More Girls Who Rocked the World

Little girls with dreams become women with vision. On this International Day of the girl child, we remind ourselves that a girl child has potential beyond limits to achieve what she sets out to do; making a mark for herself in this fascinating world she lives in.

Often, young girls need an inspiration to believe in themselves; a role model who steers them through their journey to success.

‘More Girls Who Rocked the World’ is an account of the lives of 45 women all over the world who have made a difference and changed the world.

Our Founder and Chief Designer, Ms.Sheila Sriprakash is one among these women who have been featured in this book written by Michelle Roehm McCann.

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First half of the contents page of the book

 

Along with Mrs.Sheila Sriprakash, the other notable women featured are Hilary Clinton, Beyonce, Malala Yousfzai, Venus and Serena Williams, Adele, Julie Andrews and so on.

Below are the excerpts of the page on Mrs.Sheila Prakash :

 

A sound interrupted her thoughts. The principal had dropped her paperwork on the desk and was staring at her. Sheila stilled her trembling hands. She was ready–she could answer anything he threw at her about design, favorite buildings, influential architects. She wasn’t prepared,however, for the question he asked.

       “Don’t you think you would be wasting a seat?”

        What? Sheila didn’t understand. She had excellent grades and was considered a child prodigy in several performing arts. What is he talking about?

         Before she could compose an answer, he continued, “If a boy got this seat, don’t you think he could pursue a career better?”

          She couldn’t believe it! This man didn’t think she could do it. Just because she was a girl. Sheila gathered her thoughts and her nerve, and then she sat up straight and looked right into his eyes.

          “No”, she answered “I am a women, but i’m quite serious.”

           Months later, Sheila sat in her first design class. She looked around at her classmates–all boys. They and the teachers seemed a bit baffled to see a girl sitting there. She would show them, and the principal too,that she wasn’t wasting a seat. She would use architecture to make the world a better place.

Today, Sheila is one of the top architects in the world. A respected award-winning innovator known for her sustainable, environmentally friendly designs. But Sheila’s path wasn’t always clear. As a child, her passion wasn’t architecture, but dance.

Sheila was born in 1955 in Bhopal, India. Her parents tried to have a baby for fifteen years before she was born, and Sheila was their one and only child, becoming the center of their lives. At that time, Indian women were not expected to have careers outside the home.But Sheila’s father told her over and over again that she could do whatever she wanted.

“ You just have to dream, and that is enough… It will get you there,”  he told her.

Mrs.Sheila Sriprakash continues to be an inspiration not only for all architects, but for all girls and women who wish to break the stereotypes that exist in society that prevent women from realizing their maximum potential.

Like Beyonce sings, “Who run the world – Girls!”.

To purchase and read ‘More Girls Who Rocked the World’ visit