Meet our Volunteers

Kamala Gurung

Bagmati Cluster Teacher, Year 7

Kamala Gurung's journey with Nepali Class Boston is deeply rooted in her desire to ensure her daughters, Sudikshya and Jenna, remain connected to their cultural heritage. From their home in Northborough, Kamala has been dedicated to sending her daughters to NCB since its inception in 2014. Witnessing the dedication, commitment, and hard work of the teachers at NCB deeply inspired her, prompting her to seize the opportunity to officially join the team herself. Now serving as a Lead Teacher of the Bagmati Cluster, Kamala is grateful for the chance to contribute to the organization that has had such a profound impact on her children's lives.

For Kamala, being part of NCB brings immense joy and fulfillment. She observes the positive difference it makes in the lives of the attending children, and she is thankful for the opportunity to both volunteer and be a parent within the organization.

Prabina Rai

Koshi Cluster Teacher, Year 8

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 8

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 the Mahakali Cluster Class.

Nira Gurung

Support, Year 7

Growing up as a third culture kid, the NCB experience especially resonates with Nira as it mirrors a time in her adolescence when she attended Nepali night classes. Much of her Nepali literacy today can be attributed to those classes (although back then, they were more hang out sessions with friends than much else).

Nira feels incredibly privileged to be a part of the NCB family. Her mostly administrative role offers her a playground to wear many hats - from silly, to creative, to professional. While she may not be a true teacher of the language, she hopes to model and share many teachable moments. It is her hope that our younger generations here continues to recognize and celebrate their cultural identities and narratives.

Kala Aryal

Gandaki Cluster Teacher, Year 5

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.

Rama Adhikari

Lumbini Cluster Teacher, Year 5

Rama is very happy to join Nepali Class Boston and believes it is a great way to give back to our community. She is a mother of two lovely daughters, Ridima and Melody. Nepali Class Boston is a home to learn our language and culture. It is not only about teaching our language and celebrating festivals; it is about children learning to love our language and culture in a natural environment. Rama likes her girls to learn the Nepali language and be proud of our culture and heritage. Passing language and culture to our next generation is very important. When they grow up and look back, they will definitely be proud of what they have learned and accomplished. Rama has a Master’s Degree in English Literature from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. She loves reading novels on the train and delights in reading books with her daughters, as well as making up stories at bedtime. Rama works in the Human Resources sector and enjoys doing admin and data analysis.

Uman Gurung

Karnali Cluster Teacher, Year 2

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 Treasurer at Boston Tamu Samaaj.

Narayani Rimal

Gandaki Cluster Teacher, Year 2

Narayani Rimal loves to teach. Back in Nepal, she was a teacher for three years and taught kindergarteners to second graders. In her experience, teaching is never a one-way road; the teacher also learns from the student. Her love for teaching motivated her to be a part of the program. She wants to enrich the children with the beauty of Nepal’s culture. Narayani hopes to stay connected with her own culture while she teaches these young children.

Hira Shrestha

Mechi Program Lead, Year 1

Hira Shrestha (she/her/hers) was born and raised up to her adolescence in Bhojpur Bazaar, Nepal. Hira spent most of her early adulthood in Kathmandu before migrating to the US in 2006 to pursue a degree in American education. While Boston has been herhome for over 7 years now, she spent 8 years in Maine where she completed a Masters degree in Developmental Clinical Psychology. She is a Healthcare clinical researcher by profession but she used to be a teacher for private schools as well as language institutes in Kathmandu for several years that sparked in her a curiosity to learn about the science behind learning and led her to where she is today. So she has a very special place in her heart for this noble profession and a great regard for those who can and choose to teach.

Like many others, she first learned about Nepali Class Boston in an effort to find Nepali children's community for her daughter who is half Nepali. Upon some research, she learned that it is a volunteer-run program with no fees to join which sounded so impressive and almost impossible given the volume of children this program is supporting. So she felt the urge to help out any way she could to support this initiative so that Nepali American children like hers could have a continued opportunity to stay connected to their cultural identity.

Hira loves music, hiking, camping, organizing, and making meaningful connections with people.

Arjun Poudel

Lumbini Cluster Teacher, Year 1

Trained as an English major, Arjun Poudel has been teaching for over 30 years now. His teaching career began in Nepal as a primary-level boarding-school teacher. In joining the NCB, he has been motivated by a belief that Boston’s Nepalis should and can have a greatly vibrant community life. Arjun believes that bringing our children together and having them learn our history, language and culture goes a long way towards ensuring such a life for the entire community.

साथीहरु, म अंग्रेजी बिषयको उच्च शिक्षा र बिगत तीस बर्ष देखिको शिक्षण अनुभव सहित नेपाली क्लास बोस्टोनमा संलग्न भएको हुँ। शिक्षण क्षेत्रको मेरो यो यात्रा नेपालमा प्राथमिक तहको एक शिक्षकको रुपमा शुरु भएको थियो। बोस्टोनका नेपालीहरु बीच अत्यन्त गाढा पारस्परिक सम्बन्ध सहितको जनजीवन जरुरी र सम्भव छ भन्ने विश्वासले प्रेरित भएर म नेपाली क्लास बोस्टोनमा सम्मिलित भएको हुँ। हॉम्रा बाबुनानीहरुलाई एकत्र गरी उनीहरुलाई हॉम्रो ईतिहॉस, भाषा र संस्कृति सिकाएर नै यस्तो जनजीवन सुनिश्चित गर्न सकिन्छ भन्ने मेरो विश्वास छ।

Laxmi Koju

Koshi Cluster Teacher, Year 1

Laxmi Koju is an experienced, dedicated and goal-driven professional educator with nearly ten years of teaching experience. She has taught children of all ages, from preschoolers to graduate students, but her primary focus has been on high school students.

She holds a Master’s degree in Business Studies from Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal and a PhD degree in Management Science and Engineering from University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. She worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher at Lanzhou University, China for two years, before moving to the U.S.

She has a pleasant personality and is an excellent communicator. She enjoys traveling and discovering new places. She also enjoys cooking and is always eager to learn new skills. She is thrilled to be joining the dynamic team at Nepali Class Boston and can’t wait to put her skills and experiences to use.

Sumitra Atreya Acharya

Sagarmatha Cluster Teacher, Year 1

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.