The School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences student, originally from a small farming village in Iran, was presented with the award at a ceremony in Sydney on Tuesday night.

Mrs Ataollahi was recognised for being a “passionate advocate and leader for international students” as the inaugural Women’s Officer for the Council of International Students Australia, and for helping refugees settle into the community at Wagga.

Mrs Ataollahi said she had been inspired to help refugees and new international arrivals by her own experiences.

“When I came to Australia, I was alone, my husband was not with me, so I felt isolated,” she said.

“I was living on campus and the students were really helpful, but still it was hard for me because I could not understand the accent; I had come to a new country with a different culture, different people.

“It was stressful being away from my family. I attended a multicultural event in Wagga and met people who supported me and took me shopping every weekend and tried to make me feel at home.”

Mrs Ataollahi went on to help an Iraqi refugee couple settle in to Wagga and they now have much better English skills and are studying at TAFE.

She is president of the CSU International Club, and judges noted that she “continues to work hard to establish international student workshops on leadership and sexual assault”.

“Off campus, (Mrs Ataollahi) volunteers with several community organisations, including the St Vincent de Paul’s Resettlement Program and the Wagga Library’s Language Café initiative,” the judges stated.

Mrs Ataollahi is due to complete her studies on mineral supplements for reproductive performance of ewes and lamb survival at CSU by December this year.

She thanked the campus and its international student staff for their support.