In January 2025, I was approved by Syracuse Abroad to study overseas and subsequently accepted to study at the prestigious University of Sydney. The University of Sydney is known for its academic rigor, world-class faculty, and research facilities, so I was elated to have the chance to study there. The fact that only a few Syracuse students study abroad there each year also drew me to this location. I knew I wanted to challenge myself to meet new people It also helps that the campus is beautiful:

My abroad program started in July, so after a short summer of packing and unpacking, worrying about fitting the next five months of my life into a carry-on and a checked bag, I set off to Sydney from New York on July 20. After two long flights, I landed in Sydney at 6 a.m. on July 22.

It was prime Australian winter when I arrived, about 50 degrees Fahrenheit, nothing compared to the upstate New York cold. But the Australian winter didn’t stop Sydneysiders from carrying their surfboards to the beach or taking a cold plunge in the beautiful waters. Australians are extremely committed to health and wellness, making the streets of Bondi and all of Sydney extremely active. Even during the business day, the city always looked alive. I wasted no time in joining them, staying in Bondi Beach for the first week of my experience before my dorm hall opened, visiting the beach every day.

As classes started in the first week of August, I made connections with some of the most special people I have ever met. I knew going into study abroad that I wanted to prove to myself I could make new friends and to create connections beyond those I’d already made in Syracuse, and I am so proud of the family I built for myself in Sydney. The University of Sydney (which locals call USyd) is a Syracuse World Partner Program, meaning I directly enrolled there, mixing in with over 1,000 exchange students studying there the same semester.

The result? I met people from all sorts of American universities and other international institutions as well. Only one of my new friends was a Syracuse Student. As the semester continued, I built friendships with students from Monterrey, Mexico; Bangkok, Thailand; Vancouver, Canada; and all over the United States. What a fortunate thing it is to have shared experiences, laughs, and sunburns with these people, populating a network of friendships all around the globe.

At USyd, I continued my studies as a full-time student, focusing on courses in sustainability and Australian culture. One of these classes, Learning in Outdoor Education, was a mix of traditional classroom learning and outdoor experiences. Our big term project was to create a documentary on some aspect of Australian culture related to the outdoors. My partner and I created a 10-minute documentary of Australia’s participation and enthusiasm for extreme sports like marathons, surfing and climbing. Making this documentary meant that we had to go watch and experience these things ourselves, gathering footage of an integral part of Australian culture. This class forced us to truly immerse ourselves in the culture all around us.

The best part of this class was a three-day field trip to Merry Beach, located about 150 miles south of USyd, in southern New South Wales. This was an incredible way to learn about protecting the outdoors, but it also challenged me to work in a new team environment. I was randomly assigned a cabin group and had to work with my new roommates to feed ourselves over the weekend, complete a challenging hike, and fill time with extremely competitive card games and laughter. Some of my fondest memories of Australia are with the friends I made on this trip.

Another memorable moment from my classes at the University of Sydney was seeing a play at the Sydney Opera House. Taking a class titled Australian Theatre, Film, and Learning, I never would have expected that the Opera House would become our classroom. Paid for by a small fee that the Coronat Scholarship covered, this class took students to see three quintessential pieces of Australian drama. Connecting with my peers by grabbing dinner before the shows, this was another class that forced friendships.

I set out to prove I could challenge myself both academically and socially, and the support of the Coronat program indeed proved I could do these things.

In addition to classes and new friendships, a study abroad experience should be filled with incredible travel opportunities. Australia delivered. The places I visited are far from the East Coast of the United States, and I am so fortunate to have seen as much of the world as I did, as this was another important priority for me while abroad.

Inside Australia, I did the best I could to see every corner. Australia is way bigger than I expected, so I failed at this challenge, but I do not have any regrets. I got to walk on the most beautiful beaches, smell and feel the most surreal rainforests, snorkel atop sea turtles in the Great Barrier Reef, pet kangaroos in the wild, swim under natural waterfalls, and so much more. How lucky I am to come back to Syracuse as a student with a bucket overflowing with memories like these ones. How lucky I am to have seen and felt so much of the world. How lucky I am to have witnessed and lived in the environments that I am passionate about protecting.

Outside of Australia, I traveled to Bali, Indonesia; Bangkok, Thailand; and all over the South Island of New Zealand. Before studying abroad, I had left North America once for a trip in high school, so to see four more countries in such new parts of the world was a surreal experience.

Every day in Australia, and every morning since coming back to the States, I wake up with such gratitude for having had the experiences I did.

None of these things, the incredible classes, connecting with remarkable people from every corner of the globe, these unbelievable travel experiences would have been possible without the Coronat Scholarship. My scholarship covered this entire experience, from tuition, visa costs, and living in Sydney. Had it not been for the Coronat Program, I wouldn’t have even known that traveling to Sydney was an option. I was lucky to connect with a senior Coronat in my sophomore year who had done the same program, and hearing all about his experience made me realize that this was the right choice for me. So Nash, if you are reading this, thank you.

That is the issue with studying abroad and traveling: you understand how impactful the world is and long to get back outside to it.

This is what Coronat offers to students at Syracuse: Unbelievable experiences that would not be possible without the support of the scholarship. A network of students who uplift, share experiences and answer questions for each other. Most importantly, the motivation to ensure we all expand our horizons and hopefully, along the way, become the best versions of ourselves.