Rushi Vyas

One night isn't a lot, but it can make a whole lot of difference

Every night, thousands of Australians sleep without a safe place to call home. But for international students and immigrants — the very people who leave behind everything familiar in search of opportunity — that risk is even higher.

This year, I’m taking part in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout not just as the CEO of What’s On!, but as someone representing every international student who’s had to sleep in airports, couch-hop, or say yes to unsafe housing just to survive.

I’m sleeping out for the students who work two jobs while studying full-time and still skip meals to pay rent. For the immigrants who’ve been scammed, evicted, or exploited — and still show up the next day with hope. For those who carry the weight of their family’s dreams on their shoulders, with no safety net beneath them.

When I was a kid, I saw this reality firsthand. My dad owned a small factory — but he couldn’t afford to commute home. So he’d sleep on the floor, next to the machines. Not because he wanted to, but because he had to. That image has never left me. It shaped how I see struggle — and dignity — and the invisible weight that so many carry quietly. This is also for you, Dad.

Homelessness isn’t just a statistic. It’s a story too many of us know. And it doesn’t have to be this way.

By supporting the Vinnies CEO Sleepout, we can help fund housing, food, education, and support for people doing it tough — often silently.

Will you help me reach my target? Even $10 can add to a change in someone’s future.

Let’s show our international students and immigrants — our quiet strivers — that they’re not alone.