Even before I started university I knew I wanted to do a semester exchange. I researched my options and heard about the New Colombo Plan very early in my first year. When it came time to apply in May 2018, I remember feeling nervous but excited – I had a year’s worth of ideas swirling through my mind and so eagerly wanted that to become reality.
I was thrilled when in November 2018, I walked across the stage at Parliament House to receive my New Colombo Plan Scholarship. A month later I received the news that I had been offered an internship at the United Nations, and a few months after that, I started my journey through the Asia-Pacific.
Bangkok was my first stop. I spent 10 weeks interning at the United Nations Asia-Pacific headquarters. This was a crazy, insightful, monumental, and life-changing experience all in one! My work focused mainly on sustainable urban development and environmental policy. Every day was different. One day I would be drafting social media posts about plastic pollution, the next I would be taking minutes for a closed-door meeting. My long-term goal is to represent Australia in international climate negotiations. My experience at the UN gave me such a transformative insight into this work and will go a long way in helping me reach this goal!
Living in Bangkok had its challenges. I saw first-hand the gravity of environmental issues including the reliance on single use plastics, booming populations, and lack of basic infrastructure which made drinking water unsafe. I lived in a neighbourhood where I could communicate with very few people and was forced to step out of my comfort zone to navigate my way through a non-English speaking environment. The culture shock was compelling at first, however, I’m a big believer that if we don’t push ourselves into challenging environments, we won’t realise our true capabilities. Overall, my time in Bangkok inspired me to think globally, creatively, and with more compassion.
I then spent a semester on exchange in Singapore, which became my second home for the rest of my NCP program. Studying at Nanyang Technological University was a rewarding experience as I got to enjoy life on campus while studying environmental science through a distinctly regional perspective. This included many field trips to local ecosystems around Singapore, with highlights including walks through the forest to observe native macaque monkeys, and visits to the many wildlife conservation parks across the country.
Following the completion of my studies I spent another few months interning. During this time, I learnt to never close off opportunities and to embrace everything which comes your way. I worked at a commercial law firm during the day, and during the evening would volunteer with an environmental NGO and regularly played with monkeys (a running South-East Asian theme!) I did a one-month stint in Timor-Leste to work on a small-scale sustainable agriculture project. In practice, this meant trekking through the rural countryside of Timor and interviewing farmers with the assistance of a translator.
Reflecting on all of this has made me realise how truly lucky I was to have this diverse array of experiences. It taught me to be brave, resilient, and authentic. Without my time in the region shaping these attributes, I don’t believe I would have the stamina and sense of purpose in my life that I do now. Unfortunately the COVID-19 pandemic put an early stop to my NCP journey. I came home in a rush mid-internship and ended my program earlier than intended. Despite this, I managed to have a very enriching 10 months overseas. I met the most incredible group of people who I remain in contact with today. I’m a strong advocate for engaging in international experiences especially during your youth.
Travelling the world around you is an opportunity to broaden your perspective, deepen your engagement with global issues, and gain the tools to become the force of change you wish to see in the world. I can’t encourage this sort of opportunity enough. There is something so empowering about exploring, learning, and understanding a new part of the world. It builds your personal capacity to make the change you want to see in the world, whether that be enhanced knowledge, a new perspective, personal resilience, or professional skills. Armed with more knowledge and immersive experiences, I feel as though I can now put all my huge dreams into action.
Global Traveller 