Australia
Becoming a New Person and an Aussie
Courtney Barnes - Student Teaching, Perth, Australia
Looking back I had just experienced the biggest change that I have ever had in my whole life. I was a different person
than when I had started this journey. As I entered the plane with a deep red face and tears clouding my vision, I recapped my amazing time here in Australia.
Honestly, it started my freshman year at Central Michigan. My first class in college was Edu 101, Introduction to Education. The professors informed all us freshman of the opportunities Central offered teaching in another country during student teaching. "Yeah right." I thought as I continued to talk to my new neighbor in class.
A Day At The Zoo
Melanie Mituta - AustraLearn Internship, Sydney, Australia
Crocodiles, kookaburras and koalas, oh my! For ten solid weeks I had spent my time doing an internship at the Cairns Tropical Zoo in Far North Queensland, Australia. Growing up, I would have never thought I'd be spending my days feeding a 16.5ft crocodile, talking to cockatoos and nursing a joey (baby) wallaby. These were a few of the most incredible job duties I was able to participate in during my time abroad. The ten weeks were divided equally among the reptile, bird and mammal department of the zoo, so I would be able to gain a broad spectrum of experience with each different type of animal. In each department I gained knowledge in the species native to Australia, which are extremely unique compared to all other species.
Study abroad story
Ashley Hovey - UTS, Sydney, Australia
Preparing yourself to leave is the hardest thing. The family members and friends I would miss while away constantly crept into my mind. People would tell me to take it all in...it'll all pass by too quickly. I was skeptical, for I was about to travel halfway around the world to study at The University of Technology Sydney in Australia for five months. Five months is a long time! Or so I thought at first.
I look back now and can't believe how fast it all went by. It's cliché to say "It feels like yesterday..." but truly, that is what it feels like. I can picture the images of saying goodbye to my family, and remember what it felt like to leave. However, I can say it wasn't nearly as hard saying goodbye to those amazing people I met while studying in Australia. One person in particular I became extremely close with, a girl from Australia herself.
"Down Under"
Jennifer Mock - AustraLearn Internship, Sydney, Australia
The spring of 2010 my Australian adventures began. So many thoughts were rushing through my mind as I was waiting in line at the O'Hare international airport in Illinois. Thoughts like will I become homesick, how will I adjust, what public transportation will be like there, how will I adjust to the accent, were running through my head.
Brad's Australian Walkabout
Brad Bender - Bendigo, Australia
walk·a·bout (wôk'ə-bout') 
-noun
1. a rite of passage where male Australian Aborigines would undergo a journey during adolescence and live in the wilderness for a period as long as six months.
2. Brad Bender's journey to Australia where he will undergo a five month study abroad learning and living experience - studying Outdoor Recreation at La Trobe University - Bendigo
Brad Bender is a junior at Central Michigan University, majoring in Broadcast and Cinematic Arts with dual minors in Recreation and Media Design, Production and Technology. Brad is studying at La Trobe University in southern Australia for the spring semester.
My Story from Abroad
Sara Scheerhorn - Perth, Australia
I'll never forget the feeling of Qantas airplane bouncing on the runway at the Perth airport in Australia. Thoughts were racing through my head about how I was going to go home with a family that I had never met before and live with them for two months. It sounded crazy in my mind, and I was nervous but even more excited. I was going to study abroad in Perth, Western Australia and complete my student teaching.
Teaching in OZ
Jessica Draper - Perth, Australia
I got the opportunity to complete my student teaching in Perth, Australia. The program was nine weeks long and provided us with the experience to live with a host family and teach in a near by school. The program gave all teachers participating the opportunity to go on many exciting weekend excursions and to experience a lot of Australian culture together. Although, those were some great times, I am focusing this story on my teaching experience at Hillcrest Primary School.