Building safer communities

Witnessing the widespread destruction of the 2015 earthquake in her home country of Nepal deeply affected Susma. The tragedy sparked a strong interest in infrastructure and a desire to help protect communities from future disasters, ultimately leading her to study civil engineering in New Zealand.

After arriving in Nelson as a high school graduate, Susma began her study journey with NMIT’s New Zealand Certificate in Study and Employment Pathways, a one-semester foundation programme designed to help students transition into tertiary study.  

“It was a really valuable start,” she says. “It helped me adjust to the learning style here and gave me the confidence to move into the engineering diploma.”

Susma went on to complete the New Zealand Diploma in Engineering (Civil Engineering) and is now working as a Civil Engineering Designer with WSP in Nelson. She’s one of several NMIT civil engineering graduates at the company.

While studying, Susma appreciated the smaller class sizes and individual support from tutors, but what stood out most was the strong industry engagement built into the engineering programme.

“During the term break, I had the chance to work with BECA - another consulting company in Nelson,” she says. “It wasn’t just theory - we were out on site, talking to professionals, seeing how things worked in the real world. It gave us a glimpse into our future careers and opened doors for us to build professional networks.”

Susma also valued the in-class presentations from local industry professionals and the regular site visits organised by NMIT. Students were encouraged to join Engineering New Zealand, helping them connect with others in the field and stay up to date with what was happening around the country.

“Now that I’m working, I can really see how valuable those connections were. Civil engineering is a technical skill that’s still very much in demand, and getting that early exposure through NMIT gave us a real advantage,” she says.

Outside of study, Susma quickly felt at home in Nelson. Coming from a smaller city in Nepal, she didn’t want to live in a big city, and Nelson offered the perfect mix of community, opportunity, and lifestyle. The Nepalese community has grown steadily too, and Susma has made friends who she connects with regularly.  

Reflecting on her journey, Susma says she’s grateful for the strong foundation NMIT gave her, not just academically, but professionally and personally too.

Interested in civil engineering? Check out our NZ Diploma in Engineering (Civil) and see how you can connect with industry while you study. 

Learn more about studying at NMIT as an international student.