Talented and Upcoming Communications Student and Model Adrienne De Silva

10 February 2015 09:56 am

By Shehara Rizly

Having firstly spoken to the mother who is a great achiever, we feature the daughter who is also on the right track to achieve her dreams in life as well. Adrienne De Silva was born and raised in Dubai and schooled at St.Mary’s Catholic High School and is currently following Media and Communications in Murdoch University in Dubai, whilst working in an Events Management company.

Aspirations in life

Most of us want to achieve a lot in life and make it our goal to work towards it. Adrienne just takes after her efficient and persevering mother Felicia and has been in the forefront trying to achieve her many goals. Two main things that interest her are modeling and communications. She started off her modeling career whilst still in school by undertaking minor promotional jobs at the tender age of 16 with the intention to prove that age was no barrier to success. As it interfered with school work she decided to hold on till she reached the proper age of 18 and today she is reputed in her chosen fields. Most mothers are mentors to their children but most of the time to their daughters. They guide them on the correct path but unfortunately in certain cases some daughters miss out on it and follow a path determined by friends which brings the downfall of the family unit as well. Adrienne was one of the lucky girls in this modern age to have listened and proceeded with the recommendations put down by her mother. She stated that her mother was her pillar of strength and mentor. Whilst driving, her mum used to share experiences and encourage and mentor her by the many speeches delivered throughout the drive. Adrienne shared her views about her chosen education and career path. “ I personally enjoy media and communications as it is a very active course. My mother however has been the best mentor since the first job I did; she would encourage me to keep trying for many others and was always there by my side, driving me to interviews, to work and to school. The car rides were filled with inspirational speeches and advice on how to do the best in what I do. Gradually, I started applying for jobs I never thought I’d get, but with the help of a few encouraging people, I managed to start doing a few photo-shoots. Many say models are supposed to have a certain body type or a certain height. I didn’t match up to those requirements, and yes I’ve been rejected but also accepted for a few. It’s not a career option, rather just something I like doing and feel would maybe encourage other youngsters as well. I’m still studying as well as working in an events company. Our company organizes exhibitions in Dubai and around the world as well. We hold a few of the biggest exhibitions, bringing in exhibitors as well as visitors from around the world.”

Spending time and facing challenges

Adrienne has two main challenges in life currently, one is the study course which she has undertaken and the other is the work she is involved in. Both areas can be quite time - consuming for her yet she finds time to enjoy life with her friends and family. Her mum seems to organize interesting vacations for the whole family to different countries. She shared with us her thoughts on how she spends her free time, which at this point of time is a little rare due to the fact that she has to juggle between work and studies. “It usually depends on the weather conditions in Dubai because in summer the heat can be extremely difficult to handle. During the summers it’s usually a movie, going over to friend’s house, taking a stroll in the mall, mostly indoor activities; however, the beach on an early Friday morning is something that just has to be done. During the winters, I spend most of my time outdoors, since we live in a desert and don’t have the perks of beautiful waterfalls; instead we head to the desert for safaris, quad biking, camping, BBQ and bonfires. The beach on a cold morning to just relax with some chai is amazing too. During winters it’s beautiful to roll down the windows and head for a long drive exploring other cities in the UAE. It is nice to dress up like we live in Canada’s weather conditions once a year and drive up to the mountains. A common thing I do during winter is heading for a really hot cup of “Karak” or “Zafrani” chai after work or university. Once or twice a year, we do also take a trip and visit a different country as my mother loves exploring, learning and seeing other cultures.”

 Schooling and general life in UAE

Adrienne finished her schooling in Dubai. She said that school was interesting as it was a coed school but the girls and boys would be separated. However, they used to meet for various other school activities such as the talent shows, the musicals, community service such as recycling etc. She describes in her own words,“I would say school was mostly interesting for us because we had some really funny accents around. Of course we weren’t going to let those go, so we made the best of it and also made some good memories with our classmates. We also met some interesting people and made some very close friends who are now like family. It’s nice to see pictures of us together when we were in junior school and now together when we are in university as well.” Most people migrate to countries in the western hemisphere but for people like Adrienne it is a different deal as she has the luxury of being a citizen in one country and brought up in a different country altogether. We asked her for her thoughts on basic general life in Dubai. “I appreciate the UAE for its mixed cultures. I’ve learned so much about other cultures, their countries, and their history over the years. It really contributes to understanding people more and understanding what the world has to offer as well. It’s always a pleasure to meet someone from a different country and if it wasn’t for this country I don’t think I’d be blessed enough to have friends from so many parts of the world. Also, some people are mixtures from countries you’d never expect, it’s quite nice to know the peace between countries that are at war. I have to admit, the service in Dubai is amazing as well. I haven’t been able to leave the house and go out when it’s dark in any other place than Dubai. Most children here are not very dependent on their parents, which is a plus point for the parents as well as the children.”

 Sri Lankan community Events

As there is a large Sri Lankan community in the UAE, there are many functions organized by the Lanka Lions. In the past there were get together evenings for Christmas but during the recent years most of them had returned to Sri Lanka for the season and therefore there had been a drop of those kind of parties. However, they still organize functions such as Independence day and musical events. Adrienne shared what it was like when the Sri Lankan community organized various events in the past. “When I was younger, the Lanka Lions would always organize Christmas gatherings/parties. They would have dances of different groups, shows and many activities. I used to be one of the dancers for the Christmas show; it was a lot of fun at the time. We got to mingle with so many people of the same country but of different age groups.” There are many talented individuals around the globe; most of them make use of every opportunity they can grab onto and face life. Adrienne is also such a youngster who thrives to make maximum out of her youthful life and achieve her dreams. She took up modeling only as a challenge to herself although media and communications is her forte in terms of a profession. We wish Adrienne and her family all the very best in their endeavours!