of Moratuwa, I made a spontaneous decision. I signed up as a volunteer to teach in an online mathematics seminar series. By the time second thoughts slipped in, the form was already submitted.
By 12th February, I had already been added to the group. The welcome messages flooded in. Everyone seemed so confident, experienced, and passionate. And there I was, a first-year student who still got lost trying to find lecture halls. I felt nervous. I remember staring at my inbox, wondering what I had just signed up for. Part of me thought, ‘What if I’m not good enough? What if I mess this up?’ But another part of me whispered, ‘It’s just teaching. It’s online. You can handle this.’
The first session was terrifying. My hands trembled slightly on the keyboard, and my voice felt unsure. But as the lesson went on, I realized something: I was actually enjoying it. Explaining concepts, seeing the students respond, and watching them slowly understand. It gave me quiet joy.
I thought it would be just a small contribution.
I didn’t know then that it was the first step into something much bigger…
The beginning of my journey with the Rotaract Club.
Back then, I was just trying to figure out what “university life” even meant. Between adjusting to new surroundings, managing lectures, and simply trying to survive each day, I never imagined I would start this journey. But through that project, Nena Aruna, I met people from different faculties, different years, and different chapters of life.
People who inspired me, supported me, and became part of my story. One of them was Visal Ayya. Whenever I struggled with university work or life in general, he was just one message away. Sometimes it was advice, sometimes just a reminder that I wasn’t alone. And he wasn’t the only one. There were so many seniors and peers in Rotaract Mora who stood by me, cheering me on, lifting me up, believing in me long before I learned to believe in myself.
Interestingly, this journey also rekindled something I thought I had lost. I used to love Mathematics in school, but somewhere between stressful A/L classes and exam pressure, that love faded. Teaching again reminded me why I fell in love with the subject in the first place.
Even more heartwarming were the little things, like the screenshots of students’ results, the heartfelt “thank you” messages, and the excitement in their voices when they finally understood a topic. Those tiny moments reminded me that even small efforts can leave lasting marks on someone’s journey.
And today, here I am chairing the same project, “Nena Aruna”, this time for a new batch of O/L students, alongside two amazing co-chairs.
If someone had told the nervous girl who first walked into university that she would be chairing a project within half a year, she would have laughed and said, “Not me.”
But here I am.
Saying yes to a challenge I never imagined I could take on.
It all began with
a single flyer,
a single Google form,
a single person’s inspiration,
and a random decision to volunteer.
The girl who applied just to teach a few lessons never knew how far she would go.
Even the girl today doesn’t know how far she can go.
But one thing is certain,
those small “yeses” changed everything.
