Avishek Banskota
January 8, 2019
Avishek Banskota at “One Night Stand-Up” (2010).
Avishek (Avi) is originally from Nepal, and grew up in Nepal and India before moving to Truman for college. After Truman, he moved back to Nepal and worked for a couple of years and then moved to Denmark to complete his Master’s degree. Since then, he has worked in Laos and is currently working in a conflict emergency in Nigeria for Mines Advisory Group (MAG), assisting the local population to identify and keep safe from landmines and unexploded bombs. He conducts surveys to mark and map explosive devices. Other than work, he loves traveling to new places and is involved in political and environmental issues affecting the world.
What year did you graduate and what was your concentration?
I graduated in 2011, and my concentration was Public Communication.
What extra/co-curricular activities did you do?
I was involved in The Index, The Monitor, Ad & PR Club, Amnesty International, International Students Club, Namaste Nepal (Nepali students’ association), African Students Association – and a few more that I cannot remember at the moment.
Did you go to grad school? If so, where? Was it immediately after you left Truman or did you wait? Why?
I went to grad school in Denmark on a full scholarship in 2014, so I waited three years. I studied International Relations and Development Studies. After graduating from Truman, I traveled a bit in the US before moving to my native Nepal in early 2012. I started working there in development work, as I was not sure what I wanted to pursue in grad school or in my career.
What was your first job after graduation?
I started doing two jobs after graduation. The first came about solely due to my Communication degree at Truman – I started teaching Public Speaking at a university in Kathmandu, Nepal to first year undergrad students. The second job I had was working in a small development and environment organization that worked in remote areas of Nepal training women who were economically poor in income generation activities.
What work do you do/What are you doing now?
I am now working in Maiduguri, in northeast Nigeria for a UK based humanitarian organization called Mines Advisory Group (MAG). Northeast Nigeria is going through a severe conflict between jihadist militants and the government. I look at the overall program in northeast Nigeria, which includes helping the local population identify landmines and unexploded bombs and learn how to keep themselves safe around them. It also includes conducting surveys to map and mark these explosive devices, so children and adults stay away and are not injured or killed from these deadly devices. As soon as we get the approval of the government, we will also clear these landmines and unexploded bombs.
Avi working in Maiduguri, Nigeria (2018).
How has your Liberal Arts/COMM education helped you?
It is difficult to pinpoint exactly how it has helped me, as there are so many different ways it has.
The liberal arts education helped me to gain knowledge and learn about so many different subjects and issues. This created a base that showed me the many different thoughts, theories, problems, and commonalities that exist in our world.
The COMM education taught me different ways of debating, persuading, and influencing through rhetoric and interaction, and when these tools were put together with the base of the liberal arts education, I learned how to develop real solutions and communicate these solutions.
Which class did you dislike at the time you took it, but now you’re grateful you took it?
Public Speaking! I did not take it per se, I had to take it as part of the liberal arts education at Truman. I disliked it as I was nervous, scared, and uncomfortable when I had to speak in front of the class in our first speech. But I improved during the semester, and started enjoying it so much that I also enrolled in Advance Public Speaking. When I returned home to Nepal, I realized how much I had learned and how much my confidence had changed due to that class, that I approached Kathmandu University (in Nepal) to introduce the course, and after they agreed, I introduced and taught the first Public Speaking class in a university in Nepal!
Let me mention another class I took in Truman – I did not dislike taking it, but am still grateful I took it – The Art and Science of Humor. To learn the logic and timing of humor, and especially the final exam, which was a stand-up routine at a bar in town was a truly wonderful experience, and I would recommend all COMM students, or any major for that matter, to take this class.
What was your greatest accomplishment at Truman?
This is extremely difficult to answer as there are so many. It might be a convenient answer, but all the studying and learning, all the co-curricular activities, and the overall experience at Truman was my greatest accomplishment.
Avi (right), his friend, and his sister at graduation (2011).
Why is Truman a good place for a student to study?
Truman is a great place for a student to learn. Truman has this great cocktail of variables that come together to make it an ideal place to learn and grow both academically and personally. It has classes with small number of students, making classes more interactive and discussion based and not a one-sided lecture. Additionally, this also means that professors are more accessible and helpful as they know you personally and will help you in any way they can. Further, the requirements from Truman and the students around you means that you will work hard to keep your GPA high and consequently, learn a lot. Personally and socially – the small size of Truman and Kirksville means you know a lot of people on campus, and are involved in various academic and social activities on campus, and plenty of house parties!
What would you say a COMM student should absolutely do while at Truman?
I would say two things – take classes in various different subjects and talk to your COMM professors.
Taking classes in various different subjects opens up the world more. It doesn’t not matter if you do not know what you want to do in the future, or know exactly what you want to do in the future, knowing and learning more only helps to grow professionally and personally. But then, all this new gained knowledge might lead to more confusion about your future academics or career path.
This is why you should talk to your COMM professors. With all their knowledge and experience, they can logically help narrow your perspective, or say something completely new that we did not know existed. While at Truman, I took full advantage of these two points – I graduated with 163 credits, taking classes in different subjects, and always knocking and seeking advice from Dr. Johnson, Dr. Self, Dr. Yaquinto, Dr. Klyukovski, and Dr. Smith.
What advice would you give someone who wants to go into the same line of work as you?
Look for and take opportunities that few are willing to. It does not matter if you have to move to a small town or a new country, or you think an opportunity is boring or “others are not doing it.” Take advantage of situations or opportunities that are unique, and that will help discover new avenues and open more doors. It will also make you stand out for taking an initiative that others would not and that will only help you whether you want to further develop your career or go to grad school.
What do you miss most about campus/Kirksville?
Definitely the small size of campus and Kirksville. The small size of both made it a more campus based life – with regular events on campus and easy access everywhere. In Kirksville too, you would always bump into friends or classmates on campus, at the stores, at bars, or anywhere else. For undergrad life, I think it was ideal to be on such a campus to study.
What tagline would you create for the COMM department at Truman?
“Communication: Make the world closer.”
If you could come back to Truman and teach a class for a semester, what would be its title and what would it be about?
The class would be called “Local and Global Communication,” and it would be about communication from different cultures from around the world. It is young people, still growing and learning, who can make their villages, towns, cities, countries, or this world a better place, and the unknown can sometimes be intimidating. A class that can familiarize students and show that everyone around the world is similar and the vast majority of the people anywhere are kind and want a better life for themselves, can help reduce discrimination and inequality.
What did we not ask that you think is important for people to know?
I think it is important for students to know, that it is completely alright to take your time to graduate or to not have a clear understanding of what you want to pursue in your career. Many times, peer pressure can make students nervous and make compromises that can lead to regret. No one should have to make decisions in their late teens or early 20s that they have to live with for the rest of their lives. Enjoy your studies, work hard, take the time you need, and everything will work out.
If you would like to learn more of Avi’s work, you can go too MAG’s website or follow them on Twitter.