Nishal Basnet

Nishal Basnet was born in a Bhutanese refugee camp in Nepal.  He spent the first 16 years of his life living in various cities in India, Nepal, and Bhutan.  Because of this, he developed fluency in Nepali, Hindi, and Bangla.  After resettling in Syracuse, New York, in 2016, he learned English working as a Zoo Guide at Rosamond Gifford Zoo.  As part of the Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), he will graduate with a triple major in Economics, Sociology & Business from St. Lawrence University (SLU).  Nishal has held many leadership roles while at SLU: he has served as a Resident Assistant, Admission Ambassador, and HEOP summer mentor.  He currently chairs the Literacy for Nepal (LFN) club, where he helped raise over $3000 in educational assistance for Orphan students in Nepal.  LFN fundraises by selling jewelry made by survivors of sexual violence, human trafficking, and disabled people from Nepal.  In Syracuse, Nishal has led many community development projects.  During the COVID-19 pandemic, he secured funds through SLU s Tanner Fellowship to help promote covid awareness in the refugee communities of Syracuse.  He also collaborated with faculty members from Syracuse University and Upstate Medical University to investigate parents’ perceptions of mental health challenges among young refugees.  His experience as a refugee, education, and interest in community development projects inspired him to join USAID s Foreign Service as a Payne Fellow.  Nishal is excited about his congressional internship and plans to expand his leadership and management skills this summer.  In his free time, he enjoys working on various certifications and licensing, such as Enrolled Agent, Real-Estate, and Mortgage Originations.