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BMSc grad helps students find community at Western
By Evelyn Jones
From Science Students’ Council to residence life, Rishika Bhogadi found her place on campus by helping others find theirs
By Evelyn Jones
At her first Faculty Day at Western University, Rishika Bhogadi saw something unexpected — a member of the Science Students’ Council did a backflip.
“I remember thinking, ‘Wow, how do I join?’” she said.
Coming from Mississauga, Bhogadi was drawn to Western for academic opportunities and campus life. Though she enjoyed growing up in the GTA close to her family, moving to London offered her the chance to build connections away from home.
Four years later, Bhogadi is graduating from Western’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry with an Honours BMSc in Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences. Along the way, she found the community she was looking for while helping others find it too.
Bhogadi joined the Science Students’ Council in her first year and later served as a residence don, supporting students as they adjusted to university life.
“I loved being a voice for students so they could get the help they needed,” she said.
I’ve always been drawn to work that helps people feel seen.
BMSc Class of 2026
In her fourth year, Bhogadi was elected president of the Science Students’ Council. In the role, she advocated for stronger student supports and promoted student wellbeing.
Balancing her presidency with her academics required constant communication, time management and support from her council team.
“You’re constantly putting out so many fires,” Bhogadi said. “You’re never not president.”
One initiative Bhogadi is especially proud of championing grew out of something she noticed as a residence don — international students arrived on campus before their peers, often feeling isolated before Orientation Week.
Seeing an opportunity to connect with international students earlier, Bhogadi worked with the Health Science Students’ Council and the Social Science Students’ Council to create the International Tri-Sci Mixer.
The mixer gave students in Science, Social Science and Health Sciences the opportunity to meet other international students and upper-year mentors.
“It’s never a bad thing to have more community-building, especially for students who are far away from home,” she said.
Bhogadi brought her interest in advocacy into her academic work through the community engaged learning capstone course. She and two other classmates worked with the Canadian Health Information Management Association to develop a professional practice brief focused on women and gender-diverse health equity.
“I’ve always been drawn to work that helps people feel seen,” she said. “This project was a way to bring that into health care by exploring how information practices can better support women and gender-diverse communities.”
Looking ahead, Bhogadi will enter the Doctor of Medicine program at Toronto Metropolitan University. She is eager to learn how she can advocate for others in a clinical setting.
For Bhogadi, her future is rooted in the same sense of responsibility that guided her time at Western.
“I really thrive on a sense of responsibility,” she said. “I hope to be someone others can rely on and trust.”