KEVIN ALPHONSO (rabbits, hard-hoofed)

Hey there, you mob! I’m a senior majoring in Journalism at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. I graduate in December and decided this program was my last chance at a study abroad – and may be my only chance to see Australia. I’m hoping to break into travel journalism after graduation. That way, I can experience other countries for a living! I’m as “happy as a pig in mud” here in Australia. I loved exploring the Kakadu. The land and waterfalls out there are places I wish I could visit all the time. My only regret is not getting a semester-long study out here!

BECKY CONAT (dingo, thylacine)

G’day mate! I just graduated from uni, Michigan State, with a degree in Communications. I am 22 and from Flushing, Michigan. My favorite part of Australia so far has been Kakadu National Park and the Northern Territory. The coast is beautiful and the waterfalls are amazing. Camping right next to a wildfire is quite an adventure. And I am now a professional snake wrangler!! (I use to be terrified of them.) My passion is animals and I hope to work for a zoo or national park when I finally find a job. Please hire me!!!!

JOEY LEVINE (mussels)

Simply put, Australia is bloody awesome! From racing on horseback through the mountains in Melbourne to hiking through the outback in central Australia, this experience has honestly been the trip of a lifetime. I am continually left speechless by the serene beauty this country has to offer. Ever since I knew “Joey” was a baby kangaroo I knew Australia was a place I had to visit!
I’m a 20-year-old ‘mate’ hailing from Farmington Hills, Michigan. This fall, I will be entering my third year at Michigan State University, studying broadcast journalism. I am looking forward to seeing many more parts of the world with my intended career. Cheers!

TAMSYN JONES (cane toads, grasses)

As a 23-year old environmental journalism graduate student from the University of Missouri-Columbia, I never expected to find myself here in this far-flung island nation floating on the Southern Seas. An ardent lover of travel (who hasn’t had much occasion for it yet!), a peculiar wanderlust overtook me and I threw caution to the wind and headed for the high seas. It’s hard to pinpoint your new cultural perspective and outlook on the world when you’re still in the thick of things, but Australia’s friendly character and achingly beautiful landscapes have left an indelible imprint. From meeting remarkable people, fellow musicians, and discovering kindred spirits in pubs, at music sessions, on city buses, Australia has been a land of serendipity. I feel I’ve navigated the hidden cracks of good fortune and found uncanny chance lurking in unlikely places. Beyond the cultural experience, I came here on a musical quest as well: to find fellow musicians and broaden my musical horizons, and I think I can say I’ve succeeded. After the program, I plan to travel around Tasmania with a fellow birder I met by chance in Darwin, after which I sojourn back to Alice Springs to indulge in more musical exchange with a remarkable friend I made (I play fiddle, mandolin, and whistles). Travelling back home will be difficult, but I may be able to say that I have become a “platypoditudinarian!”