Long before travelling to Australia, Khushi Karia had her eye on a student ambassador role. She says, “Back in India, I used to go to the social media page of UTS. I saw a lot of students helping out at events and I wanted to do something like that.”
Khushi thought long and hard about her study destination before choosing UTS. “In India, there’s often a preference to go to Canada or the USA,” she says. “But I wanted to find the right path for my future studies, and after a lot of research, I saw Australia emerging as another choice for students in India. That’s also when I learnt about UTS College. I’d been thinking about another option, but then I saw how UTS College could offer guaranteed entry to second year at UTS.”
Embracing diversity
Australia had other points in its favour as far as Khushi was concerned. She says, “I’m not very good with the cold, and it’s very cold in Canada. Also, student lifestyle is important to me. I wanted to experience new things and with so many Indian students in Canada I could just be mixing with Indian people. What would be the point? UTS College has a lot of people from around the world. When you see the clubs of different cultures you can see that there’s real diversity there. I never thought I would meet so many different people.”
Khushi enrolled in a Diploma of Information Technology at UTS College. “During my Orientation Week I met some of the student ambassadors and learned more about the program,” she says. “I had my interview and started training a month later.”
Leaving the comfort zone
More than a year on, Khushi enthusiastically lists the benefits she’s experienced as a student ambassador. “You have a chance to leave your comfort zone. You take on responsibilities, and you talk to people about something that’s not just about you. While you’re handling a big name like UTS, you expand your knowledge, learning about selling and marketing for example,” she says. “Also, it takes effort. You learn to take initiative and handle problems yourself. I think these leadership skills will help me succeed in my working life.”
An emerging leader
This is not Khushi’s first leadership role. She was also head girl at her high school in Gujarat. “I had responsibilities to stand up for students’ rights, to liaise with people who came to the school for ceremonies and award functions, and to manage events like sports days,” she says. “And my Dad and I run a project in Gujarat called Nature Lover Valodara. We help people save plants – to grow more of them and care for gardens. We started it in 2022 with a goal to grow two thousand trees. We did that within a year, and we still maintain them.”
She says her family has always been her inspiration. “My family has made me who I am today. My Mum and my sister are my pillars. They keep me going and believing in myself. Whatever I was doing they always clapped so loudly I could never tell whether others were clapping or not. And my Dad taught me that if you want to win, you do not look back. This is one thing I’ll always remember. Once during a skating competition, I looked back to see where everyone was. I came second when I could have come first. If you look back you will always be in second place,” she says. “The other thing he taught me is that if you’re doing something, you should do it with all your heart. It should be always a hundred percent, or just don’t do it.”
Her Dad’s wisdom also helped Khushi when she was first trying to adapt to life in a new country. She says, “When I first came here, I was overwhelmed and I thought, ‘I don’t think I can do this all by myself. I want to go home.’ But my father taught me something. He said to just close my eyes for ten seconds and make a fist as a symbol of my power. And he told me, ‘You are fully capable of challenging yourself and handling any situation. You need to believe in yourself, and you need to encourage yourself to handle the difficulties in your life.’ His advice still helps me a lot.”
As a member of the UTS Indian Society, one of Khushi's favourite activities on campus is the colourful Holi Festival.
Having successfully completed her Diploma of IT, Khushi is now studying for her Bachelor of Information Technology at UTS, where she is majoring in Business Information Systems Management. She says, “I actually want to become a pilot. I’m studying IT because in the aviation industry you may not stay in that line until you reach retirement. It can be uncertain. In IT you can have a longer future, and a lot of what you learn is very relevant to aviation. After I graduate, I look forward to working in IT, and I’d also like to start my flying classes and my pilot journey. I know I can balance those studies with my work. I look forward to it because all my flying experience until now has been on a simulator.”
There’s more to life than study
Khushi is also a very active person outside of her study commitments. “I’ve played a lot of sports,” she says. “I’ve been a roller-skater and a badminton player. More recently I’ve been a district level soccer/football player. And I’m a member of the Indian Society at UTS. I loved being part of our Holi event. In India it’s a two-day festival. On the first day you pray to the goddess Holi, and the next day you celebrate with lots of colour and food. Throwing coloured powder is a key element of the festival. It’s so beautiful seeing everyone having fun. Everyone can join in.”
She also keeps busy creating content on Instagram. She says, “I always wanted to become a content creator. I didn’t do it at high school because I was concentrating on my exams, but as soon as I came to Sydney I started sharing content about fashion, ‘a day at UTS’, ‘a day in my life’ and things like that. Now all my friends in India say they want to come to Sydney and study at UTS.”
Taking care of herself
When she needs some time for herself, Khushi enjoys walking. “There’s a big garden where I live and it’s a great place to reflect on where I’m standing in my life right now. I like to go for a walk three times a week,” she says. At home, Khushi also loves to cook. She says, “When I feel tired, I like to go into the kitchen and try a new recipe or bake something. A good dessert eases my mind. Most often I make Tiramisu, or an Indian dessert called Sheera. It’s made from flour, some ghee, some sugar, and dried fruits with cashews and walnuts. It’s one of the things I make best.”
Khushi says sharing her story is one of the great privileges of being a student ambassador. She hopes it will encourage international students. She says, “When you come to a new country, give it a little bit of time before you reach any conclusions, and always trust that you can do this. You’re achieving new things and you’re capable of meeting new people and finding new opportunities in your life. Trust yourself. It will give you a good energy.”
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