Meet our Volunteers
Samjhana Gurung Shrestha
Program Lead / Sagarmatha Cluster Teacher, Year 12
Samjhana Gurung Shrestha spearheaded the establishment of Nepali Class Boston, an educational initiative under the aegis of Boston Tamu Samaaj in 2014. Driven by a profound vision to safeguard the language, culture, and heritage of Nepal for future generations, she embarked on this endeavor to ensure that even in a distant land, these cherished traditions remain vibrant and celebrated. With an unwavering commitment to her students, Samjhana places paramount importance on nurturing meaningful relationships within the classroom. Her greatest joy stems from igniting a passion for learning, fostering an environment where curiosity thrives and knowledge flourishes.
Bringing over two decades of teaching experience to the table, Samjhana is a seasoned educator with a solid foundation in both elementary and special education. She holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Education from Lesley University, further enriching her pedagogical expertise. Beyond her role as an educator, Samjhana is renowned for her tireless dedication to social work within the Nepalese diaspora community. Her altruistic endeavors, particularly in uplifting the children of Nepali families in Greater Boston, exemplify her compassionate leadership and unwavering commitment to making a positive impact. Samjhana also finds solace in nature through daily hikes with her beloved German Shepherd, Kaiser. Additionally, she indulges in immersing herself in the nostalgic melodies of old Nepali and Hindi songs, reflecting her appreciation for simplicity and cultural heritage.
Prabina Rai
Koshi Cluster Teacher, Year 10
Integration Consultant by profession, Prabina Rai is an avid NCB supporter & considers herself fortunate to be part of this family since 2016. She strongly believes in preserving and promoting Nepali culture and language, and teaches one of the Intermediate classes. Like every other NCB member, Prabina shares NCB’s vision of cherishing and celebrating Nepali tradition, culture and language. She finds immense joy in working with kids and watching them learn, flourish and enjoy the process of integrating their current environment with that of their parents. Alumni of UMASS, Boston; Prabina is a strong proponent of giving back to the society in whatever small way she can, and thinks of being part of this initiative as a privilege.
Parashu Ram Phuyal
Mahakali Cluster Teacher, Year 10
Parashu Ram Phuyal, father of two kids Pranawa Phuyal and Parnika Phuyal, lives in Billerica, Massachusetts. He earned his Master of Laws (LLM) from Northeastern University, Boston; Master of Laws (LLM), Bachelor’s Degree in Law (BL), and Proficiency Certificate Level in Law (PCL), from Nepal Law Campus, and Master in Sociology (MA Sociology) from Patan Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University (TU) and High School from Kanti Bhairav High School, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Parashu Ram works as a Service Coordinator (Nepali) in Somerville: Office of Immigrant Affairs, City of Somerville, Massachusetts. He also serves as a Council Member of the Cultural Council of Billerica Town, Massachusetts. He loves to work with the Nepali Community at large. He was/is actively working in various Nepali Community Organizations in the Greater Boston Area including Nepali Class Boston (NCB).
Parashu Ram had worked as a Law Intern in Cambridge Public School (CPS) Legal Counsel for a few months; and had worked as an Advocate (Attorney) for eight-years in Nepal. He had served in other different active roles in the Community. He had served as a School Council Member of Cambridge Public School, and Chairperson of Parent’s Council of Community Action Agency of Somerville (CAAS) HeadStart Policy Council. Parashu has been, and is, an ardent supporter of the preservation of Nepali language and culture. He has taken a leading role in the NCB team since 2016 and runs Mahakali Cluster.
Kala Aryal
Karnali Cluster Teacher, Year 7
Kala is a mother of two beautiful girls, Ainsley and Aiyana. She loves working with children. When there was an opportunity to join the team, it was a dream come true. She’s a friendly and outgoing person who loves spending quality time with her family. She has a double bachelors in Business Studies and Education from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. Prior to moving to the United States, she worked as a banker. Today, she is an Orthodontist Assistant in Waltham.
Uman Gurung
Lumbini Cluster Teacher, Year 4
Uman Gurung is a proud father of two kids, Anushka and Anuj and doting husband to wife, Juguna. His family lives in Northborough. His daughter Anushka has been a student at Nepali Class Boston since 2017. He is motivated to become a volunteer because he believes Nepali Class Boston is the best platform that helps kids to learn Nepali and closely connect with the culture and traditions of Nepal.
He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Physics and a Master's Degree in Sociology from Tribhuvan University in Nepal. He has a decade-long experience working in an international non-profit organization in Nepal. Currently, he works with Bank of America and is the Secretary at Boston Tamu Samaaj.
Sumitra Atreya Acharya
Gandaki Cluster Teacher, Year 3
Sumitra Acharya's dedication to volunteering for Nepali Class Boston reflects her deep commitment to preserving and promoting Nepali culture and language, even in a distant land from her home country. As a mother of two, she understands the significance of passing down cultural values and language to the next generation. By volunteering at Nepali Class, Sumitra aims to contribute to the educational journeys of children, ensuring they have access to resources and support in learning and embracing their Nepali heritage. Her involvement underscores the importance of community involvement and collective efforts in nurturing cultural identity and language proficiency among diaspora communities.
Youjin Dhakal
Gandaki Cluster Teacher, Year 1
Youjin Dhakal is excited to be joining Nepali Class Boston (NCB) as a volunteer. She wanted to be a part of this program to build meaningful connections with Nepali children and share what she has learned growing up. Having taught Taekwondo for several years, she has always loved working with children—helping them grow in confidence, discipline, and character. She is looking forward to bringing that same energy in NCB classrooms, supporting students as they learn, and helping them become even better individuals.
Unisha Lama
Sagarmatha Cluster Teacher, Year 1
Unisha Lama comes from an indigenous Nepali family and carries a deep love for Nepali culture, traditions, and mother language. She joined Nepali Class Boston (NCB) because its noble mission to empower children of Nepalese descent through language, cultural education, and community deeply resonates with her. Passionate about social work, communication, and cultural preservation, Unisha is excited to contribute to this volunteer-run program that helps young learners stay connected to their roots. She also enjoys anchoring, public speaking, and engaging with people. She looks forward to bringing those skills into her role as a volunteer at NCB. She feels truly honored to be a part of a team that fosters pride, identity, and belonging in the next generation. She is grateful for this opportunity and excited for the journey ahead with NCB.
Sunita Karki KC
Bagmati Cluster Teacher, Year 1
Sunita Karki KC is a mother of three beautiful children and a returning Nepali Class Boston volunteer. She previously served as a volunteer from 2015 to 2019. She holds a bachelor's degree in finance and is also a certified Dental Assistant. Currently, she is a full-time mother running her own digital business and working as a business coach, where she teaches people how to use social media to make earnings. It is very important for Sunita to remember her roots and to maintain cultural connections. That is what she wants her U.S.-born and raised kids to learn, and she feels the same for the Nepali American children in our community. Sunita believes that even though kids may not feel the importance of learning about our culture and language at an early age, it is our responsibility as parents to teach them the pride of being a Nepali.
Nira Gurung
Program Support, Year 9
Growing up as a third-culture kid, Nira finds the NCB experience especially meaningful, as it mirrors her own early adolescent years attending Nepali night classes. Much of her reading and writing ability today can be traced back to those evenings, though at the time, they often felt more like hangouts with friends than formal lessons.
Nira feels privileged to be part of the NCB family. In her mostly administrative role, she wears many hats — sometimes silly, sometimes creative, and sometimes professional. While she may not be a formal language teacher, she hopes to model and share meaningful teachable moments. Her wish is that the younger generation continues to recognize their identity and cultural narratives as something to celebrate.
Meet our Youth Volunteers
Juli Oli
Bagmati Cluster Youth Volunteer, Year 3
Juli Oli is a senior at Belmont High School. She plays volleyball and loves bike-riding with her friends. She has always loved working with kids and is excited to share her passion for Nepali culture with them. She is ready to build connections, spread values of the Nepali heritage and make an impact in the lives of these youths. Through volunteering at NCB, she hopes to gain more leadership and communication skills.
Kunji Pandey
Gandaki Cluster Youth Volunteer, Year 3
Kunji Pandey is a junior at Brookline High School. She joined NCB as a student in 2014 and is excited to be a volunteer now! She enjoys listening to music, traveling, and spending time with her friends. At NCB, she wants to help students learn more about Nepali language, community, and culture. She finds pride in her cultural identity, and wants Nepali youth to feel the same. She looks forward to joining a passionate team of volunteers, and she’s excited to develop her leadership and social skills along the way.
Sankriti Paneru
Sagarmatha Cluster Youth Volunteer - Year 3
Sanskriti Paneru is a senior at Norwood High School. She grew up in America but she was born and raised her first two years in Nepal. She currently lives with her parents, two younger siblings, and grandparents.
Sanskriti’s hobbies include dancing, writing, cooking, listening to music, painting, and running. She currently does track and field, French club, and works as an instructor at Aquatots Swim School.
Her life experiences have shaped her and taught her different skills and abilities and she hopes to further those to make a difference in her Nepali community. She has grown to embrace her unique Nepali culture and hopes the kids living in America may feel the same pride. She believes in the significance of the Nepali language as a major way to connect to family. As a former NCB student of six years, Sanskriti wishes for kids to share the same wonderful experience as she had.
Aayan
Koshi Cluster Youth Volunteer - Year 2
Aayan is a junior in high school. He first joined Nepali Class Boston in 2016 as a student. This time around, he is back in the program as a volunteer. He looks forward to working with the team to help kids learn about their community and culture. In his role as a youth volunteer, he wishes to draw from and build upon the knowledge and values he gained from being a student.
Aayan enjoys reading books, hiking and listening to music in his free time
Suraj Aryal
Lumbini Cluster Youth Volunteer - Year 2
Suraj Aryal is a sophomore at Brookline High School. He started his Nepali Class Boston (NCB) journey in 2016 as a student and is looking forward to being a volunteer. He enjoys playing the piano, tennis, listening to music and hanging out with friends. At NCB, Suraj wants to help kids learn about their cultural heritage and to teach them to appreciate their culture while giving them a wonderful experience such as when he was a student.
Maya Rimal
Bagmati Cluster Youth Volunteer - Year 2
Maya Rimal is a sophomore at Burlington High School. Maya initially joined Nepali Class Boston (NCB) in its first year when she was just four years old. Now she is excited to return as a youth volunteer! She loves working with kids and wants all of the NCB students to have fun and be proud of their heritage. Maya practices taekwondo and enjoys painting, cooking and the outdoors.
Nirvahn Sharma
Karnali Cluster Youth Volunteer - Year 2
Nirvahn Sharma is very excited to be a volunteer at Nepali Class Boston (NCB). He has been a student of the program for the last four years and has learned so much about our rich culture and made some very good Nepali friends through this program. He is optimistic that this volunteer opportunity will allow him to support students by sharing his student experiences and at the same time, improve his leadership skills.
He is currently a junior at Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School in Danvers in their Automotive Design and Maintenance program. He is very passionate about cars and hopes to start his own automotive store in the near future. In his free time, Nirvahn likes to travel, listen to music and play video games.
Anushka Gurung
Sagarmatha Cluster Youth Volunteer - Year 1
Anushka Gurung is a rising freshman at Algonquin Regional High School. She is a great listener, a team player and enjoys expressing her creativity through music and arts and crafts. Anushka joined Nepali Class Boston (NCB) as a student in 2017 shortly after moving to the US from Nepal at the age of 7. At first, she viewed NCB as just another school, similar to the ones she had attended in Nepal. Over time, however, she realized it was much more—a community where she could deepen her understanding of her heritage and embrace her cultural identity.
Through years of participation, Anushka has gained knowledge, confidence, and a stronger sense of connection with others who share her culture and values. What inspires her to return to NCB as a Youth Volunteer in 2025 is her passion for sharing that knowledge and experience with younger students. She is determined to help the next generation recognize the importance of keeping the Nepali culture alive
Gracy Thapa
Mahakali Cluster Youth Volunteer - Year 1
Gracy Thapa is a rising junior in high school. She was born in Nepal and lived there until the age of 6. Then she moved to Boston, where she attended Nepali Class Boston (NCB) for 4 years. In a new environment surrounded by new people and cultures, attending Nepali Class every Sunday as a student made her feel welcomed. She wants to help other Nepali students feel the same connection. Therefore, she is joining as a Youth Volunteer in 2025 to give back to the community that helped her fit in when she first moved to the United States.
Pranjal Acharya
Sagarmatha Cluster Youth Volunteer - Year 1
Pranjal Acharya is a sophomore at Somerville High School. He is thrilled to be joining Nepali Class Boston's Youth Volunteer program in 2025. Pranjal experienced Nepali Class Boston (NCB) as a student during the pandemic, and recently through the perspective of a sibling enrolled in the program. He was amazed at how much NBC does for students, and therefore, is eager to give back to the community that has helped him and his sister develop their sense of cultural pride. Pranjal is honored to work with the team and hopes to learn from all members while also making an impact on this wonderful community.
Purnima Thapa
Koshi Cluster Youth Volunteer - Year 1
Purnima Thapa is a senior in high school. She was born in Kathmandu, Nepal and moved to the US at two years old. When in Nepal, Purnima's favorite places to visit is the bazaar near her home in Lalitpur. By joining Nepali Class Boston as a Youth Volunteer in 2025, she hopes to make Nepali friends, share her experiences, and learn more about Nepali culture. She looks forward to being part of this community and working with everyone.
Rehana Malla
Bagmati Cluster Youth Volunteer - Year 1
Rehana Malla is a freshman in Mystic Valley Regional Charter School. She was a Nepali Class Boston student for 8 years and aspires to give back to the program. She is a student athlete focusing on competitive swimming and hockey. She likes to play acoustic guitar and tenor saxophone in her free time. She would describe herself as a bubbly and social individual who is very excited to work with the team in 2025!
Remisha KC
Karnali Cluster Youth Volunteer - Year 1
Remisha KC is a rising junior in high school. She was a Nepali Class Boston student (NCB) for many years since 2014. She spent the past two years in Nepal - attending school, exploring the country, and experiencing Nepali culture and people up close. She is joining as a Youth Volunteer in 2025 because she wishes to give back to the community, strengthen her connection to Nepali heritage, and deepen her own understanding of Nepali language and culture.
Reedam Pokharel
Gandaki Cluster Youth Volunteer - Year 1
Reedam Pokharel is a rising senior in high school and returns to Nepali Class Boston (NCB) as a Youth Volunteer in 2025. He is excited to be back at NCB, to contribute to the Nepali community, and to help students learn about their heritage. Reedam moved to the US at the age of 6 and has gone back to Nepal many times since. His desire to stay connected with the Nepali culture, help the students connect to their roots and share Nepali culture motivated him to join NCB. He loves listening to music. While his genres of preference are hip-hop and rap, he is trying to listen to Nepali songs to understand Nepali better. In his spare time, he loves going out with friends, playing sports, or going for walks. Reedam’s favorite food is MoMo.
Russel Kansakar
Koshi Cluster Youth Volunteer - Year 1
Russel Kansakar is a freshman in high school. Having been a student at Nepali Class Boston (NCB) for the past four years, he is excited to see his dream of joining as a Youth Volunteer come true in 2025. As a first-generation Nepali American, Russel hopes to keep Nepali culture alive, inspire students to feel proud of their heritage, and give back to the Nepali community by sharing what he has learned. Russel takes pride in his Nepali identity and especially loves the unique celebrations and festivals (Holi is his favorite!) and that because of the two calendars, he gets to celebrate his birthday twice each year! He is looking forward to working with the team and the students. In his free time, he likes playing the piano, drumming, reading, coding, and drawing.
Ridima Adhikari
Gandaki Cluster Youth Volunteer - Year 1
Ridima Adhikari is a sophomore in high school. She likes reading, writing, baking, and playing games. Her past several years as a Nepali Class Boston (NCB) student have taught her the importance of community and culture. With previous experience as a Junior Mentor at Science Club For Girls, she has realized that she enjoys working with kids. She looks forward to fulfilling experiences as she teaches them about their Nepali roots. She is excited to join Nepali NCB as a Youth Volunteer and learn more about Nepali culture, festivals and heritage while advancing her leadership skills.
Safal Kunwar
Sagarmatha Cluster Youth Volunteer - Year 1
Safal Kunwar is a junior in high school. He has been in the USA for the past 2 years. He joined Nepali Class Boston as a Youth Volunteer in 2025 to broaden his connections within the community as well as to inspire the younger generation to be aware of and appreciate their country of origin. In his free time, he enjoys reading web novels and comics to unwind and get lost in different worlds. He also loves staying active by playing basketball. Additionally, he likes to dabble into digital art for his creative release.
Sambhav Pokhrel
Karnali Cluster Youth Volunteer - Year 1
Sambhav Pokhrel is a freshman in high school. Prior to joining as a volunteer, Sambhav was a student at Nepali Class Boston (NCB) so he finds it very special to be able to come back to the NCB family as a Youth Volunteer in 2025. Sambhav grew up speaking Nepali as his first language. He is excited for the opportunity to give back to the community that supported and shaped his language and cultural roots as well as help younger students learn and understand about the Nepali culture, language, and heritage.
Siddhika Budhathoki
Lumbini Cluster Youth Volunteer - Year 1
Siddhika Budhathoki was born and raised in Nepal and recently moved to the U.S. where she is a student at Somerville High School. Since moving here, she has realized how important it is to keep her language, culture, and traditions strong. She joined Nepali Class Boston as a Youth Volunteer in 2025 to connect with Nepali community, help others learn, while also improving both her Nepali and English skills. She is excited to share what she knows and also learn from everyone in the program.
Sujay Ray
Bagmati Cluster Youth Volunteer - Year 1
Sujay Ray is a freshman at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. He is passionate about helping kids learn more about their cultural heritage and have a safe space to grow, which is why he is volunteering at Nepali Class Boston (NCB) starting 2025. As a former NCB student, he developed a deep understanding of his culture and country, and he hopes, as a volunteer, to help younger kids have a similar meaningful experience. His involvement with the Cambridge Youth Enrichment Program has allowed him to develop strong classroom and leadership skills, which he looks forward to applying in his work at NCB. He is excited to help teach and inspire kids. In his free time, Sujay enjoys drawing, painting, reading, and spending time with friends.
Utsab Gurung
Lumbini Cluster Youth Volunteer - Year 1
Utsab Gurung is a junior in high school, where he plays both football and rugby. A student of Nepali Class Boston (NCB) since its inception, Utsab is excited to return as a Youth Volunteer in 2025. In this role, he hopes to develop community service skills and grow personally. He is committed to having a great year at NBC.
Vedanshi Baral
Koshi Cluster Youth Volunteer - Year 1
Veda Baral, now a freshman at Shrewsbury High School, was a former student at Nepali Class Boston (NCB) for seven years. Inspired by her own experiences, she's returning as a Youth Volunteer, eager to share what she's learned and give back to the community that shaped her. Veda was introduced to the Nepali language, culture, tradition, and heritage at NCB when she was just four and a half years old. She hopes to help students recognize the importance of connecting with their roots and preserving their Nepali heritage. Veda's time as a student at Nepali Class Boston enabled her to confidently communicate with her Nepali relatives, participate fully in cultural celebrations, and continuously grow her understanding of her cultural background. Outside of volunteering, Veda enjoys playing volleyball, spending time with her friends and her dog, traveling, listening to music, and playing piano. She's excited to begin her first year with the 2025 volunteer team!