Editor's Note — This Q&A is part of a weekly conversation series that is celebrating Asian and Pacific Islander Desi American Heritage Month on the University of Nebraska–Lincoln's Medium page. The series will feature students who are making impacts on campus and look to maintain that momentum in future careers. Learn more about APIDA Heritage Month coverage in Nebraska Today.
his week, meet Sandhya Karki, a nutrition and health sciences major, from Kathmandu, Nepal. She’s working to positively impact others and the greater university community through campus through her multiple involvements.
You’re involved in a few different things on campus that allow you to help others. Has service always been something you’re interested in?
My core values include helping others and being people-oriented. Ever since I was a child, I knew success feels better when being shared. For as long as I can remember, personally uplifting people and my community has always been my passion. I always try to positively impact others and motivate them to try new things.
How do your involvements allow you to make an impact on other students or campus in general?
Being involved in different organizations has given me a platform to amplify my voice and the values I stand for. Every organization, like the College of Education and Human Sciences advisory board (vice president), International Student Advisory Board (undergraduate chair), Nepalese Student Association (president), etc. in which I am involved, provides me the opportunity to make an impact on the community in their respective ways. I couldn’t be happier to be part of such great organizations that challenge and ensure inclusivity for our campus community.
As a wellbeing ambassador, what is your best self-care advice?
The best self-care advice I have would be to feel your presence and spend as much time with nature as you can. For example, take a deep breath, soak up that vitamin D, go for walk, drink lots of water, etc.
Talk more about Global Peer Assistants and what you do as the vice president.
The Global Peer Assistant program supports new international students in academic, social, and cultural engagement through peer support and programmatic efforts by implementing three different strategies — comprehensive greetings, building relationships and programming. During my time as a vice president, I always advocated for the mission of the (Global Peer Assistant program) to provide support for international students in the best possible way while receiving a lot of personal and professional growth.
What do you hope to accomplish in your lifetime?
I believe that education is one of the biggest necessities and rights of every individual. So, my biggest goal in life is to provide my service by empowering, as well as financing, the children’s education in the rural part of Nepal so they can be inspired and make someone else inspired to carry this legacy.
What or who inspires/motivates you?
My existence is my biggest motivation and I owe my inspiration to each and every individual who has inspired me to be the better version of myself each and every day.
What is your advice to other students looking to make an impact?
Making an impact doesn’t mean doing big or great things at once. It always starts with you, with your thoughts and values. Stand for what you believe in and what’s right. Also, sometimes you just need to be the real you to make an impact in the community because you never know how you can inspire someone by just being you.
