Alumni and Supporters

Bachelor of Business (2018)

Winner of the 2024 ECU International Alumni Award

Entrepreneur Shenelle Rodrigo is taking Sri Lanka to the rest of the world.

Since graduating from ECU Sri Lanka with a Bachelor of Business in 2018, Shenelle has become a trailblazer in the field of content creation, using her platform to promote tourism and trade in her home country.

And with more than 40 million views annually and half a million subscribers, she’s doing an exceptional job of it.

Shenelle’s career journey began with modelling at the age of 16 to help finance her higher education.

“I chose to study at ECU Sri Lanka because I wanted to have an international educational experience,” Shenelle explains. “I wasn't able to go abroad to get this experience, so I was really happy that ECU made this possible in Sri Lanka.

“So I actually got the best of both worlds - I got to be close to my family. I got to travel and really get to know the country that I grew up in, while getting a really good education.”

Shenelle says she thoroughly enjoyed her time studying, which set her up with the skills she would take into her career.

“My degree at ECU definitely opened up parts of my personality that I wasn't aware of, and it showed me strength that I wasn't aware that I had,” Shenelle says. “I think this was through group study, through working together in teams and doing presentations - these are skills that I hadn't really acquired prior to my university experience.

“I had some lecturers point out certain skills, such as presentational skills, and one lecturer even told me, ‘you'd be great on YouTube if you'd like to do that’. And it's those little things that kind of encourage you along the way.”

Shenelle was the first Sri Lankan to be featured on the cover of Vogue India, and used the opportunity to launch her social media platforms, becoming a leading lifestyle and travel content creator soon after completing her degree.

“I got into content creation and tourism marketing - by chance, I was traveling during my time in university, and it was during this time of travel that I became very keen in documenting my stories.

“Somewhere along the line, I understood that I could perhaps bridge the gap between people who were looking to come to Sri Lanka and have an experience here, and also including a local point of view. And I think that's where it really started to grow from.”

Shenelle has worked tirelessly to offer an authentic, relatable voice, serving as the official YouTube ambassador for the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau, and now runs the leading independent digital promotions platform for the tourism industry of Sri Lanka.

“I would say that my biggest achievement to date has to be the ability to tell the stories of Sri Lanka. I'm very honoured to do so, and I'm really happy that we're living in an age where technology - with the internet and platforms like YouTube - allow me to do this.

“I can actually tell the stories of Sri Lanka to the world - I can invite people to come and experience it from a local's point of view, and really get to know who we are and what our history is, and give a lot more depth to an island that has a history of over 2500 years.”

Even in more challenging times Shenelle has proven to be able to share positive stories on social media, as well as fundraise for charities and organisations giving back to the people of Sri Lanka.

“I feel a certain sense of responsibility in regards to the platform that we have and using it to create a positive impact,” she says.

“My favourite campaign to date is the cycling series where we travel 1500 kilometres around the circumference of the island of Sri Lanka, to show the world that Sri Lanka was still very safe for tourists, regardless of the economic crisis that the island was going through.”

Among a slew of awards she has received, Shenelle won the 2024 ECU International Alumni Award, celebrating her outstanding contributions to the tourism industry of Sri Lanka and promoting higher education as a brand ambassador for ECU Sri Lanka.

“I think it's really important for universities like ECU to create the ability for students to study and get an international education in their home country, simply because someone like me wouldn't have been able to get this education if this wasn't available in Sri Lanka,” she says. “There are kids who want to have a certain level of education and can afford university but aren't able to go abroad to get that experience.

“There's a big gap - and that's a lot of young people, a lot of potential, a lot of skill that will be untapped if it wasn't for an opportunity like this. So I think it's of great importance to have universities like ECU present in Sri Lanka to untap that potential.”

By reaching an audience of millions of people around the world, there is no doubt Shenelle is creating a positive impact for her beloved country.

“I’m still very young, but if I had to think of a legacy that I would like to leave behind I would like to be remembered as someone who just did what they could, in their capacity, with their skills, to help their country.

“I would like to have been able to change the next generation's idea on Sri Lanka. I would like to leave a sense of pride in Sri Lanka for them.”