Why did you decide to intern and study abroad with CAPA in Sydney?
Connor: Well, ever since I was younger I have always wanted to go to Australia. I have a friend that went on this program the year before and I heard nothing but good things from him. I saw the things that he was able to do and the friends that he made, which greatly influenced my decision to study on this program.
Another deciding factor of choosing this program was the internship. An internship is very important part of getting a job these days. I heard many of the different internships that they had to offer. I decided that not only would this be a good thing to put on my résumé but would be a great experience that I could have a fun time doing.
Why did you decide to intern and study abroad with CAPA in Sydney?
Connor: This program through CAPA is very unique. As a part of the CAPA International program you get to travel to another country and become immersed in the culture while taking classes as well as an internship. While you are being immersed in the culture, you also have a group of American students that are all looking to make the most out of the experience that they have been given. The CAPA staff is very friendly and they set up many different events so the students could get to know each other. With the living conditions being in a very nice hotel, all of the students are within walking distance so there is never a dull moment. This program allowed me to make friends from all over the country that I will have for the rest of my life.
How has this experience impacted your future?
Connor: This experience has impacted my future in many ways. First, my internship with a professional basketball team in Sydney was a great experience that many people can only dream of having. I was able to understand the business environment in relation to my major as well as the business environment in Australia as a whole. Having real life experience is always a major part of getting a job. This allowed me to not only get real life experience but, real life experience abroad. Personally, this experience has impacted my future by allowing me to better understand life outside the US and now I would like to travel even more of the world. After going abroad on his program, I have realized that I would love to work abroad after college.
What was the highlight of your experience?
Connor: The highlight of my experience is always such a hard question to answer. There are so many things that I saw and did that I will never be able to do again. Scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef, whitewater rafting through the rainforest, swimming in waterfalls, skydiving, and bungee jumping in New Zealand are just a few of the things that I mention when people ask me what my favorite part was. If I had to answer this question with one sentence I would probably say the amount of traveling that I was able to do and, the amount of freedom that I had. This experience allowed me to travel throughout Australia and to New Zealand with some of the many friends that I made during my trip. All of the friends that you make on this program all have the same mindset of doing and seeing as much as possible before they have to go back home. If you want to have many once in a lifetime experiences then this is definitely something that you should consider.
What is one piece of advice you would offer someone considering interning and studying abroad in Sydney?
Connor: There are many things that I would suggest to people that plan on interning and or studying abroad. The main thing that I would say is to make sure that you make the most of your experience. Studying abroad is one of those things that you want to do over and over but, chances are you may not be able to do it again. Before leaving for your journey of a lifetime, make sure that you have a budget that will allow you to do everything you want to do. There will be times when friends of yours set up trips that you would not have even considered doing. When this time comes, you will want to partake in this experience with them but, if you are running low on money, this may limit what you can do. Of course there are many things to do while abroad that don't cost anything, but having money will allow you to be a little less stressed out.