Kristen Geatz ’15

I visited Hood with my mother my junior year of high school (2010) and I don’t remember everything about the visit, but I remember standing in the parking lot with her when it was time for us to leave and telling her I didn’t want to go. I just felt at home immediately. I took every chance I could after that to visit, and after doing an overnight stay my senior year, I knew I would be making it my school. I chose Hood because I felt the community identity immediately, and I could tell even visiting the professors genuinely cared about my studies and success. 

I always wanted to study abroad. A school having a study abroad program was a requirement for me when I was looking at colleges. I didn’t have my heart set on any one country, so I was open to explore programs and options. I chose Australia because CAPA has an internship abroad program, but in order to participate in it, you had to be fluent in the native language. For CAPA programs (at the time) that made my choice Sydney or London, and I figured I might as well go as far as possible!

The most challenging part of my experience in Sydney was my internship. I worked as a paralegal at the HIV/AIDS Legal Centre (HALC) of New South Wales, and the work was hard, as we were dealing predominately with immigration cases and discrimination cases. It could mean long hours, emotional meetings with clients, lots and lots of paperwork. But, the connections I made with my coworkers was incredibly rewarding. They really took it upon themselves to make sure I got the authentic Aussie experience. They did everything from taking me to pub for a pint, to introducing me to all the delicious restaurants in Chinatown, to making sure I experienced the national extravaganza that is the Melbourne Cup. I owe some of my most cherished memories to their kindness and inclusion.

My experience was slightly different than a typical study abroad experience, so I can’t really make an accurate comparison. Because I was interning, I was only taking two academic classes, and I was only in class twice a week. Also, while I was studying on an Australian college campus, I was only in class with Americans, and my professors were Australian, but they came in from a different school to teach us. I do remember my Australian history professor remarking it was more fun for her to teach Americans than Australians, because it was all new material for us, and we didn’t have any biases towards the history.

I was in Sydney for International Fleet Review, which was celebrating the 100-year anniversary of the Australian Royal Navy. Huge celebrations were planned for the week, including a giant battleship and firework display in the Sydney Harbour- think New Year’s fireworks. It was going to be a complete circus, and almost impossible to get into the harbour to see. However, completely on accident, my friend and I had purchased tickets to see South Pacific in the Sydney Opera House the same night! That meant we were able to bypass the crowds and get into restricted sections around the opera house to go see our show! They also adjusted the show time, so intermission coincided with the fireworks display. At intermission, me and the whole crowd sprinted to the front of the opera house and watched fireworks shoot out of the Harbour Bridge, off giant warships, and even from the blades of a helicopter. It was the best Sydney experience I could imagine, and I still can’t believe I was so lucky.  

Just go!! Seriously, it was the most amazing experience. The one piece of advice I will say is if you decide to go, save up your funds and be prepared to spend them. Sydney is expensive, so a meal out is a luxury as a study abroad student. Australia is HUGE, and it is not cheap to travel around the country. I went to New Zealand for a week and traveled around the South Island, and also spent a long weekend in the Outback at Uluru. They were pricey trips, even with staying in hostels, but worth every penny. Many people in my cohort didn’t go on those trips, but I can’t imagine having gone all that way and not exploring beyond Sydney. If you are seriously considering going, ask the Alumni Office for my email; I love to talk all things Australia, and study abroad in general!