Alumni and Supporters

Bachelor of Business, 2017

Civil Engineer Isuruni is driven to improve the world around her, whether that’s in her home country of Sri Lanka or here in her new home in Perth, where she works on water projects across Australia and continues to challenge herself through her professional and community involvement.

“I always feel like there’s more I can do. I’m always looking for ways to improve and do a little better each day.”

It’s this fluidity and being comfortable with being uncomfortable that drives Isuruni to embrace change, find purpose in the work she does, and challenge herself.

“Once you’re comfortable, that’s when you should push yourself again. You just shouldn’t give up - that’s what matters.”

At ECU Sri Lanka, Isuruni recounts how the mix of experiences and perspectives from her fellow students and lecturers helped prepare her for the real world, and its many challenges.

“My lecturers, fellow students, and my studies at ECU Sri Lanka really shaped the way I work now and really complemented my engineering degree. My Bachelor of Business enabled me to broaden my perspective on communication and stakeholder engagement and understand the broader context of the work I do.”

Following her studies at ECU Sri Lanka, Isuruni went on to earn a master’s degree in Water and Environmental Engineering, and built a successful career in Sri Lanka as a civil engineer in the water utility sector, contributing to multimillion-dollar water infrastructure projects, including a World Bank-funded project. She also pursued further studies in international diplomacy, developing her understanding of working across different perspectives and environments.

Together, these experiences have continued to shape the way she approaches her work today, helping her recognise the importance of connecting technical solutions with the communities they serve.

“Water not only meets people’s basic needs,but also has the power to bring communities together.”

Australia had been part of Isuruni’s story from an early age. When she was six, her family moved to Canberra while her mother completed her master’s degree on an Australia Awards scholarship, and Isuruni attended primary school there before the family returned to Sri Lanka.

After more than two decades, Isuruni returned to Australia to build a career and life. Today, she has not only established her career in Australia but has also continued to find ways to contribute to the Australian community through her volunteer work with WaterAid as a WA Committee member. Isuruni is also a co-lead of this year’s WaterAid Winnovators program, representing her consulting firm and helping develop a solution to groundwater challenges in Nepal.

“This year we’re helping Nepal tackle groundwater issues. We’re developing a solution and fundraising to help implement it. It’s called Winnovators.”

Since returning to Australia, Isuruni has connected with the ECU Perth community joining as a Young Alumni Network Committee member. What started as a way to combat feelings of isolation in a new city has transformed into one of her favourite ways to give back to the ECU community.

“When I saw the ECU City Campus right in the middle of the city, I realised that I still had a connection with ECU here in Perth. I could go to alumni events, meet students and connect with other alumni”

Through this network, Isuruni has met alumni from a range of disciplines, from marketing to the performing arts, many of whom she may not have otherwise encountered through her consultancy work in engineering.

As a young professional in her field, Isuruni has become an alumni mentor at ECU, drawing on her own experiences as a migrant and water engineer to support students who are currently navigating similar pathways. She shares her unique insights with her mentees:

“Your experience matters, no matter where you gained it. You can take what you’ve done in one place and adapt it to a new environment.