Lydia Kek is from Singapore, a place where diverse cultures are the norm and daily conversations are a mixture of multiple languages. It is a multicultural melting pot where you can find Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Western cultures all living and working together in perfect harmony. In Lydia’s words: “It's like a real-life version of the Marvel film ‘The Avengers’, but with food, fashion and festivals!" Singapore is also the gateway to South East Asia. A bustling modern city state that’s bursting at the seams, with the world’s second highest population density. It’s a lot of people living in a very small space, all the more a miracle given its harmonious state. It’s within this environment where Lydia grew up absorbing all of those cultural influences, none more so, than the many wonderful varieties of cuisine. And food for Lydia has become an obsession in more ways than one, particularly when it comes to what we consume and how it impacts on our health - so much so, that Lydia says she has this crazy dream of becoming a dietitian and changing people’s lives through the power of food and nutrition, which is how she came to be studying Dietetics at Bond University on the Gold Coast. Lydia wants to build a career teaching people to adopt healthy habits, debunking the myth that living a healthy lifestyle can only be achieved through boring and tedious methods. She believes that with passion, a little creativity and knowledge, everyone can enjoy a healthy life that fits their unique needs and preferences.

Ever had a problem overcoming negative thoughts? Ever doubted your own ability or told yourself that you simply weren’t good enough? Leticia Alvarez did that for most of her life. She dreamed of going to university and becoming a journalist, and even though she achieved a strong result in her Higher School Certificate, it wasn’t enough to gain entry to her preferred university. Leticia took it as a sign that she simply wasn’t good enough. It certainly didn’t help that she suffered from incredibly low self-esteem following a traumatic childhood experience. Instead of following her dream, Leticia gained experience elsewhere, pursuing graphic design and marketing, but there was still that nagging thought of “What if…?” Many years later after becoming a mum and doing a lot of work on redressing all the negative energy that had consumed Leticia for much of her life, “What if?” eventually became “Why not?” and after considerable persuasion she bit the bullet and finally enrolled into a communications degree at Griffith University. It wasn’t all plain sailing, with a major health scare almost derailing Leticia’s ambitions, but now as she enters her 6th decade Leticia Alvarez is finally about to become a qualified journalist. This is a story about overcoming obstacles – mental, emotional and physical. It’s about never giving up in the face of adversity. And it’s about never letting go of your dream, no matter what the world may throw at you.

Brazilian student Alessandra Santos is from Belo Horizonte, a city surrounded by beautiful mountains. That natural environment was a haven for Ale growing up with her family, often spending weekends on a nearby farm where they enjoyed activities like horseback riding and hiking. It was an upbringing that instilled a love of nature and a deep appreciation for the outdoors so it's no surprise then that Ale has fallen for the Gold Coast with its picture perfect blend of city life and natural beauty. Now studying an MBA at Bond University, Ale first arrived in Australia in 2015 and admits her language skills were somewhat limited at that time, which led to some humourous situations. This is a podcast about communication, culture, self-awareness and transformation. It's also a lot of fun!

Timing is everything, and for Rahil Gadhiya’s international student journey that’s very much the case. Rahil had a dream to study on the Gold Coast, but just as he was thinking about making that dream a reality COVID struck and Australia’s borders closed. He did however manage to get into the USA, so Rahil decided to study there instead. Looking to pursue a career in tourism Rahil enrolled into university in Florida. It wasn’t the experience he was hoping for. there was little opportunity for employment as a student there and what work he did find was minimum wage, while Rahil also had to contend with biased employers who favoured certain ethnicities. Life was challenging to say the least, and with so much violence around him Rahil found that living there was a very dangerous prospect. When Australia’s borders opened Rahil left the US and finally got his chance to study Hotel and Tourism Management at Griffith University. The contrast between his two experiences as an international student were chalk and cheese, now he’s relishing every moment he has with his new life on the Gold Coast. Here, Rahil feels safe, supported, and most of all accepted for who he is.

At the age of 14 Iris Pham moved from her bustling home in Hong Kong to the relative somnambulance of rural life in Toowoomba. For a teenage girl who had only known the pace of the round the clock vibrancy of life in Hong Kong, it’s hard to think of a move that would have been more of a culture shock than coming to the conservative capital of Queensland’s Darling Downs. What’s more, Iris made that move on her own, having to abruptly adjust to a totally foreign experience with multiple homestay families in Australia. Iris had gone through a number of mental health issues prior to the move and was really feeling the strain of living in a society that placed so much expectation and pressure on even its youngest citizens to succeed, yet she feels that all of those experiences, both good and bad, have contributed to her growth in some way. After a challenging start in Australia Iris began to find her feet, ultimately settling on the Gold Coast where she is now studying psychology at Bond University. Iris has become so taken by her new home that she says it’s the best place to study and now describes herself as a salesperson for the Gold Coast! In our conversation we explore the nature of psychology, why Iris has a burning desire to help others and how she ensures her own mental health stays in check as she deals with the emotional issues of her clients.

Braelynn Yee was born to a Fijian Mum and a Chinese Dad and grew up with her older brother as part of a family of four just outside the city of Nadi on the main island of Fiji. All of the Yee family were keen on sport, but it’s Braelynn who has shown the most promise as an athlete competing for her country both at home and abroad. Braelynn says she was a mischievous child, perhaps because she had so much energy she couldn’t keep still! After a few false starts at home with her studies and career she may now have hit the sweet spot. Braelynn is studying a Bachelor of Business, majoring in Human Resources Management at Griffith University and says she chose the Gold Coast because both the city and the university provide all the opportunity she needs to be successful as both an athlete and in her professional career.

Arianna Menzies was pursuing a career as a professional dancer in New York City after training at a prestigious dance school. Then COVID hit and her world turned upside down virtually overnight. As the city went into lockdown work opportunities disappeared and Arianna struggled to pay her bills. With little prospect of work in the foreseeable future Arianna considered her options as she revised her goals. She had always planned to pursue a communications career later in life when she was no longer able to meet the physical demands as a dancer, so she decided to fast track that option by enrolling at Griffith University on the Gold Coast. Since relocating to Australia she's fallen for her new home and the lifestyle it offers in a big way, and is now carving out a communications career here in the health sector, enabling Arianna to realise one of her other passions - to raise awareness of Adenomyosis, a little known or understood condition that has afflicted Arianna throughout her life.

The recent Gold Coast film festival Love Letters From Pakistan featured the finalist films from the 2021 Pakistan National Amateur Film Competition. The prize for the creators of those films was a scholarship to study at the New York Film Academy’s Gold Coast campus. The diversity of the storylines and depth of content within those films shed a new light on Pakistan, a country that has remained largely obscured to the west since its independence in the 1940’s. One of the films from that festival was an absolute standout, a stunning, magnificently shot film that took an empathetic view to what many would find an unsavoury subject. ‘The Disgustful’ explores the life of garbage collector, Shareef Maseeh, who has been cleaning the streets of Lahore for the past 35 years and takes immense pride in his work of serving his community and his country. It’s an extraordinary story full of worldly wisdom from one considered to be the lowest of the low in Pakistan society. Mariam Hassan was one of the film makers responsible for that documentary and since arriving at the New York Film Academy she’s developed a newfound personal and professional confidence with one of her current projects chosen to be screened at the recent Gold Coast Film Festival. The past 12 months on the Gold Coast have been a revelation for this young and self-confessed rebellious Pakistani film maker, who’s real journey of self-discovery and artistic expression has only just begun.

Mercy Atukunda is, by her own admission, an introverted and shy young woman who’s never travelled beyond the landlocked borders of her home country of Uganda, so the idea of jumping on a plane to start a new life overseas in a city where you don’t know a single soul is one very big leap of faith! That’s just what Mercy’s done in moving to the Gold Coast, where she’s studying a dual Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering and Engineering Project Management at Griffith University. Coming from a developing country like Uganda that’s been mired in controversies and corruption for decades it’s not hard to see why relocating to Australia would hold such appeal for Mercy, however it’s not just the opportunities and freedom it brings, it’s the pursuit of a career that aligns with her values, one of which is sustainability and the role engineering can play in shaping a better future for us all. It's a dream that’s already being realised with Mercy securing work at a local environmental engineering firm and consultancy. After 12 months on the Gold Coast Mercy is well and truly enamoured and entrenched in her adopted new home, one where she hopes to lay the foundations for a successful career and a new life.

Chris Wainwright has, what you might call, a considerable lived experience. In the past he’s pursued corporate law, journalism, politics, business, marketing – there’s not much that he hasn’t tried, but for various reasons nothing ever really seemed to fit. It wasn’t until he decided to pick up an English language qualification so that he could work while travelling that Chris discovered his true calling. As he worked across Europe in countries like France, Spain, Bulgaria, Poland and Romania, Chris began to encounter a broad cross section of young people who were struggling with their mental health. Chris then joined one of the UK’s largest youth charities, the Prince’s Trust, where he continued to support young people who had mental health issues. Ultimately Chris’ passion as a community worker dedicated to helping young people led him to a PhD scholarship with Griffith University, where his research is focusing on the role of mental health advocacy, and how sharing stories can help other people in their recovery. If you’ve ever wrestled with your own mental health or know someone who has, this is one podcast you don’t want to miss.