Grace and Guidance: A Tribute to Dr. Goolbai Gunasekera
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The earliest chapters of my life were written within the walls of Sujatha Vidyalaya, Colombo, where I studied up to Grade 6 before continuing my education at Visakha Vidyalaya. My years at Sujatha were a tapestry of laughter, friendship, and discovery — the kind of innocent joy that only childhood can hold.
At the helm of Sujatha Vidyalaya during those cherished years was Mrs Clara Motwani , our Principal. She was an eloquent lady of American origin- a woman of intellect and quiet strength. Life had its gentle symmetry, for Mrs Motwani had also been my mother’s Principal when she was at Visakha Vidyalaya years before. Her refined manner , graceful presence , and melodic voice made her both admired and beloved.
Her daughter Dr Goolbai Gunasekra, served as our Deputy Principal – and it was she who became one of the most defining influences of my young life.
To me, she was not merely an administrator; she was the very essence of what it means to be an educator. She carried herself with an elegance that seemed effortless — always adorned in the most exquisite sarees, her makeup flawless, her hair perfectly styled. But beyond the grace of her appearance was a woman of rare substance — intelligent, compassionate, and deeply devoted to shaping young minds.
In her presence, Sujatha Vidyalaya became more than a school; it became a garden of growth. She nurtured our curiosity, tended to our talents, and watered the seeds of confidence within us. She believed that true education could never be confined to the pages of a book. To her, it was about discovering the spark within — and helping it glow.
It was under her gentle yet firm guidance that I first stepped onto a stage, wrote my first essays, and learned to speak with conviction. I still remember the thrill of playing the Demon King and later the Head Dwarf in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, roles she encouraged me to take on. My essays were sent to the International competitions — small triumphs that she celebrated as if they were her own. Through every word of encouragement, she awakened in me a love for English, for expression, and for creativity.
Dr. Goolbai Gunasekera possessed a rare ability to balance discipline with warmth. She could correct with kindness and praise with sincerity. To her, refinement was not just in appearance but in thought, in action, and in one’s attitude toward life.
Even now, years later, her influence lingers in the quiet corners of my memory — in the confidence with which I speak, the grace with which I carry myself, and the gratitude I hold for those who believed in me. She molded not only my education, but the very person I have become.
To me, Dr. Goolbai Gunasekera was, and will always be, the embodiment of grace and guidance — an educator of rare brilliance, whose lessons went far beyond the classroom. Her legacy lives on, not just in the students she taught, but in every heart she touched and every life she helped to shape as she goes on constantly writing fabulous articles to newspapers giving us educators food for thought.
I would like to conclude my small tribute by saying ;
“Some educators teach lessons; others inspire lifetimes”
Dr Kumari Grero
Consultant Coordinating Principal
And Principal
Lyceum International School
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