When Budmi Rajapakse left Sri Lanka to study commerce at the University of Sydney, she was filled with anticipation. It was her first time living away from home, and she was determined to make her parents proud. But as her second year began, that optimism started to buckle under the weight of financial pressure.
“My parents run a small garment factory,” Budmi explains. “When the economic crisis hit Sri Lanka, they lost a lot. They’d always said I shouldn’t need to work while studying, but suddenly they were taking out loans just to send me money for rent and tuition.”
At first, she managed to get by with the help of a casual job at Coles. But when her shifts were cut and the Australian dollar kept rising, the numbers no longer added up.
“I could afford to survive,” she says, “but I couldn’t really live. I couldn’t go out, join activities, or even replace furniture when I moved. I was constantly anxious. It was affecting my studies and my mental health.”
That’s when her student counsellor told her about bursaries at the University to help students just like her — a fund supported by donors who want to ease the strain not just on domestic students but those living far from home. Budmi applied, not expecting much. When she learnt she’d been awarded support, she was ecstatic.
“I remember jumping around my room,” she laughs. “It felt like coming up for air after being underwater. The bursary helped me buy furniture, an iPad for my accounting work, and just… breathe. I could finally focus on studying again.”
For Budmi, the bursary did more than fill a financial gap, it restored her sense of belonging. “It gave me time to make friends and enjoy uni life. I was reminded that people out there care — even people who’ve never met me.”
[The bursary] gave me time to make friends and enjoy uni life. I was reminded that people out there care — even people who’ve never met me.
Budmi Rajapakse
Giving from gratitude
One of those people is Suan Yeo, who supports a bursary that helps international students like Budmi. As Education Impact Lead (International) for Google, Suan has long been passionate about the power of learning and the role education plays in shaping opportunity.
“I’ve been fortunate all my life,” he says. “I didn’t have to struggle the way some students do. But that’s exactly why I give, because I recognise how different my circumstances are.”
Suan’s respect for education runs deep, not just through his work but also as a parent to two teenagers. He’s seen firsthand how the right support at the right moment can change the course of a young person’s life.
“When you’ve benefited from a good education system or good care, you feel a responsibility to give back,” he says. “For me, supporting education is a way of saying thank you.”
His recent gift to the University for an International Student Bursary Fund reflects that belief. The bursary offers vital financial assistance to students whose circumstances have changed unexpectedly, allowing them to stay focused on their studies rather than worrying about how to make ends meet.
“Being an immigrant myself, I understand the emotional side of it,” Suan says. “You’re far from home, under pressure to succeed, and sometimes too proud to tell your family you’re struggling.”
My dad always said 'give what you can. You’ll never regret being kind.' I tell my kids the same. We’ve been lucky, but luck isn’t something you keep, it’s something you pass on.
Suan Yeo
Paying it forward
After years of juggling study, work, and financial uncertainty, Budmi’s hard work has paid off. After graduating from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Commerce in 2024, she secured a coveted graduate position with PwC, one of the world’s leading professional services firms.
For Budmi, the bursary that helped her stay afloat during her toughest moments has become a defining part of that journey and an experience she’s determined to pay forward.
“One day, I want to help another student the way I was helped,” she says.
The power of collective kindness
For Suan, stories like Budmi’s reaffirm why philanthropy matters.
“My dad always said: give what you can. You’ll never regret being kind,” he says. “I tell my kids the same. We’ve been lucky, but luck isn’t something you keep, it’s something you pass on.”
His hope is that others will follow that example, helping build a culture of compassion that extends far beyond Sydney’s campus.
For Budmi, that culture has already changed her life.
“It didn’t just help me financially,” she says. “It reminded me I’m not alone.”
And for Suan, that’s what true education is all about — not just learning facts, but learning empathy. “If everyone gives a little,” he says, smiling, “it adds up to a lot.”
Hero image: Nicola Bailey/ University of Sydney.