DISCOVERING MYSELF IN DANCE

Vishakha Iyer, 10 YearSix, KingsLangleyPublicSchool

I have always told my mum, "I wish I could dance 24 hours of the day and do nothing else."

This wish has been coming true overthe past two years as I go to India during the summer break to train in Bharatanatyam with Abhinaya exponent Bragha Bessel. Learning from Bragha Aunty is very special. When we enact everyday situations in dance she presents the ideas in such a refreshing way that we start to discover the same common things from different angles. The best thing about training under Bragha Aunty is that even when she makes corrections and is critical, she does it with such humour that I neverforget what she has said.As she was teaching me on how motherYashodha was caressing Krishna's face, looking at the way I was holding my hands, she said, "You are holding baby Krishna's face, Vishakha, not a Halloween pumpkin!" Every time I practice, comments like these will not only helpme never make those m stakes again but will also bring a smile to my face. I am very lucky to have teachers who train me with love and patience like Chidambaram R Suresh inSydney and BraghaBessel in India.

• which are immensely valuable, such as copper. So, the SMaRTcentrehas been researching solutions to this global challenge which has now culminated in the design of a micro-factory. We are designing a containerised factory to disassemble, sort and process in furnaces to convert our waste into high-value materials based on our patented micro-recycling technology. I have been working on the automated vision systems, drones and robotic arms to augment the material processing techniques being developed by the centre.

Back In The Home Country

Anindya Bhowmik 27

Graduated in Mechanical Engineering from University ofTechnology, Sydney

I volunteered forYuva Australia and the Consulate General of India in Sydney lastyear and in January this year, representing Australian Indian youth atthe Pravasi Bharatiya Divas organised by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. It was a pleasureparticipating in a Panel Discussion on youth NRI issues atYouth PBD 2017 withthe Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, and meeting the Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a lunch event. Youth PBD 2017 was a huge success, particularly the Q&A session with an audience of 700 PBD attendees. The three-day main affair from 7-9January, 2017 in Bengaluru, entailed an inaugural session on the "Role of DiasporaYouth in theTransformation of India", two plenary sessions and discussions about various aspects of NRI and studen1/youth issues.

Seeing Howthe Otherhalf Lives

Nishtha Chadha 19

BachelorofGlobalStudies & International Relations, Sydney University

I am currently on a scholarship program in SoutheastAsia for about three months. The program has two phases; thefirst is working with various charities in Cambodia and Vietnam that my college currently sponsors and assessing their impact and budgeting our donations that we raised throughouttheyear. The second phase is an internship, for which I am currently working attheSAELAO project - an ecologically friendly community developmentproject in rural Laos. The project provides surrounding communities with education support, employment opportunities and promotes ecological awareness and sustainable practices across the surrounding villages. Both phases have INDIANLINK

Reaching Outto Underprivileged Kids

Brinda Ohri 23 DoctorofMedicine, Griffith University

During my gap year I volunteeredteaching English to disadvantaged children in Argentina. It was both an eyeopening and rewarding experience and I was able to immerse myself in their community, culture and way of life. I had always been interested in travelling to South America, and I whilst I was researching, I came across an NGO in Argentina, which was very passionate in helping their underprivileged population. I made contact with them and was lucky tojoin their incredible work.

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A Song Foryou

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•

: Mahek Anand 17

: Year12, Cranbourne Secondary

• College, Melbourne

•

•

•

Duringthe summer break I was a part

• • of the DavidJaanzSchool of Singing

• showcase. I gottheopportunityto

•

• perform in front of a large audience.

• In thepastyear I have started doing

: gigs as a singer and since then have

• performed at various venues around

• Melbourne. I am passionate about RnB,

• soul and pop music but I liketo keep my

•

• doors open toother genres as well.

• I have been singing for a few years

: now and aspireto gain more experience

• in live performances. I have always been

• fascinated with music, even in different

• been incredibly eye-opening and pushed me very far out of my comfort zone, but I've learnt and seen morethan I ever could've imagined.

• languages - whether Latin, French or

• Bollywood - and would loveto explore

: more in the future. Something I enjoy

• thoroughly with music is being able to

• be versatile.

: Preparing for this showcase and

• having been given the opportunity to be

• a part of it has definitely been one of the best moments of 2016 for me.