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Sajini Kodituwakku

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Finalist

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Winner

General information

Hobbies & Interests

  • Writing

Reading

  • Science Fiction
  • Realistic Fiction
  • Historical

I read books multiple times a month.

Bio

Sajini Kodituwakku is a 2025 graduate of NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study. Motivated by her commitment to human rights, Sajini's undergraduate studies sought to both understand social issues through a sociological lens, and develop effective ways of educating about them using various forms of media. Sajini has previously created a documentary for Brooklyn Queens Land Trust – a nonprofit dedicated to supporting community gardens – and has helped research for a documentary presented at Dekoloniale Memory Culture in the City's annual festival in Berlin, Germany. Since graduating, Sajini has worked as a Marketing and Events Intern for Powered by Professionals - a nonprofit event management company – and is currently working as a freelance writer. She is excited to continue developing her documentary and journalism skills at Columbia Journalism School in the Fall.

Education

Columbia University in the City of New York

Master's degree program

2026 – 2026

Majors:
  • Journalism

New York University

Bachelor's degree program

2021 – 2025

Majors:
  • Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other

Susan E Wagner High School

High School

2017 – 2021

Miscellaneous

Desired degree level:
Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)
Majors of interest:
Journalism

Career

  • Teaching Assistant

    Education · Kumon

    Jan 2022 – Jan 2023

  • Teaching Assistant

    Education · The Dream Program

    Jan 2018 – Jan 2019

  • Education & Events Associate

    Events Services · Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden

    Jan 2023 – Jan 2025

  • Marketing and Events Intern

    Non-Profit Organization Management · Powered by Professionals

    Jan 2025 – Jan 2026

  • Teaching Assistant

    Higher Education · NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service

    Jan 2024 – Jan 2025

  • Teaching Assistant

    Education · America Reads / America Counts

    Jan 2023 – Jan 2024

Miscellaneous

Dream career field:
Writing and Editing
Dream career goals:
Professor, Journalist
Has nursing license:
No

Future Interests

  • Advocacy
  • Volunteering
  • Philanthropy
Redefining Victory Scholarship
Love Island Fan Scholarship
As an avid Love Island fan, I couldn’t be more excited for this challenge. Love Island is one of my favorite reality shows, creating drama by mixing themes of love and betrayal. Yet, while there is some sort of guilty pleasure in witnessing heartbreak and envy, the show could benefit from a morally responsible activity - perhaps one that can inspire a sense of community service and philanthropy amongst its younger viewers. As an undergraduate student, I was privileged to observe a class dedicated to supporting nonprofits across NYC. The class, titled Philanthropy and Social Difference, encouraged students to understand the history of philanthropy, its impact, and major achievements across the U.S. Towards the end of the semester, students were tasked with creating a philanthropic proposal, ending with donating thousands of dollars to the cause. With the theme of giving, I propose a feasible Love Island challenge rooted in philanthropy. 1. Couples are briefed on UK -based nonprofits, ranging from Cancer Research UK to British Red Cross (we may even have special guests for this challenge - perhaps representatives from each charity). Couples are then to select a nonprofit to represent, and complete an obstacle course to win money for their charity. The fastest couple wins. 2. Couples will begin by running across a balance beam, while other contestants throw water balloons at them. They will then need to crawl through a muddy path, climb up and down a rock wall, run through agility hurdles, and climb up a rope to get the flag. 3. Teamwork is a vital aspect of this challenge, as both members of the couple should finish the course to be eligible for the prize. An entertaining and wholesome challenge, it will ultimately bring in a sense of giving while also providing some of these charities with great exposure: a win-win situation (and love always wins!)
Justin Burnell Memorial Scholarship
The 6 o’clock news consolidated my household, signaling my father’s return from work and breaking my sister and me from pages of homework, and my mother from the dishes. Upon taking our seats at the dinner table, my mother would turn on the television as my father placed the NY Post and DailyNews in front of me. Having spared a dollar each day, he would read the two papers during his shift at the convenience store and bring them home for me with notes on every other page. I read them during the commercial breaks, skimming through stories of robberies, drive-bys, and murders; sections of obituaries and celebrity gossip; and the daily cartoon. At the age of nine, the daily papers weren’t the easiest to comprehend. So the news acted as the liaison between me and the documents that lay in front of me, breaking down key stories through visual storytelling. Journalism had been woven into my routine long before I realized it. As a natural inquirer, I never resisted. It was almost exciting how reports of current events allowed me to momentarily escape my day-to-day life, inviting me into an unknown world. In just minutes, I could connect with people, places, and pieces of history that broadened my understanding of nearby communities, and those thousands of miles away. By the time I entered middle school, a shared passion for inquiry and writing led me to take a journalism elective class. I dedicated two to three days a week to learning how to become a better writer … a better listener. I submitted entries to the school newspaper, and supported other students to improve their writing skills. My participation eventually landed me a journalism award during my eighth grade graduation ceremony. Soon after, I fell out of writing recreationally, focusing on the traditional 5 paragraph essays that would land me the highest remarks, and grant me admission to top schools whose graduates went on to earn six-figure salaries. Aside from watching the 6 o’clock news, reading the daily papers, and exploring documentaries, journalism was not something I practiced. Though I did return to writing my first semester of college, when I realized that there was more to life than monetary gain (and that my interest in sociology would probably not secure me a billion-dollar net-worth). I took an introductory journalism course, conducting street and phone interviews weekly to write about topics that ranged from immigration to education inequity in New York City. I then dabbled in documentary filmmaking, taking a fundamentals course, and producing a 5-minute film for a research project. In my final semester of college, I co-founded a magazine on female empowerment, interviewing high-profile artists, creators and founders like Madison Tevlin, Emma Sulkowicz, and Rachel Doyle. Through each essay and interview, I learned about social issues and the world around me by talking to people in my community – using them as the subjects of my stories. As I want to develop the skills I learned in undergrad through a professional program, I will be attending the Columbia Journalism School in the Fall of 2026. Upon completion of the degree, I plan to use the skills I learned in journalism and filmmaking to create write for a multi-platform media company, advocating for more content on marginalized and lesser-known communities, including my parents’ homeland, Sri Lanka. I eventually hope to travel around the world and learn about social issues and unique cultural enclaves, documenting my findings in a written travel series to teach others about the uniqueness of life.
Sajini Kodituwakku Student Profile | Bold.org