ASO Club Council president shines through Seeking new horizons, while she learns along the way to success

Walking down the Pierce College Mall, it’s hard not to notice the abundance of booths and smiling faces.

Club Rush is in full-effect, and much of its success is owed to one young student.

Lakshika Ruwanpathirana, 17, is the new president of the Associated Students Organization’s (ASO) Club Council.

Born in Sri Lanka, she has been attending Pierce since 2013 and had previously served as an ASO senator last spring.

She embraces the responsibilities of her new position, as well as those that manifest in her academics.

She simply wants to do as much as she can at Pierce.

“I do everything, Pierce College,” Ruwanpathirana said.

During her childhood, Ruwanpathirana attended a Britishrun school in Sri Lanka where she began learning English at 2 years old.

She is bilingual, speaking both English and Sri Lanka’s national language, Sinhala.

“I think I’m more fluent in English than my own language,” Ruwanpathirana said.

Ruwanpathirana has been in the United States since she obtained her residency permit in 2012.

Her early education in Sri Lanka allowed her to become a full-time college student at a younger age than most.

As Club Council president, Ruwanpathirana oversees all the clubs and organizes any events involving them.

“I take care of the clubs, advise them, and give them guidance,” Ruwanpathirana said.

“The council constantly has meetings with the club reps where we discuss upcoming events and ideas.”

She has to maintain a close relationship with the clubs and their representatives, as they must work together to reach their goals.

“I want to be a leader,” Ruwanpathirana said. “But I don’t really want to command them too much. I want to get to know what they want to do so that we can have a mutual relationship and benefit each other.”

Curtis Smith, who doubles as the Assessment Director at Pierce and the ASO Adviser, has been