Durban - UKZN medical student Tivana Chellan said she is honoured to be a finalist in the Global Outstanding Leadership Awards.
The prestigious event is set to take place in Brisbane, Australia, next month.
The awards event recognises individuals who epitomise courageous, kind, and inclusive leadership qualities.
“I am honoured to be competing with renowned global leaders. My aim is to inspire the youth. I focus on inspiring women to achieve anything that they dream of,” said Chellan, who is a final year medical student.
“I am also an active advocate for mental well-being and feel that health care providers need to actively invest in their own well-being in order to provide the highest level of care for their patients,” added Chellan.
After matriculating from Tongaat Secondary School, Chellan said choosing medicine as her career was easy.
“I believe that service to mankind is service to God, and medicine was the perfect career choice to be able to connect to and help humanity,” she said.
Over the years Chellan, has played an active role in various activities.
She has been a part of the Rotary Interact Club, which is part of the international Rotarian body for community upliftment and service above self, and represented her country at the Model United Nations, an international format of debate that allows young, ambitious individuals to take part in simulations of the United Nations meetings.
At university, Chellen has had various leadership roles as a medical student, including as President of the South African Medical Students Association (UKZN Chapter) and is currently vice-chair of the Dean’s Clinical Medicine research team, a peer wellness mentor.
In 2020, she formed a Covid-19 response team to tackle misinformation and, with the team, created the I-Care pledge to encourage adherence to lockdown regulations.
Chellan worked with public health leaders to create a Tippy-Tap community empowerment hand washing video, and many more impactful interventions.
She also launched a provincial gender-based violence social media activism campaign, to encourage individuals to break the silence and to encourage more male role models to play an active role in bringing about change.
In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, writing poetry, and dancing.
She hopes to specialise in neurology one day.
IOL