A treasured moment

ADITI Lachman got to meet Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in July 2017.

She was among 60 people from British Commonwealth countries who received the monarch’s Young Leaders Award. It is a treasured memory for Lachman, 32.

The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust recognises young leaders making a difference in their societies.

Lachman was identified for the strides she had made in closing the gender diversity gap in engineering with Womeneng, a social enterprise organisation launched in 2014.

The organisation sought to shatter the stereotype that engineering was a domain for men by closing the skills and gender gap through various programmes the organisation ran.

Lachman said: “It felt surreal, not just for myself, but my family and community as well.

“To be recognised by the queen and being in her presence was an incredibly inspiring experience.

“Most of us have grown up seeing her picture everywhere. Meeting her face to face, shaking her hand and conversing with her made me realise just how ‘human’ she was, as well as her incredible interest in bringing people together to make an impact in this world.”

She said she admired how in recent years the queen had used her power to create platforms for people to create change across the Commonwealth.

Lachman said she was forever grateful for the opportunities and global network provided to her through the initiatives of the queen.