Originally from Sri Lanka, Atputhanayahi has been living in New Zealand for 8 years. Her mother tongue is Tamil, and although she had some English knowledge from her home country, it was at DynaSpeak that she truly started building confidence in using English every day. She’s currently studying Level 2 and says the supportive environment and friendly teachers, especially her teacher Susan, have helped her improve all areas — speaking, listening, writing, and reading.

Atputhanayahi especially remembers the proud moment when she gave her first presentation in English, and finishing Level 1 felt like a huge achievement. She enjoys learning about New Zealand culture and even some basic te reo Māori, and has made friends from many different countries. Her long-term goal is to become a teacher, and she believes that hard work and continuing her studies through to Level 5 will help her achieve that dream.