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Pacific Spring Study Abroad Program

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Kelsey Rogowski

One word perfectly describes my study abroad experience: adventure. Not just an exciting, adrenaline-pumping adventure, but an academic one as well. As I prepared to travel halfway around the world, I had no idea about what I was about to encounter. After 12 weeks of exploring all that Australia and New Zealand have to offer with 36 classmates and our professors, my world has changed forever.

It was late November when a friend told me I should go on the Pacific Program. I had considered it before, but I thought it was too late to apply for the coming spring. After much convincing, my parents agreed to let me go. I would head first to Wellington, New Zealand, for six weeks at the Victoria University of Wellington. After that, the group would move on to Sydney, Australia, for three weeks, followed by one week at a research station on Heron Island and another two weeks in Brisbane.

Being a science major, I was able to take two biology courses, a social science course, as well as a lab science course that are all applicable towards my degree. While studying and exploring Australia and New Zealand, we took many class-related field trips that helped enrich what we were learning in the classroom. Every class offered ventures around the cities to give a hands-on, interactive aspect to the curriculum. For example, as part of my Biomedicine and Culture class, we visited the Quarantine Station that protected the Sydney Harbour for more than 100 years. My biology courses visited multiple marine reserves and animal sanctuaries to observe New Zealand and Australian animals in their native habitats. Taking these courses abroad was able to give me a unique understanding that I would not have been able to experience at the Georgia Tech Atlanta campus.

Wellington provided us with the stable place to get assimilated with living and learning abroad. The small city offered numerous outdoor attractions as we all learned just how daring we could be. Sydney and Brisbane provided the larger city feel with a different culture to explore. Long stretches of roads and multiple bus routes enabled us to wander and take in the breathtaking views after classes. Heron Island felt like a week of paradise jam-packed with hours of snorkeling and observation at the research station. Unfortunately, our group was forced to evacuate due to a cyclone and we headed back to mainland after only 24 hours.

A wonderful part of the trip was that we had the opportunity to travel Thursday afternoon through Sunday each weekend. These allowed us to really expand on our passions and interests while abroad. We were forced to work together, learn to read maps, as well as deal with situations that arose unexpectedly (such as putting regular gasoline in a diesel tank … oops). These memories are ones that will stick with me forever.

Every aspect of the pacific program challenged me to grow in ways that I could never have imagined. I recommend the program, or any study abroad experience, to all of my friends, and anyone interested in enriching their college experience. My study abroad experience has been one of the highlights of my undergraduate experience.

For more information on the Pacific Study Abroad Program, visit www.pacific.gatech.edu, or contact Tara Berry, program coordinator, at pacific@gatech.edu or 404.894.7475.

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  • Workflow Status:Published
  • Created By:Rachael Pocklington
  • Created:03/03/2011
  • Modified By:Fletcher Moore
  • Modified:10/07/2016