“My name held no legacy. My family carried no influential last names. There was no trust fund waiting, no family business to inherit, and no well-known surname that eased introductions in important rooms. So, I did the only thing I could: I started laying bricks. Because when the blueprint doesn’t exist, you learn to build anyway.”

That’s how Dashania Elvira Gregory chooses to introduce herself, unveiling a story of resilience yet clarity; a story shaped by years of figuring things out on her own, making tough choices, and building a path where none existed.

A proud member of Malaysia’s Kristang Portuguese community, Dashania is currently wrapping up her degree in Banking and Finance at Multimedia University (MMU), where she was awarded a merit scholarship and consistently maintained top academic performance. 

She also works at the intersection of climate advocacy and sustainable finance, utilising tools such as policy, economics, and storytelling to amplify the voices often excluded from environmental conversations. Through co-founding GreenRoots Narratives and contributing to international platforms like the World Bank and the World Economic Forum, Dashania has become one of the emerging youth advocates working to bridge the gap between global ambitions and local realities.

But her journey didn’t begin in a conference room or a bustling boardroom in KL. It started in Melaka, with a simple, stubborn belief: that even if the system wasn’t built for you, you could still find a way to shape it.

Why Finance, and Why MMU?

Raised in a lower-middle-class household, her choice of degree blossomed from a desire to understand how systems work, rather than being driven by prestige or pressure. It wasn’t just about the high-level mechanics of capital and investment, but the more profound questions: who gets access, who gets left behind, and why? For her, financial literacy was about unlocking power for communities often excluded from it.

Her time at MMU became more than just an academic stepping stone; the institution became a training ground for leadership, innovation, and service. She maintained a 3.90 GPA and was awarded the Best Student Prodigy Award, but her university life was shaped just as much by what happened outside the classroom. She served as a Maybank Student Ambassador for two years, was invited to speak at entrepreneurship events, launched a podcast series under MMU’s Faculty of Business, and hosted campus events alongside top corporate leaders. Through every opportunity, she remained grounded in her community roots, often reminding herself of where she came from and why it mattered.

She once recalled how, back in boarding school, she saw firsthand how class, confidence, and cultural capital shaped access. At MMU, she focused on showing up with consistency, staying grounded in her values, and proving that hard work and integrity could carry just as much weight.

Finding Purpose Through Practical Experience

Before she ever took on international fellowships or co-founded her own initiative, Dashania was already learning what impact looked like from the inside. As an intern at Angsana Health, she experienced a fast-paced, high-performance environment where strategy and empathy converged. Working on digital health solutions and collaborating across functions, she found herself absorbing more than just technical knowledge.

“I hadn’t grown up watching my parents entertain diplomats or investors,” she shared. “So I studied how tone shaped perception, how posture mattered, how kindness could co-exist with professionalism.”

That internship became a turning point. It wasn't just about building healthcare tools. It was about understanding how values shape systems, and how integrity and excellence can go hand in hand. Her time there helped her grasp the deeper connections between ESG, community service, and long-term systems change, especially in a region where healthcare access remains uneven.

Telling Stories That Matter

The environmental movement often struggles with accessibility. For Dashania, this became impossible to ignore. While much of climate communication is steeped in scientific jargon or centred on international policy, she noticed a glaring gap. Where were the voices of local communities: the ones most affected, yet least represented?

In response, she co-founded GreenRoots Narratives, a grassroots initiative focused on environmental storytelling in Southeast Asia. “We’re not just telling stories about polar bears and melting glaciers,” she said. “We’re telling stories about coastal families, traditional knowledge, and how climate action can be economically empowering instead of a luxury.”

GreenRoots is not about grand gestures. It is about human connection. Through workshops, digital media, and community outreach, the initiative helps people tell their own stories, ones shaped by place, identity, and lived experience. For Dashania, the goal is clear: to change who gets to speak, and who gets heard, in climate conversations.

Her advocacy extends beyond GreenRoots. As an ambassador for the World Bank Group and a representative on the Generation Restoration Youth Hub, she participates in global discussions on sustainability and policy. Still, no matter how high the stage, she stays anchored to one question: how does this work to uplift the people back home?

Learning from the World

While grounded in local change, Dashania’s journey has also taken her abroad. Through the YSEALI Academic Fellowship in the United States and the Hitachi Young Leaders Initiative in Indonesia, she has grown her worldview and network.

Each programme left its own mark. YSEALI introduced her to the shared dreams and struggles of youth across Southeast Asia. It taught her that solutions do not need to come from outside, they can start at home with the right support. Hitachi showed her how leadership can be precise, empathetic, and culturally aware, all at once.

“These experiences helped me see my background differently,” she reflected. “Not as a limitation, but as something the world actually needs more of.”

The impact was not just professional. Through these fellowships, she formed genuine friendships and lasting partnerships with peers who are also building change from the ground up.

A Word to the Ones Who Come After

For all her achievements, Dashania remains focused on one thing: paying it forward. Her story is about leaving signposts for others as much as it is personal success.

“The system isn’t neutral,” she said. “It costs money to get into the room. From transport to internships to professional development, most things come with a price tag.”

That is why her advice is practical. Build trust with the people around you, whether they are coworkers or classmates. Use free resources if paid ones are out of reach. Learn how your field works, not just in theory but in practice. Pay attention to who makes decisions, how budgets move, and what people truly value.

Above all, she reminds others not to doubt their value. “You don’t have to erase your background to succeed,” she said. “Your story, your grit, your perspective—that is your strength. If the path doesn’t exist, make one.”