Elizabeth Plowman studied in Australia the summer of 2008 as a graduate student. Here she gives a first-hand account of the benefits of her experience.
Walking through the familiar hallways of McNeal Hall during the first week of school always allows for the most opportune and exciting conversations. It warms my soul to see faculty members, fellow graduate students, and undergraduates mingling outside of our department office. The halls are abuzz with stories of summer vacations, weekends at the cabin, and hectic fall semester schedules. This year, when people asked me how I spent my summer, I excitedly reply that I spent eight weeks living and working in Sydney, Australia. I happily report on my love affair with the Opera House. I sadly admit that yes, it is hard to be back. And I cheerily answer the same questions over and over again: no, I did not get to hold a koala—it’s illegal in New South Wales; yes, some Australians really do say "G'day, mate"; and no, I did not eat Vegemite every day.
But while my brief description is honest and generally satisfies the person I am talking with, it does not always satisfy me. Although I did see the sights, explore the city, and get a taste of Australian culture, what I actually spent my summer discovering was myself. Myself as a student. Myself as a future faculty member. Myself as a person. I refined my personal and professional identities by continually challenging myself to take risks and try new things. It was an exceptional experience, and I still cannot quite believe I had the courage to organize it myself.
As I completed my Master's degree and considered the path I wanted to take as I work towards my doctorate, I realized that my spirit, as a graduate student and as a person, needed rejuvenation. I considered different ways I could challenge myself over the summer. In the midst of my search, I looked back to my application materials for graduate school was reminded of why I felt called to be here. As an undergraduate, I studied family relationships in Australia and Hawaii through St. Olaf College. I applied to graduate school with the intention of becoming a professor who could lead global seminars and open students’ eyes to new perspectives and international experiences. Unfortunately, amidst the demanding commitments of graduate school, my intention had been shuffled to the bottom of my priority list. The first step in reprioritizing, I decided, was to go abroad myself.
After researching several learning abroad opportunities and heading down more than one dead end road, I found the program that would fulfill my academic credit needs and also aid in my professional development. Many phone calls and countless emails to the Learning Abroad Center later, I booked my airfare to Sydney and reserved my spot in the Arcadia University Sydney Summer Internship program. Everyone at the Learning Abroad Center was so helpful in pointing me in the right direction; they helped me find a program that was the perfect fit for my needs as a graduate student. The Arcadia program allowed me to complete a seven-week internship, observe the complex administration of a study abroad program, and experience living and working in Sydney with 23 undergraduate students from across the country. I worked three days per week for the Big Brothers Big Sisters and Prison Outreach programs at JewishCare, a non-profit organization that offers a multitude of services to Sydney’s Jewish population. Working at JewishCare gave me exposure to fieldwork and social services in a country with a system different from my own.
My internship also included one day per week at Tranby Aboriginal College, a cooperative college founded to support the education and progress of adult Indigenous Australians. Working at Tranby was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for several reasons. First, it allowed me to observe the inner workings and administration of an alternative educational system, which complemented my program minor in Educational Policy and Administration. Secondly, it allowed me to network with educators and professionals who I may work with as I plan study abroad opportunities for students in the future. Lastly and most importantly, it exposed me to the important social justice issues that are ever present in Australian society. This experience provided a framework for me that will shape my approach to teaching students about these issues as a future faculty member.
Learning abroad experiences do not have to be traditional in order to be transformational. In fact, I believe that graduate students in particular should think outside of the box when considering how travel and study may best contribute to their graduate careers. Because graduate education is founded upon the development of specialized knowledge, it is not as likely that a traditional learning abroad experience, such as studying at a university, will be able to contribute to degree progress or professional development. Therefore it is imperative that graduate students create their own international experiences to best fit their individual programs of study and professional goals. For me, learning abroad meant doing fieldwork in an English-speaking country, getting exposure to a social system different from my own, and observing an undergraduate program to examine the best practices for learning abroad experiences. For others, learning abroad may take the shape of multicultural research, a Fulbright scholarship, studying or teaching at another university, or even gaining clinical experience in a new environment. Regardless of how unfeasible an experience may seem, I encourage graduate students to ask questions and gather knowledge about opportunities before giving in to the common notion that most graduate students do not study abroad.
My experience in Sydney this summer not only opened my eyes to issues of social justice and the advantages and disadvantages of a different social system, it propelled me to reexamine my professional identity and grow both personally and professionally. Not only did I develop new research interests and professional relationships, I learned about my own strengths and weaknesses. I know I have bettered myself as a person, scholar, and future faculty member, and I am proud that I took the initiative to invest in myself and this opportunity.
Human rights and women’s activist Miriam Beard once said, "Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living." When I consider the profound and pivotal changes that emerged for me as a result of my summer in Sydney, it is my greatest wish that she is correct—that this change will deeply, and permanently, guide the decisions I make over the course of my life.
Last modified on November 21, 2008 |