Support from RMIT’s Equity Scholarship Fund has given Wasi time to focus on his studies and mentor younger people in his local community.
From a young age, Wasi Abidi was encouraged by his parents to pursue a university education. But money was tight at home, and Wasi feared he’d never be able to commit to tertiary study.
“There’s always that looming kind of anxiety for every student that comes from a low socio-economic background,” he says.
“Money is a massive factor. HECS is great, but there are so many expenses that come out of university that it just can’t cover, like textbooks, or even just going to the city day in day out with your Myki.”
Now, thanks to the generosity of donors, Wasi is excelling in his Information Technology degree – and finding ways to help others with similar backgrounds.
Wasi received an RMIT Equity Notebook Grant and an RMIT Study Support Scholarship, both of which come out of the University’s Equity Scholarship Fund.
Wasi, Bachelor of Information Technology student and equity scholarship recipient
As a result, he could buy a laptop that didn’t “sound like a steamboat” when running the powerful software he needed for his degree.
And while he still worked a part-time job for most of his time at uni – a physically punishing role shifting heavy boxes at a supermarket – he has been able to prioritise coursework.
“It meant that if I had an assignment due that night, and I had a work shift as well, I could take time off work and not risk my financial stability,” he says.
“By being able to buy textbooks and reading material I've been able to get a deeper understanding of what I'm learning. My grades have risen significantly.”
He’s also able to fully immerse himself in university life and explore opportunities that enrich his learning.
"The impact of a scholarship is much more than just the monetary amount. It's an enabler for students like me to have a bit of breathing room and pursue other extracurricular activities,” he says.
“I can do certifications, do internships. I can take part in university clubs. Even being able to go out for lunch with your classmates when you are trying to create meaningful connections… to me that freedom is everything.”
Since high school, Wasi has also received support from Western Chances, an organisation that helps disadvantaged youth in Melbourne’s west. He now volunteers there, mentoring new scholarship recipients and sitting on a subcommittee of the Board.
And he has been a volunteer leader at the Spark Engineering Camp, a week-long program aimed at inspiring young people with an interest in STEM. He was motivated to study IT after attending the camp as a teen, and when he started at university, he knew the first thing he wanted to do was repay the kindness he had been shown.
His community service was rewarded in 2024 when he won a Rotary Melbourne Young Achiever Award. “That award really pushed me forward,” he says. “It made me feel recognised for the work I’d been doing, and opened up a whole new network that’s helped me grow even more.”
Wasi, Bachelor of Information Technology student and equity scholarship recipient
Wasi is passionate about data and AI and, with the end of his degree in sight, is applying for graduate positions in the tech industry. But he still plans to find time to give back.
“I want to be in a position where I'm still mentoring students. I'll have my full-time work, which might be a corporate type of work and then on the side, I'll also be doing volunteering,” he says.
“I really do want volunteering to be a part of my life, because the impact that I've found there is better than any type of work that I've ever done. It's impact that you can see, watching someone grow year to year, and gain confidence.
“A huge goal for me would be to make it within my industry and help fund scholarships as well. That would genuinely be a dream.”
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