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Avery Dennison Corporate / Supporting the Avery Dennison Foundation at the InvEnt Scholarship award ceremony in India

Supporting the Avery Dennison Foundation at the Spirit of Invention (InvEnt) Scholarship award ceremony in India

Talar Shahinian, Global Corporate Communications Specialist, Avery Dennison

October 26, 2018

Next stop, India.

Working for a dynamic company like Avery Dennison means no two days are ever the same. From implementing strategic social media campaigns to cultivating an actively engaged digital community, there are many exciting aspects to my job. One of my favorites is undoubtedly the opportunity to work with our talented leaders and employees across our business units and geographic regions. If you haven't visited our social media profiles or corporate blog (you should!), these are the platforms the Corporate Communications team and I use to showcase the great work taking place across our company.

One of these highlights took place this summer during the Avery Dennison Foundation's Spirit of Invention (InvEnt) Scholarship award ceremony. I flew to New Delhi, India to work alongside the Foundation team and our colleagues in Gurgaon to promote the event and winners, and even do a little sightseeing.

Smile Foundation

Our colleagues in Gurgaon, India organized a volunteer event with Smile Foundation of India before we attended the festivities leading up to the InvEnt Scholarship award ceremony. The Smile Foundation of India is an NGO that supports thousands of children and their families every year through education, healthcare and women’s empowerment. Driving through Old Gurgaon over unpaved roads, I was struck by the signs of extreme poverty in the community.

We met with the women and children of the village at a modest community center. The India team organized activities for us to engage with those at the center. The day started with a play written by the women, followed by a forum where young girls made affirmations with women’s empowerment statements and, finally, an arts-and-crafts activity where the women made useful household items out of the materials they were given (newspaper, tape, sticks). We were encouraged to talk with the women throughout the day, asking questions and providing feedback during the activities. This experience was an opportunity to see the positive outcome of our Foundation’s continuous support of Smile Foundation’s mission. The girls of this community now receive proper health education, and the women can feel more empowered by learning how to be independent and taking skill-building workshops, like sewing.

InvEnt Scholarship Winners

The Avery Dennison Foundation Spirit of Invention (InvEnt) Scholarship recognizes and rewards invention, innovation and excellence in students studying in the fields of science, engineering and technology at select higher education institutions in India. In collaboration with the Institute of International Education (IIE), the Foundation selected this year’s 10 winners from an outstanding 85 applications. We were also very pleased to see a larger number of female applicants compared to previous years.

Before being formally congratulated at the InvEnt Scholarship Program Ceremony, the winning students participated in skill-building workshops (including a social media presentation from me!) and toured our facilities in Gurgaon. On the day of the award ceremony, Avery Dennison employees from India, as well as leaders from the Asia Pacific region, joined the Foundation in recognizing these 10 bright and talented students for their innovations. It was a rewarding experience not only to cover the event for social media, but also to meet and network face-to-face with my colleagues from different parts of the world.

A Little Adventure

After a full week of battling jet lag, heavy rains, flooding in the cities and nonstop events, it was time to get a small taste of India before I headed home. Over the weekend, I visited Agra, home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal. It was a beautiful day and the grandeur of the ivory-white marble structure was truly breathtaking. Commissioned by Shah Jahan in 1631, the Taj Mahal was built as a mausoleum in the memory of his favorite wife. It leaves a lasting impression on all its visitors.

India was a memorable experience not only seeing a new place but also meeting colleagues and learning more about our Foundation’s grantmaking process. The best part about my job is that no two days are the same and I’m able to collaborate with others to tell our company’s story.


To learn more about the Avery Dennison Foundation, click here.
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