By: Pamela Abraham, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, winner of the Fall 2025 BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship
Study Abroad Destination: Australia
I was blessed with the opportunity to experience an exchange semester in Australia, and with the sponsorship provided by BC Study Abroad, I was able to achieve this goal successfully. I am pleased to share the highlights of this experience with you, from my arrival in Australia to my return to my native land, Canada.
My journey began long before departure, and I discovered the steps to replicate international travel on my own, thanks to the support from my university, Kwantlen Polytechnic University. This part of the journey was most informative, and I will value the information learned here about visas, passports, and the other paperwork involved in travel, which I had no experience with. I hope to use it in the future, as I venture forth into this amazing world beyond Canada.
My arrival in Australia was uneventful, and I reached my Airbnb without incident, though it was unsettling to be in a new country all alone. My Airbnb was not exactly as described or how I had imagined my housing to be, so I was grateful I had only booked it for the first 10 days.
With the help of the Housing Department at Edith Cowen University, I connected with the Australian Home Stay Network, and found a placement for the duration of my stay in Currambine, a suburb of Perth, not far from my university. I was blessed to find a family that is open, loving, and helpful, whom I have come to appreciate and love dearly.
On my first day of orientation on campus, I was gifted with the friendship of another international student, Greg, from China, who made my whole journey here pleasant, engaged with me in all my classes, toured the country with me, and has become an extended part of my family. I enjoyed the classes I registered for, although I found the information regarding the Aboriginal people of Australia to be lacking, and Reconciliation to be behind BC by a decade. But I did see the process of Reconciliation was alive and growing there, much as it is here.
I had the opportunity to visit places I had only ever read about, such as Bondi Beach and Newcastle Beach, where I even saw whales playing. The Pinnacles, the dunes of Lancelin, and Wave Rock were all fascinating, and I felt fortunate to experience so much of Western Australia, New South Wales, and the Gold Coast.
On a personal level, the people I met were incredible—kind, welcoming, and generous. However, I also encountered the reality that systemic racism toward people of colour remains present in businesses, corporations, and institutions. I had hoped my Indigeneity would not be an issue, but I came to understand, in a very real way, some of what Aboriginal people experience daily.
With the support of new friends, fellow students, and a few staff members at ECU, I was able to address these challenges as they arose in ways that felt constructive, educational, and empowering.
As an Indigenous person from Canada, the opportunity to travel beyond my home country has been a truly transformative experience. It has deepened my empathy and strengthened my respect for immigrants and refugees in ways I had not fully understood before. I believe this is an experience from which many people could benefit.
I am deeply grateful to everyone who supported me throughout this journey.