Ranita Rajandram (Class of 1997)
I completed my A levels in the UK and went across the pond to the States to Boston, Massachusetts where I spent about 10 years. I graduated with a Bachelors in Psychology, a Master’s in Child Development and Family Studies from Tufts University and a Master’s in Public Health in Social and Behavioral Science from Boston University. I dabbled in counseling for young children, adolescents and adults for a number of years while conducting MBTI sessions (Myers and Briggs) with corporate companies and banks both in the States and here locally. I returned to KL for a few years to be with family and in mid 2017, decided to venture into a new business with Rashmi.
Rashmi Ramakrishnan (Class of 1997)
After School I pursued my A levels in KL before getting a Medical Degree with Melaka Manipal University. I completed 18 grueling months as an intern in the General Hospital in Kuantan rotating in all departments. In 2008, I married my college sweetheart and moved to Sabah, we were posted in Keningau a beautiful little town 2 hours away from the capital of Kota Kinabalu. It was a wonderful experience working and treating the locals. It was definitely an eye-opener to hear of patients taking 2 days to get to the hospital in need of treatment! After moving back to Kota Kinabalu I decided to pursue a diploma in Occupational Health. Moving back to KL in 2014, it was definitely an adjustment after being exposed to the slow and calm pace of Sabah.
Our journey……
During the course of our decade long careers we came to realize how stress played an important role in people’s lives. We began to understand that sometimes treating someone with medication was not enough. Chemical-based commercial products sometimes aggravate skin conditions which puts the body into a stressful state. In our course for looking for a better answer we discovered that many essential oils were truly beneficial both externally and internally in alleviating many conditions.
We also had an interest for knowing and understanding our zodiac signs and how certain traits in the signs embodied certain personalities. In an ‘Ah ha” moment we decided to experiment in seeing which oils/ingredients enhanced or balanced their corresponding signs. Being a Doctor and a Psychologist we decided to go back to our roots and formulate natural products which benefits everyone’s unique personality in a fun and exciting way! Our oils are sourced globally.
You can follow our business on Instagram @estrellafor_zodiac or Facebook page- facebook.com/ZodiacAlchemy
Challenges…
The biggest challenge for us was stepping into the business world; coming from a background of psychology and medicine in which we knew more about our minds and bodies then buying or selling goods! We were learning the ropes as we were building up our brand. It is very interesting to be on the other side as we usually are the customers!
Success stories…
Building a brand, putting ourselves out there and seeing the positive response from our customers and how our products have helped them, with them either loving the scent which helps calm them or how it has helped improve certain skin conditions has been rewarding in itself.
Thank you GIS…
We started out at GIS in primary school all the way through to secondary school. Both of us were very fortunate to have nurturing and helpful teachers during our time at GIS. With our new business venture it is coming back full circle with regards to the science subjects in particular. We had Mrs Thiaga, Ms Marrinan and Mr Haines who inspired us and showed us the possibilities of what the world of science can do. In addition, teachers like Mrs G (Ms. Leonora Peers), Ms. Nair, Mr. Jeevan, Mrs. Sim , Mr. Robinson and Ms. Turnbull helped us develop our creative side which has been an advantage as we grow and build our venture. While formulating our products we fondly remember our math teachers Mrs. Lopez and Ms. Yap.
There were lots of ups and downs as we navigate our way through adolescence. We forged lifelong friendships and acquired leadership and organizational skills as throughout our time we were involved in many cultural shows and other extracurricular activities.