COVER STORY > Lifestyle Magazine® Jan 10-2026 Edition

 

Dr. Gayathiri Sivalingam, Founder of “Aspire Aims” and an alumna of IIM Calcutta, embodies a journey defined by conscious choices, relentless learning, and purpose-driven leadership. An accomplished educationalist, Green Belt–certified Global Career Counsellor, Research Scholar at SSBM Geneva, IC3 Advocate, soft-skills trainer, ICBI Ambassador, author and a life-skills coach, she has emerged as a transformative force in education and women empowerment.

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Her story of resilience began early. Losing her family’s breadwinner at the tender age of seven altered the course of her childhood, demanding emotional maturity far beyond her years. What could have broken her instead shaped her inner compass-instilling responsibility, self-reliance and an unshakeable belief in education as the most powerful tool for survival and growth. Learning became more than academic pursuit; it became hope, confidence and mobility.

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By the age of fifteen, Dr. Gayathiri began working as a tutor while continuing her own studies-a formative milestone that revealed her innate leadership. Balancing earning, learning, and mentoring, she discovered empowerment through capability. This early experience planted the seeds of her lifelong mission: enabling others to rise while building herself with integrity and grit.

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Marriage and motherhood brought a different challenge-not of struggle, but of identity. During this phase, when many pause their aspirations, Dr. Gayathiri quietly invested in herself through online certifications, skill enhancement, and freelance work. What appeared to be an interruption became a period of incubation, preparing her for re-invention rather than retreat.

Her triumphant return to professional life culminated in earning her doctorate with distinction-an achievement that symbolised far more than academic excellence. It represented the integration of decades of perseverance, patience, and purpose. From surviving circumstances, she evolved into shaping systems-emerging as a respected authority in career guidance, leadership development and sustainable education.

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Her contributions have been widely recognised: the Global Pride Award (2022) as Best Career Guidance Professional; Women Leaders Forum Award (2023) for leadership in student development; South India’s Women Achievers Award (2024) with the title Change Maker; MSME Educational Excellence Award (2024) for smart initiatives in sustainable education; and the prestigious Padma Mahaan Award (2025), conferred by Global Pride and the Government of Puducherry.

Through her initiative “Connect to Aspire,” Dr. Gayathiri actively supports student startups focussed on sustainable, eco-friendly products. Her work in waste management education-teaching communities what can be responsibly reused or fed to animals-has inspired widespread participation and behavioural change.

 

Frequently invited as a chief guest and featured in various magazines, she uses every platform to share lived wisdom with students and women. Grounded in perseverance, equity, and service, Dr. Gayathiri Sivalingam’s journey proves that true empowerment lies not just in learning-but in applying knowledge to uplift lives and as the Cover Star of Lifestyle Magazine, she emerges as a mentor, change-maker, and role model-redefining success through meaningful impact and exemplifying leadership rooted in lived credibility.
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