How Narrm Scholar Basit is achieving his ambitions

From a young age, Basit was passionate about science. That passion led him to the Bachelor of Biomedicine at the University of Melbourne, where he spends his weeks in labs running experiments, writing reports and learning everything he imagined as a child.

“The University of Melbourne, based on my research, offered high-quality education but also more than that – opportunities to connect with influential people, engage in research, and access state-of-the-art facilities.”

For Basit, being accepted into the Narrm Scholarship Program was a game-changer, allowing him to focus fully on his studies.

“This Scholarship has made it better, so I don’t have to work as often to get money for my tuition fees and focus on excelling on my subjects rather than trying to pay off my subjects.”

Overcoming challenges

To pursue his ambitions, Basit had to first overcome some significant challenges that came with his move to Melbourne, including family financial pressures and arriving behind in his VCE subjects.

“Despite being two terms behind in SACs and limited in my subjects, I knew I couldn’t let my own expectations of myself down and worked hard enough until I could make it into the Bachelor of Biomedicine course I’m doing now.”

For many, getting into university is only the first challenge, adjusting to university life brings more. The Narrm Scholarship Program helped Basit with this transition, kicking off with a three-day pre-orientation camp where Narrm Scholars can connect, explore campus and prepare for their degree.

“The pre-orientation camp got me eased into university life and prepared me for the upcoming challenges while the scholarship money helped alleviate the costs of tuition.”

Making the most of every opportunity

Since starting at Melbourne, Basit has embraced every chance to grow, making the most of the opportunities offered to him by the scholarship and Melbourne.

“I’ve had many opportunities to connect with peers and become more skilled for the workforce through different programs. The industry insight program allowed me to visit various workplaces and see what their day-to-day operations are like, so I have a better idea of what I want to do in the future.”

Alongside building industry exposure, Basit has engaged further with the Biomedical sector by joining the Melbourne Bioinnovation Student Initiative, a space for students to explore learning opportunities in the medicine and biotechnology fields.

“It’s a fun, entrepreneurial club where you come up with innovations that could be used to improve the biomedical field after getting to interview doctors and medical practitioners.”

Down the track, Basit plans to take the biomedical research project subject to undertake his own experiment under a supervisor for a semester. It isn’t surprising that he eventually wants to do a Master of Medicine, aiming for internal medicine to develop an understanding for a wide range of conditions, allowing him to work collaboratively with specialists.

Stepping outside of his comfort zone

Outside of his medical interests, Basit has taken advantage of the Melbourne curriculum to explore new interests through breadth subjects, including a surprise favourite, Stand Up and Be Funny.

“It’s been one of the most fun subjects I’ve ever done, coming up with my own stand-up performance to do at a club, watching other highly talented students perform and elite comedians come to teach us.

“I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a laugh and derives joy from making others smile.”

Basit has continued to spread the joy, while building his skills and confidence in his role as Student Ambassador, helping to run events for the Narrm Scholar community.

“I’ve really enjoyed seeing the smile on people as they meet friends, new and old, and have fun at the various activities we set up. Technically, without the Narrm Scholars community, I wouldn’t have this line of work, nor the opportunity to learn all these event management, administration and IT skills.”

Becoming the best version of himself

The connections and sense of belonging provided by the Narrm Scholarship program has given Basit not just the support he needed to thrive at university but also the motivation.

“I have never met people who were so ambitious and talented as the friends I've made, and the amount of hard work they put into it.”

“I was someone who was in their own head a lot, I didn’t really connect with people easily, but after being so welcomed and included, the final wisps of that person disappeared, and I’ve been a more outgoing person since.”

His advice to future students

While Basit always had a clear ambition for his future studies, he’s confident Melbourne offers opportunities to inspire every student.

“I know we all came here, looking for something, you might have a vague idea of what it is, or you might not, but at Melbourne, there’s no way something won't catch your eye.”