Anxiety to ambassador, sharing story to smooth study journey
CONTENT WARNING: This story contains references to mental health.
When he first moved to Melbourne from his home in Nepal, Nischal Niroula was in a hurry for the next stage of his life.
“COVID had already slowed down my bachelor’s studies, but I’d finally finished, and I wanted to get my master’s, become a tech guy, get started with my million – or billion-dollar tech startup!” he laughed.
Arriving in July 2022 and tackling his Master of Information Technology at CQUniversity Melbourne, Nischal initially found life away from his family and culture overwhelming.
“I was halfway across the world, I didn’t know anyone – to anyone who met me, they might have thought I was doing fine, but I had a bad phase of depression,” he explained.
Regular appointments with a counsellor gradually helped his mindset and now the enthusiastic advocate is determined to help other international students adapt and thrive.
Since February, the 25-year-old has been a Student Ambassador at CQUniversity, and this month was named a 2024 Study Melbourne Ambassador.
One of just 11 chosen from hundreds of applications, Nischal will help represent international students, co-design programs, provide leadership and connect with thousands at community events – and he’s using the platform to share his story and support others.
“In Nepal, talking about mental health would be considered taboo – but if I don’t share my experiences, other people might go through the same thing, and have no one to turn to,” he said.
“I have a little sister back home in Nepal, I would hate for her to move overseas and suffer the same problems because I didn’t speak up.”
For the past 18 months, he’s also been speaking up via his own podcast, which he describes as “a voice for positivity, motivation, and mental health".
“I’ve heard from so many people in my community who have listened, and said it’s encouraged them to reach out for help – and that means the world to me,” he said.
The UI/UX product designer and software engineer is also working to develop apps and startup projects that aim to solve the gaps and issues he found in the community.
Passionate about humans and computing, Nischal said he’s also harnessing social media to connect people with positive influences and mental health support.
“I want to be a listening ear to anyone who needs help – I’ve been through the challenges and I know the difference it can make.”
CQUniversity students can access counselling and wellbeing support on campus and remotely, through a range of services.
Learn more by visiting the Counselling and Wellbeing website.
