Episode 1: Nasz Khan | My Migrant Soul
Who Am I, Really?
A migrant’s journey to belonging, purpose and building something that matters
What does it mean to belong?
Not on paper. Not by postcode.
But in that deeper, harder-to-articulate way - where you feel rooted, seen, and part of something bigger than yourself.
In Episode 1 of My Migrant Soul, host Imran Abul Kashem sits down with Nasz Khan, whose story gently dismantles the idea that belonging is something you find.
Instead, she shows us something more powerful.
It’s something you build.
Growing up “in between”
For Nasz, identity was never straightforward.
Growing up in Singapore, she lived in the space between cultures - not fully one thing, not fully another. It’s a feeling many migrants know well. That quiet question that follows you around:
Where do I actually fit?
There wasn’t a neat answer. And there still isn’t, really.
But what her story reveals is that the discomfort of being “in between” can become something else entirely - a vantage point. A way of seeing the world differently. A bridge, rather than a barrier.
The leap that changed everything
At one point, Nasz made a decision that many would hesitate over.
She chose Australia.
No network. No safety net. No familiar faces waiting on the other side.
Just a decision - and the willingness to back herself.
It’s the kind of moment that doesn’t feel heroic when you’re in it. It feels uncertain, maybe even reckless. But in hindsight, it becomes the turning point. The quiet beginning of everything that follows.
Building community, one action at a time
Fast forward nearly two decades, and Nasz is now known as “the heart of Seabrook.”
Not because of one big, headline-worthy achievement.
But because of consistency.
She founded the Seabrook Community Gardens.
Helped shape Homestead Run Park.
Organised ANZAC Dawn Services so locals had a place to gather and reflect.
Even sparked the idea for the mural at the local shopping centre.
And during COVID, when isolation hit hardest, she showed up again - delivering meals, creating moments of connection, reminding people they weren’t alone.
There’s a pattern here.
Not grand gestures.
Just small, deliberate actions - repeated over time.
And that’s the quiet truth at the centre of her story:
Community isn’t built in theory.
It’s built in the doing.
A philosophy rooted in belief
Alongside her community work, Nasz is an autism educator.
And her approach carries the same thread that runs through everything she does - belief.
Not passive optimism.
But active, intentional belief in people’s potential.
She challenges the idea that expectations should be lowered. Instead, she raises the standard - with care, with support, and with a deep understanding that people often rise to what is expected of them.
It’s a perspective that doesn’t just apply in education.
It applies everywhere.
In leadership.
In communities.
In how we show up for each other.
The harder truths
This conversation doesn’t stay in the comfortable zone.
Nasz speaks candidly about workplace challenges, bias, and the tension between purpose-driven work and systems that lose sight of why they exist.
There’s a quiet courage in that honesty.
Because it’s easier to stay silent.
To stay in your lane.
To not rock the boat.
But her story pushes against that instinct.
It invites a different question:
What happens if you do speak up?
Don’t stay in your silo
If there’s one idea that echoes long after the conversation ends, it’s this:
“Don’t stay in your silo. Be the bridge. That’s how communities are built.”
It sounds simple. Almost obvious.
But in practice, it’s rare.
We tend to stay where it’s comfortable - within our own circles, our own cultures, our own perspectives.
Being the bridge requires something more.
Curiosity.
Courage.
A willingness to step into spaces where you don’t fully belong yet.
Belonging isn’t something you find
Nasz’s story doesn’t wrap up neatly.
There’s no moment where everything clicks into place and the question of identity disappears.
Instead, there’s something more realistic - and more hopeful.
Belonging isn’t a destination you arrive at.
It’s something you create.
Conversation by conversation.
Action by action.
Connection by connection.
And maybe that’s the point.
Key takeaway
“Don’t stay in your silo. Be the bridge. That’s how communities are built.”
About the Host - Imran Abul Kashem
Imran Abul Kashem is the founder of Westend Business Hub, Westend Photography, Westend Digital, Westend Podcast, and Wyndham Entrepreneur Connect. An award-winning photographer and serial entrepreneur, Imran brings ideas to life at the intersection of creativity and business. As an author, investor, business advocate, and cultural ambassador, he is passionate about building platforms that empower communities and spark meaningful conversations.
About the Guest - Nasz Khan
Since settling in Seabrook from Singapore in 2005, Nasz Khan has become a driving force behind many of the community’s most valued initiatives. Known locally as “the heart of Seabrook,” she has spent nearly two decades fostering connection, from founding the Seabrook Community Gardens to shaping Homestead Run Park and organising ANZAC Dawn Services.
During COVID, Nasz supported her community through meal deliveries and uplifting initiatives. Professionally, she is an autism educator at Western Autistic School, where she champions belief, care, and high expectations for every child. Her work reflects a simple but powerful philosophy - community is built through consistent, meaningful action.
If this conversation resonated with you, share it with someone who’s finding their place or building something of their own.
Because sometimes, the right story at the right moment can be the spark someone else needs to begin.
Special Thanks to Our Partners
This podcast is proudly supported by our incredible partner businesses, whose ongoing support helps bring these conversations to life:
#MyMigrantSoul #MigrantStories #Belonging #CommunityBuilding #Leadership #PurposeDriven #CulturalConnection #AustralianStories #InspiringPeople #PodcastEpisode
Keywords
migrant stories, belonging, community building, identity and culture, Australian migrants, Seabrook community, leadership through action, autism education, podcast studio, personal growth, purpose-driven life, migrant journey Australia
