Today we’d like to introduce you to Tania (Gayathri) Daniel.
Tania, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Ever since I was a child, I was fascinated by Human Rights. I lived in an extended family home in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and grew up with my uncles and grandfather. They were voracious readers who introduced me to World War II documentaries and books and ignited my curiosity for a Rights-based society. My youngest Uncle Suresh, especially, encouraged me to be fearless in asking questions. I did not grow up wealthy by any means, but the opportunities and experiences I enjoyed are not easily available to many children around the world.
I pursued Law in Colombo (Sri Lanka Law College) and in London (University of London) and later specialized in Human Rights Law. I also completed my B.A in English at the University of Colombo and during one of my sociological research trips to the war-ravaged North of the country during the cease-fire, I saw elementary school children seated on rubble, which was their former classrooms bombed to the ground. They wrote letters on the sand and recited their alphabets effortlessly and cheerily.
The experience broke me, but also made me determined to advocate for greater access to Education. The work I do with Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas as their Senior Director of Entrepreneurship Initiatives is an important facet of my personal journey. Managing JA’s century-old Workforce Readiness and Entrepreneurship program – the JA Company Program – has given me a fantastic avenue to inspire and empower high school students to start their own businesses and help create the next generation of pioneering American entrepreneurs who truly care about sustaining and nurturing the world we live in…not just the economy. Being given the opportunity to work with diverse schools, districts and communities is a privilege that I do not take lightly. We are stronger because we are unique and different and we come together to celebrate shared values and a united vision for the future.
After several years in London, I was offered the corporate job of my dreams with a Fortune 500 global giant to head Communications for part of their Asian territory. I was in a long distance relationship with my husband, who lived in Houston, and after much deliberation, I declined the job offer and moved to the U.S to start a new, exciting journey. Life is full of hard choices. Once you make your decision, revel in it and don’t look back.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
What is life without adversity and challenge?! What is life without the endurance and resilience it helps build?!
I would say once of the most devastating moments in my life was losing my beloved mother to suicide. Mental illness, and especially dementia, continues to be a huge social stigma in Sri Lanka. My mother’s tragic death shattered me and I had to learn how to be completely independent after she died. She used to even make my morning coffee for me. I grew thicker skin and learnt how to ‘give’ instead of always ‘receiving’.
Moving to Houston was a very difficult choice for me. I did not know anyone here (apart from my husband) and had no family living close by. I had to re-create my inner circle of trust and that is always hard. For the first time in my life, I had stopped working for around two years to take care of my son, after an extremely difficult pregnancy. I felt uprooted and lacking utility. Soon after I moved to Houston, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and had to wait until after childbirth to undergo surgery and receive treatment. Visiting hospitals day and night was a painful experience and doing it without the right support system can be unbearable. I almost lost my son at birth and the experience scared me. I gained 200 lbs. and was bedridden with pre-eclampsia in my third trimester. I cried daily.
Once my son was born, I yearned to go back to work and re-focus my energies outside of my home. Once I started working for Junior Achievement six years ago as a Senior Program Manager, I again struggled to understand my role. The U.S/Houstonian work culture was something I was new to and I was learning that I had a unique accent from living in two different continents – Europe and Asia. I felt different and I was fortunate to live in a city that embraced and celebrated diversity in all its shades and colors. JA gave me a new lease of life, a sense of purpose to renew the aspirations I had as an eager college student advocating for Educational rights. It made me realize that I could change lives and ‘Inspire Tomorrows’, which is our motto.
Faith, prayer and self-determination enabled me to overcome a lot of my personal and professional struggles. What doesn’t break you, definitely makes you stronger! My advice to all the students I mentor is this: struggle builds resilience and experience is the best teacher. Our adversity make us stronger, more empathetic and more tolerant. It helps us create a culture that is all-embracing. In darkness, Faith often helps us see the light. Find your Faith.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I currently serve as the Senior Director of Entrepreneurship Initiatives for JA of Southeast Texas, and under my new role, I manage our Entrepreneurship Pillar, focusing heavily on business strategy and operations for the JA Company Program and supporting our entrepreneurial programs and special events. I host a number of large scale events every year, from pitch competitions to trade fairs. My current role was created in 2019 to resuscitate the JA Company Program, our pioneering educational program that takes students through the process of starting a business – from ideation to liquidation – and empowers them to unleash their entrepreneurial spirit and emerge as successful business leaders, who are ready to excel in the global economy and workforce. In under two years, the Houston office has witnessed record growth as we expand our program under the pillars of Sustainability, Technology and Innovation. Our JA startup EVO won the Company of the Year 2020 Award during the National Student Leadership Summit hosted by JA USA in my first year as Senior Director, becoming the first Houstonian startup to take home this coveted award.
I am most proud of seeing my former students thrive in the ‘real’ world and being willing to give back selflessly and help others succeed. Sharing is caring. I receive many messages, from my former students who did the JA Company Program whilst at high school, and who have greatly benefitted from it. They always express their gratitude and loyalty. I am truly joyful when I see them excelling in college and in their workplaces. They are all the best brand ambassadors for my Organization. They never fail to return to the Program and offer their services to help nurture emerging student leaders. Thus, giving becomes cyclical, and this way, there is no full stop.
I never take NO for an answer. If people tell me that something cannot be done, you can rest assured that I will try to accomplish it! I am not sure if this sets me apart from others…but it certainly gives me an edge. I can pursue something relentlessly until I achieve it. Failure is part of the game called Life. But I am not afraid of playing that game.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I love animals, especially dogs. I dream of opening my own shelter at my home once I retire so that abandoned and abused dogs in our community can have a safe haven to live out the rest of their years. My rescue dogs bring me great joy. My oldest dog Sami, who passed away this year from cancer, was by my side when I recovered from thyroid cancer and a very difficult pregnancy. They have absolutely no judgment and love you unconditionally. I have learnt so much about gratitude from them. Another fun fact about me: I love documentaries and Marvel action movies EQUALLY, and have so since I was a child. Go figure, ha!
Contact Info:
- Email: tdaniel@jahouston.org
- Website: https://southeasttexas.ja.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ja_set/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jasetx
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/JAofSouthTexas
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/jasetx
- Other: https://linktr.ee/ja_set
Image Credits:
Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas
