He goes to work everyday hoping to make a difference in the lives of others, and hopes his story of resilience, dedication and hard work will inspire others to dream big.

Mr Thomas was born in India. He came to Australia in 2008 to study a Bachelor of Nursing at the University of South Australia.

While studying, be became involved in student politics and helped create more opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander students.

For that work, the university awarded him an honorary life membership.

However, his first few years in Australia were not always easy and Mr Thomas has faced a lot of adversity on his journey to success.

When he was 21 years old, he was homeless for three months and lived in his car.

"What I didn't do at that time was lose hope - there is a light at the end of the tunnel that something good will happen," he said.

"There were some very good people who supported me through that time and I am so grateful that I went through that time in my life because now whatever is thrown at me, doesn't affect me.

"You can get ahead in this country if you put your mind and hearts to it."

After eight years in Adelaide, Mr Thomas decided he needed to experience regional and rural nursing.

In 2016, he moved to Horsham and worked at Wimmera Health Care Group's aged care centre Kurrajong Lodge.

"Since then, my passion has always been aged care and how to make sure that our senior Australians get the best quality of care," he said.

Mr Thomas was selected to an emerging leaders program with Wimmera Health Care Group.

"I completed the program and the unique skills that I gained helped me to land a role at Edenhope and District Memorial Hospital as an associate nurse unit manager," he said.

Mr Thomas also joined the board of Stawell Regional Health, becoming one of the youngest health care board members in Victoria, at 27 years old.

Last year, Mr Thomas won a Celebrating Aged Care leadership award for his work.

The accolades continued and last month he was named the Victorian Young Achiever of the Year.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would win that title - it was a life defining moment for me," he said.

At the young achiever awards, he was also named the people's choice winner and won an award in the healthcare sector category.

"The people's choice award was an online voting process for the public to choose their favourite finalist," Mr Thomas said.

"I was the winner and that was a huge surprise for me - I was among some elite metropolitan people who were doing incredible things. To win the award was unreal.

"When I receive these types of accolades, it's not just a personal achievement, it's a reflection of everyone who has supported me in my career.

"At the end of the day, it's all well and good to receive awards, but if you're not going to do anything with that going forward, then you are not doing any good for myself or the community."

After the win, Mr Thomas was invited to speak at schools in Melbourne.

"That is exactly what I want to do - get speaking opportunities to share my story and give other people hope," he said.

"No matter which culture, which religion or country you are coming from, this beautiful country has given me countless opportunities to thrive and I've forever grateful.

"I have never sat back and watched opportunities happen, I grab them and try to create something meaningful."

Mr Thomas said nurses were the unsung heroes of the healthcare sector, who were under appreciated.

He always wanted to become a nurse.

"My grandmother lived with us and she was sick so me and my sister looked after her, along with my parents," he said.

"I like caring for people without expecting anything from them in return.

"I'm genuinely very grateful to be in this noble profession.

"The hope and love that you give to vulnerable residents means the world to them - you are their family and you treat them like that.

"It's a rewarding job - at the end of the day you know you have done something that's had a lasting impact."

Early on his career, Mr Thomas created a network of mentors for himself.

He attributes these people to a lot of his success.

"It's just a matter of asking people 'can you help me, can you give me some advice' and then people take you through that journey," he said.

"I have a great passion for mentoring people and I want to bring people up to my level because there is no point of achieving awards and not benefiting the wider community.

"My goal going forward is to share my story of resilience, dedication, hard-work and commitment and uplift young people."

Mr Thomas thanked his wife Shermin for all her support. The couple were married last year and Mr Thomas said she was always right behind him.

He also acknowledged the support of his parents for taking a risk and sending him to Australia when he was 18.

"That was a huge sacrifice on their part and I've very grateful for the opportunity they gave me to learn and grow," he said.

In the future, Mr Thomas hopes to one day get into politics.

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