Noreyana Fernando ’15
Humanitarian ALUMNI AWARD
This award is given to alumni who have made a transformative contribution to the nation or the world. These honorees have achieved recognition for making an extraordinary, positive change to the human condition.
Noreyana Fernando's journey exemplifies the transformative power of journalism and communication in advancing quality of life in the world’s poorest countries. As an External Affairs Officer at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., Noreyana has leveraged her journalism background to amplify critical humanitarian initiatives across the globe.
Noreyana has built trusted relationships with partners and donor governments across Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Working on two replenishments of the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA), she helped secure over $193 billion for 78 of the world's poorest countries. Her innovative stakeholder engagement frameworks have created new channels for partners in traditionally closed-door campaigns, driving institutional shifts toward greater public accessibility. Noreyana’s humanitarian impact extends beyond finance. She played a crucial role in launching the World Bank’s Human Capital Index to improve health and education outcomes worldwide. Her multimedia storytelling has positioned these life-changing programs for maximum visibility and donor support.
Noreyana's journey in the US began in 2011 at IC, where worked as a Senior Resident Assistant and first-year students peer mentor. She served as President of the Park Association for Journalists of Color, played a key role in reviving the International Student Buddy program, and volunteered at the New Roots Charter School tutoring science. Noreyana was named Peggy Ryan Williams Academic & Community Leadership Scholar for 2013-14.
Prior to arriving in Ithaca, she worked as a journalist in Sri Lanka, experiencing post-conflict reporting under thinly veiled censorship. After graduating from IC, Noreyana earned a master's in Investigative Journalism at Columbia University. She has since maintained her commitment to community engagement, taking on the role of Partnerships Lead of the World Bank Youth Summit and fundraising for humanitarian projects through the Sri Lanka Association of Washington, D.C. A keen lover of animals, Noreyana volunteers in rescue and rehab work.
<<BACK