Thomas C. Johnson had always been interested in the world and knew it was important part of a well-rounded education, so he started exploring his options early on as an undergraduate. He eventually settled on a program based in Fremantle, Australia and spent the spring semester of 2001 studying there at the University of Notre Dame. Though he didn’t expect it at the time, what he learned abroad ended up forming the basis for his current career.

When he first arrived, Thomas struggled to acclimate himself to the way the Australian university operated. It felt like general disorganization, he said. And learning how to get access to necessary resources in a completely new system was challenging. But overcoming those challenges proved to be one of the most rewarding parts of his study.

“I learned so much about myself and developed so much confidence just living day to day in a foreign environment,” he said. “And it gave me an increased respect for diversity and other cultures, other ways of life. That’s become a big part of who I am now.”

Thomas confesses that he initially signed on for the experience for enjoyment: “I told myself ‘I’m going to work hard. I’m going to play hard. I’m going to suck everything out of this experience that I can.’”

He found time to travel around Australia and took trips to New Zealand and Indonesia, but he also began applying himself to his coursework at a level that he hadn’t before. He took digital film and digital photography courses that directed him onto his current career path. He dove into a documentary film project that occupied much of his time, but eventually led to many accolades once returning to the U.S.

“Bringing the project from the writing of the original proposal to handing in the final result was amazing,” he said. “I had never been so involved with something or given so much of myself to a project.”

The film won the top award at the Georgia Tech Film Festival and was a finalist in the Auburn University Film Festival. He still works with one of his collaborators on that film, and he still incorporates a work schedule he developed in Australia into his current work.

“Trying to operate and produce a film in a foreign environment was challenging,” he said. “But I’m thrilled with the way it turned out. It helped me build my creative eye and spurred my growth in digital media.

Thomas is now a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Communications Studies at the University of Minnesota. In addition to critical media studies work on sport and the media, he teaches media production and media criticism courses. At some point, he plans to return to the classroom—and to study abroad—as an instructor.

Last modified on December 9, 2008