By Isabel Marsh (student ambassador)

Varshini Viswanath is a third-year Bachelor of International Relations/Laws (Hons) student who spends most of her time juggling involvement in several social justice organisations and reserving her favourite spot at the Chifley Library.

Born in India and having lived in Indonesia before coming to The Australian National University (ANU), her multicultural upbringing and background is what inspired her to pursue a law degree and ignited her passion for social justice and protecting human rights.

Varshini says that her passion for social justice started at a young age, observing different relationships between people and people and their governments. Given that law is what underlies those relationships and can perpetuate both positive and negative relationships between citizens and their governments, Varshini decided to embark on her journey to study law and work towards becoming a lawyer.

When she isn’t at the library, Varshini spends her time advocating for international student rights in Australia, through her involvement in various not-for-profit organisations. Despite her personal journey towards more balance in life and trying not to overcommit, Varshini is currently leading the Community Legal Education Program (CLE), a student-run project under the auspices of ANU Law Reform and Social Justice (LRSJ) run in partnership with Canberra Community Law.

When she isn’t busy doing this, she spends her time between working with youth refugees at Red Cross Australia, and volunteers at the ACT branch of Mental Health Foundation Australia.

Varshini’s story shows us the vast opportunities available to students at the ANU College of Law to get involved in numerous social justice initiatives and the immeasurable impact we can have on the community.

Varshini hopes that as a student ambassador, she can give a voice to international students and share her experiences of studying law in a different country.