When Shashi Kariyawasam came to New Zealand from Sri Lanka in January last year, she'd never done any volunteering.
But in the short time since she arrived, the 28-year-old has volunteered at the Special Olympics and is now involved with a resettlement programme at the Whangārei Migrant Centre.
"I worked as a co-ordinator at the Special Olympics, so I would go to trainings and practices and cheer up the athletes and help them," Kariyawasam said.
"Now I'm working at the Migrant Centre on a new project, helping to empower new migrants and help them get employment," she said.
Kariyawasam left Sri Lanka to get a better education and fell into volunteering through her course at NorthTec.