Akriti Jain has only lived in Wyndham for two years and in Australia for six, but the 24 year old has clearly made an impression.
The Williams Landing resident, who moved from her native India to study finance and economics when she was 18, has been named Wyndham’s Young Person of the Month for April.
The reason for Ms Jain’s win is related to her field of study, as the former finance student is now a financial consultant with accounting giant Deloitte, through which she volunteers her time to help the less fortunate.
“Within Deloitte there’s a Deloitte foundation which does a lot of social work so I get the opportunity to connect with different organisations such as the Smith Family where I volunteer as a mentor for high school students.”
Alongside with finance and economics, helping others is a lifelong passion for Ms Jain, something she said was fostered growing up in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan.
“Coming from India, I’ve seen a lot of underprivileged people and having that awareness that even giving a little of your time can make a huge difference in someone’s life.”
It’s unsurprising then that Ms Jain’s volunteering efforts extend beyond those connected to her employer.
“At the moment there’s this friend of mine running hiking groups for refugee and migrant women and I help with that,” she said.
“It’s just for two hours but the women really appreciate being outside and getting out of the house.”
Ms Jain lives in Williams Landing with her sister, but their parents remain in Rajasthan, where news of their daughter’s award was welcomed.
“They were very happy and glad the social work I do has been recognised,” Ms Jain said.
Cade Lucas.
