Not an overnight success story.
Gopi Sara on why hard work and opportunity matters.
Shaped by his own experiences of hardship, UQ alum Gopi Sara (Bachelor of Engineering ’10) reflects on his remarkable journey from refugee to UQ student, angel investor, and now CEO of OneMRI.
We sat down with Gopi to discuss his all-in approach to life and business and asked him to reflect on how his time at UQ helped shape his path.
Through the stories of the different stages of his life, we see how resilience and determination can strengthen resolve, expand opportunity, and create ripples far beyond a degree.
An incredible journey from refugee to CEO
Gopi Sara is not one to sit around and wait for things to happen.
Growing up as a Sri Lankan refugee in Australia, his outlook on life was shaped by the enormous challenges he had to overcome from a very young age.
“As refugees we had no access to Medicare, no passports, and every spare dollar went to lawyers,” Gopi said.
Then in 2007, his family was given the devastating news that they had just 30 days to leave Australia and return to Sri Lanka, in the midst of a brutal civil war.
“We were packing our bags when the federal election was called,” Gopi recalls.
For Gopi and his family, this changed the trajectory of their lives. The government caretaker period paused deportations, and a new government reviewed their case.
“By that time, I had just been accepted into a Bachelor of Engineering at UQ; my sister was studying pharmacy. It ended up coming down to us being, future in-demand contributors to society, so we were allowed to stay.”
That decision changed everything, and started Gopi on his journey from refugee to CEO.
The impact of a tertiary education
Grounded in his family’s resilience and determination to build a better life, Gopi viewed university as a stepping stone to unlocking opportunities.
“I was fortunate to grow up around cousins and older family friends who were excelling in their careers. When you see that up close, pushing the envelope doesn't feel optional, it feels necessary,” Gopi says.
However, university was not without its challenges. Despite being a high-achieving student, Gopi, as a refugee, was unable to access many academic scholarships.
His refugee status also meant that his family had to pay significantly higher international student fees, nearly pushing them into financial ruin. As Gopi puts it, “I had no choice but to succeed.”
Yet, despite this, he was determined to keep going. He did so by grinding out long hours and surrounding himself with a strong community at university. "Some of my closest friends today are people I met at UQ, studying and socialising together. Even my relationship with my (now) wife strengthened by attending UQ events during our dates,” Gopi says.
Gopi graduated from UQ in 2010, but then in 2011, his family home was devastated in the Brisbane floods. “I remember what it felt like to see everything destabilised overnight, and having only $100 in my bank account,” Gopi says grimly.
However, for Gopi this disaster accelerated his drive to work even harder.
“I’ve always woken up with this drive, to reach a position where my family never has to worry about money again. Where security is a given. But beyond that, it’s about experiencing more out of life,” he reflects.
Reaching out a hand
As someone who achieved so much independently, we asked Gopi to share his thoughts on how a scholarship could have made a difference.
“I’ve seen incredibly talented individuals miss out on opportunities simply because they weren’t Australian citizens. Refugees who had the ability, but not the paperwork. A scholarship can change someone’s life,” he says firmly.
For Gopi, the significance of a scholarship is that it tells a young person, we see you.
He explains, “It can make them feel like the world is on their side, instead of forcing them to grind for ten years just to get a foothold. It frees you to focus on becoming world-class, instead of just surviving.”
“Sometimes all someone needs is a break,” he says with resolve.
Where an Engineering degree can take you
Throughout his engineering studies, Gopi never wanted to fit into just one career box.
“I met former engineers who were running marketing companies. That’s when I realised: engineering isn’t just about building things. It’s about learning how to solve problems. Four years of being trained to think clearly, break down complexity, and rebuild it logically, that’s transferable anywhere.”
Now the co-Founder and CEO of OneMRI, one of the things Gopi is most proud of is creating a work culture that reminds him of his time at UQ.
For Gopi, UQ was more than just a place to obtain a degree; it was a community that helped him achieve his goals.
“What separates UQ is the community. The campus sits slightly out of the way, not in the middle of the city, and because everyone lives scattered across Brisbane, you don’t just pop in for a lecture and leave. You spend the entire day there. You study together, train together, eat together. Life happens on campus.”
He continues, “That sense of community shaped how I lived every single day: to surround yourself with people who care, who push you, who want more from life. So I applied that to business, to people, to life.”
It has been a successful approach, with OneMRI on track to expand even further in the health sector. Offering a new approach to health insight, OneMRI provides whole-body MRI scans so people can better understand their health and make more informed decisions.
“Our goal is simple: to make whole-body imaging more accessible throughout Australia, without compromising clinical standards,” Gopi says.
Advice for the next generation
When asked about what advice he would give to the next generation, Gopi says, “You have to blindly believe everything is going to work out fine, and use that as your launch mindset to live audaciously. You push the throttle. You back yourself to solve the problem when it arrives, instead of stressing in anticipation of it.”
For Gopi, his success is simple.
“When I zoom out, the through-line of my story is simple. Back yourself. Choose environments that elevate you. Push beyond what feels comfortable. And trust that no matter which direction you take, if your values are steady, you’re going to be fine.”
It is a philosophy reflected not just in words, but in action: in the patients he has helped through OneMRI, the culture he has built in his company, and the next generation of students he hopes to inspire.
It is stories like Gopi Sara’s that show what is possible when young people are given an opportunity to chase their dreams, work hard, and push the envelope of what is possible.
Truly, a one-in-a-million journey.
