Deepshikha Parmessur ’13, was recently appointed Prime Minister at the Mauritius National Youth Parliament, becoming the first female holder of the office, and adding a prominent layer to her growing profile in the public sector.
At ALA, Deepshikha joined the International Relations Council, going on to participate at the Harvard Model United Nations in January 2014, before joining the ALA Model African Union as both a Moderator and a committee chairperson, publishing an extensive paper on improving maternal health in Africa. That same year, she was selected as a Bezos Scholar, participating at the 2014 Aspen Ideas Festival alongside world leaders and returning to help organize the Southern African Ideas Festival at the ALA campus.
She graduated earlier this year with a BA in International Relations with a focus on Culture and Identity in Africa at Bucknell University, USA. In 2017, she studied Public International Law in Geneva, Switzerland, while interning at the Africa Progress Panel – chaired by Kofi Annan. She followed her passion for education on the African continent by spending the spring semester of 2018 in Uganda teaching social and financial literacy through the Private Education Development Network.
Reflecting on her time at ALA, Deepshikha said “During my time at ALA, I became interested in International Relations and the progress of small island developing states. It was because of this that I joined the ALA student program, ALAMAU, as it was a platform where I could get the chance to voice out my opinions on current world issues and also meet people from around the African continent who shared my interests in economics and the development of a shared vision”.
About her plans for the future, she said “Those who know me know that for some time now I’ve been saying that I want to be the first female Prime Minister of Mauritius. While it hasn’t fully happened yet but to be the first female Prime Minister for the National Youth Parliament is a first step in the right direction. While I am fully aware of how much I still have to learn when it comes to the political arena of Mauritius but I also know that this is the path for me down the line”.
Here is a video of Deepshikha Parmessur in action at the Mauritius National Youth Parliament:
If you know of a young leader like Deepshika, who has the potential to drive change in their country, nominate them for the ALA two-year Diploma Program.
