Tiffany Zacher

Tiffany Zacher is an Ambassador who studied abroad in Australia.

Briefly describe a specific cultural experience you had on your trip that made a lasting impression.

We went and stayed with Aboriginal people for a week. It was so amazing to see the differences in cultures we have from them, and how simple they live their life. It really made me think of how much we depend on money. They do not and are so happy, and just live their lives one day at a time, and through everything they have gone through they still do not go through the day stressed out, like a lot of us do. They look at the glass half full, and do what they can to make their lives better.

Why did you choose the program in which you participated? 

I chose to go to Australia because I have always wanted to go there. I thought it would be nice to see a different culture that still speaks English, and has the same type of government, but yet can be very different. I also like the Australia program because it gave us the chance to go to school with Australian teachers, and Australian students. Most of the other programs don't offer that. It is nice to see the difference in types of schooling. This allowed me to get in some classes that I had to get in for my major. There were a lot of learning experiences that were out there for me and I wanted to take that opportunity, and the beach was definitely a good selling point too.

Describe your overall study abroad experience.

Being in Australia was a trip of a lifetime, I got to go to class with Australians and see their lifestyle, travel the country, then on to New Zealand and Fiji for afterward travels, and I got to do it all with 30 great people from CSB/SJU.

How has the trip affected you? How are you different for having completed the experience?

This trip has made me more independent. I have learned that there is so much in the world to see, and being in Australia was just a start. It opened my eyes to how fast time goes by and that we really need to take each day at a time because time flies, and we need to make sure we get as much out of life as we can.

What advice do you have for future Study Abroad Students?

Try and get as much out of it as you can. Travel where you are, and after. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Meet lots of people, talk to them, and find out about their culture. 4 months may seem like a long time, but it isn't. It's nothing, and before you know it you'll be on the plane back to MN. Live each of those days to the fullest and get in as much as you can, but enjoy it! Don't worry your family and friends will all be here when you get back. Even though you will miss them, it will go fast. This is an opportunity of a lifetime and cannot be passed up.