Study Abroad Sydney

Study Abroad Student Profile Name: Justin Thomas Kowalski

Where were you born:
St. Paul, Minnesota

Original studies and University attended in the USA?
Political Science, University of St. Thomas (St. Paul)

When was your first UNSW Study Abroad experience?
2007

Graduation results? (What did you attain?)
Graduate with Distinction, Bachelor of Arts in Politics and International Relations

What you have been doing since graduating?
I’ve been working in marketing for Acacia Immigration, a migration law firm in the CBD, living as a caretaker in study abroad housing in Coogee and exploring beaches up and down the coast.

I’ve just returned from a week in the Hunter Valley with my girlfriend and have a lot of wine to remember it by!

Why did you return to Sydney, Australia after your UNSW Study Abroad experience?
I knew I wanted to stay, so I went home for Christmas and came straight back! I came back because I came from a small uni and I loved the sheer size
of UNSW and the education I was receiving was first rate. It also helped that my girlfriend is a localstudent and we both hate harsh Midwestern
winters!

What fulltime work or studies have you undertaken in Australia?
My work has been incredibly supportive of my desire to continue studying.
They’ve footed the bill for a TAFE course in graphic design and also a Masters degree which I will be taking in the coming year.

What have you learnt or experienced about Australia that you did not realise after your first Study Abroad experience?
At first the cost of living gave me quite a shock, but I’ve come to see
that the quality of life is simply amazing and it’s all worth it. I’ve also gotten a fuller appreciation for Sydney as a city.

When I was here Studying Abroad I was always leaving to go see other parts
of Oz, and my world was Coogee and the Rocks.

I find great little neighbourhoods, pubs, restaurants and events that I would have never gotten a chance to see - seemingly every week!

What do the next 2-3 years hold for you?
I’m here on a business-sponsored Visa, so work and travel. Planning on going to Bali with my work next year for scuba and surfing! Now is such a wonderful time to be in Australia and I think everyone would benefit from a little more time ‘down under’. I hope to help more of my peers experience this great country further and working for a migration agency gives me that opportunity!

I came to Australia on a friend’s recommendation when I first began to explore the option of staying in Australia after my studies. I’ve now been with Acacia for six of the best months of my life. I love my home and miss my family but feel absolutely blessed to have the opportunity to be a young professional in a city as vibrant as Sydney! If you’re thinking of staying here or coming back, give me a call – I’d love to hear your story and help you live your dream...you can do this!”