Growing up in the village of Nellimoodu in Thiruvananthapuram, Gayathri S Mohan was every parent's dream child. Let me list some of the reasons: An artist, athlete, trained dancer and social volunteer, her name was on every list and school certificate. As a BBA student, she was a university rank holder before pursuing her LLB from Government Law College Thiruvananthapuram. Following this, she earned herself a diploma in Yoga Therapy from the University of Kerala.
In her free time, she runs 800m marathons and is a master trainer for the Kerala Police Defense Training Centre for Women. So who would bat an eyelid if I were to say that she was one among the 30 women chosen by the Kerala Startup Mission for the Climate Ready for Women entrepreneurship programme, in addition to being one of the 100 most influential women from Kerala awarded by One India Kite Team, a professional sports team, during their International Women's Day celebration?
But what exactly makes her this popular? The advocate explains her journey quite simply, "I provide communication and soft skills training to students. I've been spreading the message of entrepreneurship, especially for women, among the youth. It has been a mission of mine to spread the message of self-employment. Being recognised for it was a pleasant surprise. I have been inspired by so many women all over the world, from Indira Nooyi to Jacinda Ardern. I'm so happy and humbled if this means that I have the chance to inspire someone else. It is the greatest motivation to dream big."
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An all-rounder in every sense, the 29-year-old is determined to spread her vision in every industry she can set her foot in. In August 2019, Gayathri was chosen as an international youth delegate by the Government of India for her achievements in a number of fields. To win the position, which is usually awarded to students from IIMs, IITs and NITs, was a tough process. She says, "Youth delegates are the best students of premier institutes and volunteers in different social organisations. For me, it was a two-year selection process. I got selected in the third year of my LLB. We were brought to Delhi where we went through a rigorous mentoring process."
In the same year, she got the chance to represent the country as a youth ambassador in China. "Along with the other delegates, I got the chance to spread the message of diplomacy and brotherhood. It was a beautiful exchange of ideas with entrepreneurial organisations there. It was a wonderful experience. The message I got from it was that the youth are tomorrow's leaders. Our responsibility is to take this opportunity and bring about positive changes in the country. And these changes will resonate if we work together through it," she concludes.
