RMIT graduate named Young Victorian of the Year

The award recognises Amit Menghani's commitment to supporting the Indian student community and reducing violence against Indian students and other groups.

Mr Menghani was born in Jaipur, India, and grew up in Dubai, before his parents took out a loan so he could come to Australia in 2005 to study a Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering at RMIT.

Like many students, he found that moving overseas to start university had its challenges. "The first few weeks were difficult, adjusting to a new culture, a new country and a new course," he said.

He found his feet by joining student groups and getting involved in campus life at RMIT, writing for publications and running his own show on the RMIT radio channel. He got a job as a welfare officer at the RMIT Student Union, and became president of the Federation of Indian Students of Australia.

His involvement in campus life led him to receive a number of awards, including two RMIT LEAD (Leadership) awards in 2006 and 2008, a Cross Cultural Leadership Award in 2008 and a International Student Community Service Award in 2008.

But it was his involvement in increasing safety among Indian students that became his passion. In 2009, after a spate of random attacks on students, Mr Menghani led a peaceful rally to Victoria's Parliament House.

"Many people came out that day to support our message - it wasn't just the Indian community, it was people from the Australian community and people who wanted to help stop street violence," he said.

Through his involvement in student and Indian community groups, he supported many people who had been affected by violence, and helped raise awareness in the broader community. Two years on, he said: "There have been a lot of improvements, things are slowly shifting and it's safer now than it was."

Winning the Young Victorian of the Year came as a complete surprise. "I was very proud to receive the award. It came across to me as an acceptance and support of multiculturalism in Victoria," Mr Menghani said.

The Victoria Day awards are an initiative of the Victoria Day Council, and are announced on the anniversary of the day Victoria became a State.

The citation for Mr Menghani's award called him: "An outstanding young role model, [who] contributed in a significant way to create peace… he helped build on the wonderful multicultural city we enjoy today."

Mr Menghani now works as an aerospace engineer and has settled permanently in regional Victoria.

"Coming to Australia I've been able to fulfill my dreams," he said. "I've still got a long way to go and I've still got to learn a lot, but so far the journey has been fantastic.

"I'm so grateful for all the people who have shown trust in me, it is because of their commitment I am where I am today."

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