Balboni, Campbell Get Out Of Their Comfort Zones In Study Abroad Trip To Australia

BALBONI, CAMPBELL STUDY ABROAD PHOTO ALBUM

BEVERLY, Mass. — Endicott women's lacrosse rising seniors Jaime Balboni (Billerica, MA) and Ali Campbell (Lakeville, Mass.) both recently studied abroad in Australia. ECGulls chatted with Balboni, a sport management major, and Campbell, a marketing major, to find out more about their respective trips "Down Under" while at the International College of Management (ICMS) in Sydney.

ECGulls: Give us an overall description of your trip.

JB: During the fall semester of my junior year, I chose to study abroad in Sydney, Australia for three and a half months. I stayed directly in Manly at ICMS.

AC: I studied abroad in Manly, Australia at ICMS from September to December.

ECGulls: Describe your overall study abroad experience.

JB: While studying abroad in Australia, I was able to travel around to many different places some of them being Melbourne, Whitsunday Island, and Ayers Rock; all while taking four classes. ICMS is only a 10-minute walk from the beach and a 30-minute ferry ride from the city of Sydney, so the location is perfect!

AC: My study abroad experience was amazing. I was able to attend ICMS and take classes related to my major including e-commerce and social media, cross-cultural management, introduction to the event industry, and global wine tourism. I was also able to travel to Uluru (Ayers Rock), the Whitsunday Islands, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Tasmania, and Fiji. In my travels, I visited several beaches, wineries, went surfing, skydiving, hiking, and more.

ECGulls: Why would you recommend studying abroad to other students?

JB: It an awesome experience to travel and make memories. During your time you can take opportunities that you may not make back home. I have never heard anyone speak out against studying abroad and I would do it all over again if I could.

AC: I would recommend studying abroad to other students to be able to see and explore the world. Also, students are able to learn about other cultures. Even though I went abroad in Australia, I learned about other cultures through my roommates who were from Beijing and Hong Kong and through many of the students who were from Germany. I was able to meet many Fijians when visiting Fiji and learned about their style of living.

ECGulls: What was the biggest lesson you learned?

JB: While studying abroad, I learned that it is a good thing to conquer your fears. I would never have thought I could be away from home for that long but I am so glad I made the decision to do so. With that being said, I learned to be open to new opportunities and to not be afraid to say yes to these opportunities. Be open to doing new things even if it is out of your comfort zone and if it makes you a little nervous. Lastly, I learned to appreciate each day that you come across whether you are in a different country or at home. Time goes by so fast while you are abroad and you will be back on the flight to America before you know it.

AC: The biggest lesson I learned was to be independent and to explore and see everything you can.

ECGulls: What was your favorite experience?

JB: If I had to pick my two favorite experiences while being abroad it would be skydiving in Newcastle and traveling to Whitsunday Islands. My best friend/teammate Ali Campbell and I decided to go skydiving in Newcastle. We wanted to make the most of the trip in every possible way and jumping out of a plane helped us achieve that goal. It was the most nerve-racking experience but the feeling of free falling through the sky is like no other. We also traveled to the Whitsunday Islands, which is the most beautiful place I have ever visited. We went on a boat tour and explored Whitehaven Beach and followed that up by snorkeling with fish through the coral reefs. We also went on a seaplane tour over the Great Barrier Reef and the views were absolutely amazing.

AC: It is hard to pick a favorite experience because each and every experience was unique in its own way. However, one of my favorites was seeing the Whitsunday Islands. It was incredible, unlike anything I had ever seen and we were able to take a scenic flight over the reefs and a boat tour to the islands. Skydiving in Newcastle was a close second.

ECGulls: Describe the educational side of the program.

JB: At ICMS you have four classes, you go to each class for three hours per week. Most of the workload is project/paper based and you don't have nightly homework.

AC: The educational side of the program was taken very seriously. Each class had three to four large assignments that were lengthy and most classes had finals at the end of the semester. At ICMS, the students go to class for three years and the fourth year is for "industry training" where they work in their field of study.

The Endicott Experience feature aims to highlight the entirety of the student-athletes' experiential learning journey throughout their academic careers. The student-athlete at Endicott is afforded the same opportunities as the general student population at the College as it relates to internships, study abroad, and postgraduate career pursuits. This philosophy mirrors the mission statement of the College which every student is encouraged to take intellectual risks, pursue scholarly and creative interests, contribute to the community, and explore diverse career paths. Read more Endicott Experience features by navigating the links below.   

INTERNSHIP: Fall 2015 | 2014-15 Internships | Fall 2016 Semester-Long | Gulls "Learn By Doing" On Winter Break | 442 Student-Athletes Complete Internships During 2016-17 Academic Year

STUDY ABROAD: Studying Abroad as a Student-Athlete at Endicott | James Dwyer Focuses on Opportunities Abroad in Switzerland with Les Roches Global Hospitality | Endicott Student-Athletes Study Abroad in Asia | Holly Erbe Studies Abroad in London, Paris, Amsterdam | Andrea Courtemanche Gains New Perspectives Through Study Abroad Trip | Shelby Elwell Catches Travel Bug From Study Abroad Experiences | Erica Hadad Studies Abroad In Ireland

ACADEMICS: Emily Sharpe and Eric Owens Balance STEM and Sport at Endicott | Daquan Sampson Always Willing To Learn, On The Court & In The Classroom

CAREER OUTCOMES: Internships Lead To Career Outcomes | 2015 Graduates Find Immediate Success in Job Market | The Relationship Between Athletics & Academia At Endicott

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(Photo Credit - Jaime Balboni & Ali Campbell)