Ayushi Daga
Ayushi Daga
International student, Master of Public Health
For me, it’s all about the two Cs: collaboration and capacity-building. You have to engage with people, help them be involved in the solutions process, and champion solutions that are fit-for-purpose and culturally appropriate.
What does it take be a finalist in Study Melbourne’s International Student of the Year awards?
Ayushi Daga can tell you – the Master of Public Health student is one of an elite group of 21 students who have made the cut from nearly 230,000 international students in Victoria undertaking vocational, undergraduate and postgraduate study.
It’s clear when you speak with Ayushi how driven she is, and how much stock she puts in networking and volunteering as a way to advance your career and make an impact – which is ironic, since she professes to having been an introvert prior to moving to Melbourne.
“I swear I was introverted!,” the trained dentist insists with a laugh. “I’m a real family-oriented person, I call my family back home every day, and was a real homebody too, but something about being in Melbourne has really made me come out of my shell.”
Ayushi was working for a government hospital in Delhi when she completed a compulsory rotation in community health dentistry. “It sparked my interest in prevention, and the realisation of how powerful it is to treat populations rather than individuals,” she says. “Public health felt like a bit of a calling to me. I did a few projects around dental health awareness and providing rural dental care to test the waters, and these confirmed my feelings.
“I’m quite goal-oriented, and it quickly became a goal of mine to one day work with the World Health Organization (WHO). To this end I chose Monash as my first choice – Monash has great rankings in public health which will help me, and I was so excited to come here and realise I was learning from so many people who have already done work with the WHO. It’s an inspiring opportunity to learn from them.”
Health equity has become a passion for Ayushi, who is currently enjoying a global health practicum run through our partner the University of Warwick, exploring women’s health equity in the midlands of England. “My part is a small cog in a larger engine, which will ultimately aim to improve equity in maternal and child healthcare for this area of the United Kingdom, that is home to a large migrant population. I love it – I’m a big believer in the importance of equity over equality.”
Her previous placements for her Masters study have involved working on dental health resources for multicultural communities here in Victoria.
Challenging herself to try new things has clearly been a mantra of Ayushi’s during her time in Melbourne, one that has kept her extraordinarily busy, and has benefitted her and the local community.
She volunteers with Red Cross emergency services, assisting with disaster preparedness and providing logistical and mental health support following bushfires and floods over the last couple of years. She also volunteers with Kookaburra Kids, a support network for children of armed forces personnel who are exposed to mental health issues in the home.
“I find the volunteering has really given me a sense of purpose when I felt distant from my family in India, and introduced me to so many wonderful people in the Melbourne community,” she says. “I’ve done some basic mental health training, but it’s also inspired me to consider slightly meatier training one day, maybe a certificate or diploma in social work.”
Aside from volunteering, Ayushi also understands the value of putting yourself forward for opportunities. Following her attendance at a student recruitment event in India, she successfully applied to serve as a Monash Global Student Ambassador, making her the first such Ambassador from our School. She simultaneously serves as a Study Melbourne 2024 Ambassador. Both roles see her advocate to create a sense of community and build a better experience for international students at Monash, and in Victoria more widely.
“It’s a bit of a domino effect I think, once you apply and get one thing, other opportunities fall into place. It’s important to seize those when they come along.”
And as for her studies – Ayushi has some learnings for others interested in public health.
“For me, it’s all about the two Cs: collaboration and capacity-building. You have to engage with people, help them be involved in the solutions process, and champion solutions that are fit-for-purpose and culturally appropriate.”
The WHO sounds like a very fitting place to apply that learning.