By Kyle Valentine
A student at Springfield College, uses their student ID to enter Cheney Dining Hall and starts
looking at the menus on the TV’s scattered around the room. They decide what meal they want to eat,
chicken? Beef? Maybe. Pizza? A go to for many students. The food is placed onto the plate by workers
wearing Harvest Table Uniforms then students find a seat and eat their meals. When finished, they place
their dirty dishes onto a conveyor belt that is then brought to a worker cleaning dishes. A process that is
quick and easy for students looking to save time in between classes.
Diwash Lamichhane wakes up at Gulick Dining Hall and goes to the kitchen in the Gulick. He
pulls out some pots and pans from the cabinets underneath the countertop next to the sink and takes out
his ingredients he bought from the store earlier that week to start his breakfast. Seasoning Chickpeas,
chopping onions and chilis, mixing his tea, and boiling the eggs all using one pot and one pan can take a
long time. The smell of the spice from the chilis quickly fills the small room connected to the common
room and makes whoever is in the kitchen cough. The sizzle of the cooking food fills the echo of the
room. When Diwash is done, he plates his food, eats and starts cleaning. When finished, an hour has
passed, and that is only breakfast.
When Diwash first arrived on campus in the fall of 2024, he had an active meal plan that included
unlimited swipes into Cheney Dining Hall as well as three meal exchanges for the campus Union. That
would soon change when the spring semester of his freshman year rolled around.
He quickly noticed that everytime he went into Cheney, it would have foods like pork, beef, and
other options that Diwash was not able to eat, or did not want to eat. As a Hindu, straying away from
foods that many students in the United States eat daily is hard. It also becomes difficult when the food
served is not something that is tasty or comforting. “It was very hard to find accommodations.” Diwash
said. “The food, the weather, I came from a tropical climate.”
The trip in August of 2024, from Nepal to Springfield College for Diwash took about 25 hours. A
time zone that is 9 hours and 45 minutes ahead of the Eastern Time Zone. A long distance away from the
comfort of his home, the comfort of Nepali meals, the comfort of family. The transition to his new chapter
in life came with a different aspect that many from the United States do not realize.
Starting his Spring semester of Freshman year, Diwash now has no meal plan. In 2018,
Springfield College established the Mary Ann Coughlin Pride Pantry as a way to address the food
insecurity of students, faculty, and staff on campus. With a limit of one trip a week, Diwash utilizes that
token to get many supplies and food items he will need for the week. “It is very helpful,” Diwash said,
“Everything usually lasts about a week because I don’t eat that much.” With that roadblock, Diwash
resorts to off campus grocery shopping. However, the food that Diwash is drawn to, are harder and more
expensive to find. Luckily, there are resources nearby that allow for Diwash to get a taste of back home in
his new home of Springfield College.
From Gulick Hall, it’s a 30 minute walk to Food Zone International Supermarket. A store that
offers a variety of foods, spices, drinks, meals, snacks, candy, and anything you can think of from all
around the globe. Aisles upon aisles of all cultures just under one roof on Belmont Avenue. Diwash is
able to feel back in Nepal but it takes a trip through the streets of Springfield. The view to the store in
Nepal would be filled with mountains as the heat touches the nerves of the skin, but here in Springfield, it
is houses and cars just passing by. “I miss the hills and jungles.” Diwash said. “I miss the views and the
food.”
The prices in America for groceries have been on an upward trend in 2025. Some markets in
particular being targeted are stores that sell products that are shipped from across the globe. Diwash,
already in an unfamiliar territory with an entirely different currency, now has the challenge of managing
his finances. It becomes hard when food that Diwash looks for when shopping, costs much more than
back in Nepal. A 200 gram packet of noodles costs 20 rupees but here it costs around $1.30, which is
almost 10 times the cost. “It is a moment where you come to a new country and you know you won’t get
these things too easily,” Diwash said, “The items in the U.S. are very expensive compared to Nepal.”
It was a hard adjustment in the fall adjusting to the food. Without a meal plan, Diwash thought
through all the steps on how he would be able to feed himself. One of those steps would be preparing and
cooking his meals. In the freshman dorm, Gulick Hall, there are kitchens that allow for students to cook
meals. Diwash cooks breakfast, lunches, and dinners while almost all students turn to the convenience of
Cheney.
Inside the Gulick Hall kitchen, there is one oven, a stove with four burners, one sink and one
fridge that are in use. Inside the cabinets located above the sink, hold plates and cups put there from
Diwash and other students. Underneath the sink are the pots and pans Diwash uses to cook.
One of the meals Diwash prepares is chickpeas and egg, also called “Chana-Anda.” Along with
the main dish, Diwash makes tea with the resources gathered from the Pride Pantry and grocery stores
outside of campus. The meals can take 30-45 minutes to prepare, cook, plate, and clean. Valuable time
that could be a factor when Diwash has to be somewhere. Many students with meal plans have the food
prepared for them, all they have to do is eat what was put on the plate for them. That can save many
minutes in their day.
With the meals Diwash makes, he was able to bring that together with one of his passions.
Computer Science. Diwash created an app called NutriAI. An app that allows for users to scan their food,
track intake of calories and other nutrients, and get AI suggestions based on their data given to them from
the app. “These days, AI will make things fast that used to take time,” Diwash said. “It even helps me
with my finances.”
The idea came to fruition when Diwash was diagnosed with Tuberculosis right after graduating
from high school in December of 2021. “During this challenging period(tuberculosis), I became
determined to find ways to regain my health.” Diwash said. “This led to the conception of NutriAI – an innovative mobile app that could effectively track my daily nutrition and recommend foods to support my
recovery.” This app was presented at the SOCHAI Youth Innovation Challenge in Kathmandu, Nepal
where he would win the competition organized by one of Nepal’s leading public health organizations in
2022.
Challenges began to rise as Diwash’s health deteriorated. Right when he began to apply for
colleges, his health held him back. This caused a three year gap between graduating from high school and
ultimately coming to Springfield College. “I was in a very bad situation,” Diwash said, “It was a very
long process.”
During his recovery process, one of Diwash’s friends from Nepal, sent him a TikTok video about
a college that he found interesting. That college was Springfield College. One thing that caught his
attention was the size of the school. Diwash did not want to go to a big school and noted that Springfield
was a good size. There was some college experience in the family as his sister attended college in India so
Diwash was able to see if college was for him. Diwash was able to pinpoint what aspects he liked and that
led him to starting applications as his health got better in 2022.
“It was a very smooth experience,” Diwash said about applying for Springfield. “The particular
academics here, I could not get at any other college.” Many schools did not give Diwash the same
opportunities as Springfield did. Being a part of research projects, being able to talk to professors and
even work with professors on projects, and the overall drive the school had played a big role in his
decision. “If I wanted to do anything outside of my field, I can just go and talk to anyone and they will not
say no.”
One of the biggest reasons for Diwash getting into technology was Covid-19. He would learn
Python Programming which is a general-purpose, high-level programming language used for a wide
variety of tasks, including web development, data analysis, machine learning, and automation. That would
later benefit him in classes where he would ace everything.
Diwash would learn about everything technology from his late Uncle Bishnu Dhakal. Dhakal
owned a repair shop in Butwal Nepal where he would repair and work on many pieces of technology.
Diwash would become very close with his uncle as the two would work together on many softwares,
hardware and other projects. He was given a computer by another uncle who works in Korea. After some
damage was done to the computer however, it was sent away for repair but the computer that he revived
was lost and he never ended up seeing it again. “I wanted to keep it for a memory, but they said it could
not be fixed.”
Bringing his passion to Springfield Massachusetts was no easy path. The process to get a Visa to
come to the United States can be one of the most daunting processes someone from Nepal has to go
through. For 22 year old first-year student Diwash, the journey to be able to be accepted for a Visa was
one that many won’t see. Just in 2024, the acceptance rate for a Nepali applicant was 50%. For Diwash, it
took a trip to New Delhi, India where the acceptance rate was higher than Nepal and because Nepal
embassies were not being opened for anyone.
“A lot of students from Nepal have had to travel to India to apply for a visa,” said Director of
International Center Heather St. Germaine, “The process to get accepted for a U.S. Visa is more
challenging now than it was pre-pandemic.”
Heather is one of the most important aspects and resources for an international student. They are
able to come to the International Center office located on the second floor of Springfield College’s
campus Union at any time. They are able to be guided through anything challenging, anything positive or
just to talk about the experience so far. At first, Diwash did not meet Heather until he stepped foot on
American soil for the first time. Even while applying for Springfield he did not know who she was but
something just felt right about this school. “It was just instinct,” Diwash said, “I felt that it would be
good.” Diwash now stops in regularly and talks with Heather about everything happening around campus
and his experience through it all. Heather knows about the process it takes for many students to get here
and wants to celebrate and reflect how far many of these students have come to get to this point. “When I
asked Diwash how the multimedia project with Professor Dobrows class was going, he said it has been
significant for him to reflect,” Heather said, “He mentioned how he rarely takes the time to actually
reflect.”
Being accepted for this Visa would allow Diwash to be able to hop on a flight and go to a school
he originally settled for, with the school being not too expensive and handing out scholarships, but
unfortunately his first attempt at a visa was rejected. Diwash was not able to pursue it. However, his mom
was still certain he would be able to get through the tough times and get what he wants. Right after
hearing about the news of not getting the visa she would say, “Don’t worry, you’ll get another time. Don’t
worry about it.”
His family is always supporting Diwash and his sister on their adventures. When Diwash
mentioned going to school in the United States, his parents were skeptical at first but later after some
thought supported the decision. Education is very important as his mother is a teacher of the Nepali
language for primary school. With that resource, Diwash and his sister would study together a lot and
learn much from each other.
Another chance at a visa would come as in 2023, he would take off to the capital of Nepal,
Kathmandu, for another shot at a Visa. He did not tell his parents about his venture but instead just told
his dad that he was going for an event. Usually, Diwash would tell his dad about everything he was going
for but this time it left his dad wondering what was really happening. This adventure would be worth it
because he would get his visa. After a few months, it was time to fly to America to attend Springfield
College. After 25 hours of flying, Diwash would touchdown in the United States of America.
His journey and passion is like no other and even after a never-ending journey in the air to get to
Springfield, he feels he is in the right place. “It was very chaotic.” Diwash said. “It was very tedious but
much appreciated”
Photo courtesy of Diwash Lamichhane