It is July 11th, 2014 here in the land down under and it is my final day working for Federation University Australia. Early tomorrow morning, I will be departing for New Zealand for my backpacking adventure! I will be making my way from the south island up through the north island over the course of 12 days or so. My stops are Queenstown, Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, Rotorua, and Auckland. During my time in New Zealand, I will be visiting University of Otago, Victoria University of Wellington, and University of Auckland. I will try my best to post consistently while in New Zealand, however, this will be my last post that is specifically about my time here in Australia.
My ACUHO-I internship was with the Federation University Living office, the American equivalent of which is a housing and residence life department at a university. Through previous posts you can find out what my work here has been like. Working here has been an absolute pleasure. I have learned more than I could have ever imagined. I believe what made the experience so amazing was having a boss who was extremely mindful of giving me a very fulfilling experience. My boss, Colin Marshall, is the Globalization Director of the ACUHO-I executive board, and the Director of Campus Life here at Federation University. Colin was mindful about making sure we got exposure to the student population here at FedUni. He also made sure we garnered exposure to other universities here in Australia. During my visits to other Australian universities, I had opportunities to participate in a dialogue exchange in which I was able to share my American perspective with Australian higher education and student affairs professionals. Colin taught us about the fundamentals of the tertiary education system in Australia, and it is through learning about this system that my interest in learning about international higher education systems has grown exponentially. My experience here in Australia has inspired me to continue seeking opportunities to learn about higher education and student affairs abroad.
While I look forward to my trip to New Zealand and my eventual return to the US, I am going to miss my experience here at Federation University Australia. I know this experience will be something that I will remember fondly for the rest of my life. As I finish my internship at Federation University Australia, I look forward to the opportunities I will have to share my new perspective regarding international higher education and student affairs with my colleagues back in the USA.
