In 2016, 12 UNE students were awarded a New Colombo Plan Mobility Scholarship to conduct a two-week Early Childhood Education study tour of Japan.
Last week, seven of those students who went on the Japan tour came together again on the lawns of Booloominbah during UNE’s Autumn Graduation.
During their November 2016 trip, the group visited Japanese schools and universities, and overnighted in home stays to experience something of Japanese family and cultural life. One of those students, Jessie Shepherd, wrote of the tour:
“The most meaningful experience from the whole trip for me though was the relationships gained. We have made friendships to last a lifetime but we also formed great friendships with students from universities in Japan who we still stay in contact with. One girl from one of the universities in Japan even came over to Sydney earlier this year and myself and one of the other girls from the trip met up with her, which was great!”
“Some of the girls had never even been on a plane before let alone a different country so this was particularly life changing for them.”
The whole trip was an experience of a lifetime!”
Pictured during their 2018 Graduation reunion are, from left, Brittany Reynolds, Jessie Shepherd, Emily Hart, Aleisha Fairclough, Naomi Williams, Lauren Drayton, Caitlin Harris.
Except for Emily, the students graduated with a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood and Primary). Emily took a dual Bachelor of Education & Bachelor of Science.
Photo by David Elkins.