11/15/2023
Trenton Kiesling, Australia
Meet Trenton! Trenton is a senior double major in Business Administration and Music Liberal Arts who went abroad in the Spring 2023.
Trenton took business courses at Western Sydney University in Australia, naming it one of the most rewarding experiences of his college career. One of his most fond memories was developing a church family outside of his school; they would all go out to eat together and spend time as a group. He also found a way to continue playing rugby while he was overseas (see photo 8).
Trenton also managed to travel for most of the time that he was abroad. It led him to have to figure out how to best see everything that he wanted to see while not spending too much money and also focusing on classes. He overcame it by prioritizing his time and things that he needed to get done, despite the endless distractions of being in an exciting new place.
Trenton recommends going abroad because it is totally eye opening to experience a culture that is so much different than yours. He says it’s cool to think about the big picture and the fact that we are all interconnected in this world but yet live such different lives.
He recommends getting started on the process as early as you can, and make sure you have all the necessary documents well ahead of time. Be adaptable, and do lots of research. Trenton stresses searching places you would like to go when you’re over in another country, saving up a little money and not limiting yourself to just the country you’re studying in. Take easier classes if you can and really just invest yourself in the culture and network as much as you can, he recommends. You get out of it what you put into it; regardless, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
