An 18 year old law student from the University of Western Sydney has been named the 2014 New South Wales Young Woman of the Year for her initiatives to provide underprivileged communities with computers and IT skills.

Second year International Studies and Law student Lakshmi Logathassan was announced the winner of the award by NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell at a ceremony in Sydney today.

The daughter of Sri Lankan migrants, Lakshmi developed the ‘Laptop Project’ to send government-funded laptops from graduating high school students to rural and remote schools in Kenya and Sri Lanka.

Now in its third year, the Laptop Project has expanded across Sydney and more than 250 laptops have been donated to schools in need.

Last year, Lakshmi helped spearhead proposals to collect funding from local councils for the ‘Laptops for IT Training Program’ to teach newly-arrived migrants computer skills.

During her summer break, she also conducted English workshops in rural schools in Sri Lanka, and continues to work with the teaching staff to develop an English teaching program tailored to the students in the region.

“It was such a wonderful honour to have even been selected as a finalist, so to have won is incredible,” she says.

“This award is such an unexpected recognition for the projects I have undertaken, and it further fuels my passion to keep working in this area”…read more.