This past year, OLSWA alumni Katie Hanlon (’10) and Jonathan Quist (’09) attended Campion College in Sydney, Australia.  After one year of studies at Australia’s first Liberal Arts college, they both graduated on December 12 with a three-year Bachelor of Arts degree.  Katie shares a little of her experiences here:

Last February, after studying for two and a half years at Our Lady Seat of Wisdom, I left Canadian snowdrifts for the warm coast of Sydney, Australia. Campion College attracted me because of its similarities to OLSWA: a traditional liberal arts education, loyalty to the Catholic Church, and a close, family-like community. Moreover, Campion was willing to accept all my relevant OLSWA credits. I applied, was accepted and given a scholarship, and soon found myself at a small but beautiful campus, its pillars shining white and draped in green ivy. 

One of the first things anyone told me was that Australians and Canadians are known for getting along. Staff and students were very welcoming to international students such as fellow OLSWA alumnus Jonathan Quist and myself, and it didn’t take long to settle into dorm life and the schedule of lectures and tutorials. I was particularly impressed with the quality and dedication of all the professors.

Student life was full to overflowing and heaps of fun! Every Monday was the College Formal Hall, where we wore our academic gowns, listened to a visiting speaker, and were served incredible meals by the chef, Neil. Also, some of my friends were keen to swing-dance, so every week we spent hours twirling and flipping and learning crazy new moves. And in a small college there is always something spontaneous happening. Throughout the year, you could see white-clad fencers duelling on the lawn, girls sneaking down the hall to play pranks on the “blokes”, everyone decked out in suits and long gowns for the College Ball, or even a life-size chess game with human players. Australia was also exciting in its own right, what with getting used to the Aussie slang, enjoying Sydney nightlife and the beaches (though not the sunburns!), and seeing a koala, a penguin, and a pod of whales.

This year’s twenty-eight graduates (myself included) received a three-year bachelor of arts degree, from which some are going on to honours or masters degrees. There is some interest among Campion students in doing an exchange semester at OLSWA, and it’s fantastic for OLSWA students to be able to complete a degree “down under”. I couldn’t be more grateful for my many dear friends and the Aussie experience of a lifetime.

Graduates Katie Hanlon and Jonathan Quist with Campion President, Dr. David Daintree, and Mr. John Howard, the former Prime Minister of Australia who gave the Occasional Address.