Himanshu Mehta arrived in Australia as an international student in 2019. As the COVID-19 pandemic began to take hold across the globe, Himanshu recognised that fellow international students were particularly vulnerable to the social isolation and financial hardship brought on by the pandemic. So, he began volunteering to help them.
While studying at UTS College, the pathway provider for UTS, Himanshu volunteered as a Student Helper, supporting international students to settle in Sydney and into their studies.
Now an Engineering student at UTS, Himanshu continues to support students worldwide as a Buddy with TalkCampus, a peer-to-peer app providing mental health support to students.
Being a student is challenging at the best of times, but the last three years have been particularly difficult for international students. Through his volunteering and leadership, Himanshu has had the opportunity to support hundreds of other students with all sorts of issues, from mental health to studying, finding work, and building a community.
While volunteering, I could give back to the community from my past learnt experiences. In this phase, I was able to acquire and master different life skills such as Leadership, communication, and networking. Volunteering was not only helping other students, but it was more about building a solid community and networks for future life. Throughout, I was able to make excellent professional networks in life.
Himanshu was recently awarded Young Volunteer of the Year for the Mid-Western Sydney Region for his leadership in the international student community.
Congratulations Himanshu and best of luck with the Volunteer of the Year state finals.
Volunteering can be life-changing. If you are a UTS student and are interested in finding out more about the UTS SOUL Award, visit our webpage.