2019 Westpac Scholars - Sam Wall
Sam Wall is currently studying a Bachelor of International Relations with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Geography and minoring in Sociology. In Semester 2, 2019, he will be heading to The University of Hong Kong for one semester. Sam鈥檚 program is funded by the Westpac Scholarship, which includes funding his living expenses and participation in a Future Leaders program.
Having only been overseas for the first time in October 2018, Sam is excited to kick-start his career by visiting the huge international city of Hong Kong for his exchange. He is also looking forward to attending an additional Westpac Future Leaders Summit in Shanghai, will also provide him with the networking opportunities he needs for his up and coming career.
鈥淚 was born in Adelaide but moved to Port Lincoln when I was quite young. I had a country upbringing, and I think that influences me a little bit in that I was coming to Adelaide and didn鈥檛 know anybody. I鈥檓 okay with being dropped in the deep end, so to speak. In terms of me as a person, I really do love studying. I enjoy learning. I鈥檝e really enjoyed the university experience. Beyond that, I play basketball and do a lot of reading and writing. I鈥檓 more into non-fiction than fiction, especially things surrounding conservation and politics. At the end of reading all my weekly readings, I don鈥檛 mind doing my own recreational reading as well. I like multi-disciplinary academics and find it easy to read and gain interest in things.鈥
鈥淭here鈥檚 two things that made me want to go on exchange. I do definitely have an interest in Asia and in building that relationship between Australia and Asia. Coming from a background of international relations, I have an understanding of the increasing importance of the Asian region. Most of the world lives in Asia, and it鈥檚 a great area for looking at how we tackle global change. The other thing I鈥檓 interested in is transferring my classroom knowledge into real-world experience.鈥
鈥淚鈥檓 nervous about a few things. Even though I have gone overseas before, it can sometimes be such an overwhelming experience when you鈥檙e in these big, global cities with so many people and so much happening. I want to try and get involved in extra-curricular activities while I鈥檓 over there. Hong Kong is also a very international university as well, so I鈥檓 not only interested in meeting people from Asia, but people from all around the world.鈥
鈥淚鈥檇 say I鈥檓 most excited to check out the urban and political geography. Urban geography is the study of space within an urban area. To relate it to a real-world concept: when I went to Thailand last year, one of my favourite things was just experiencing the city of Bangkok. I鈥檇 been to Melbourne and Sydney, but having not been out of Australia I hadn鈥檛 really experienced those huge cities before. One of my favourite things was just being on the buses and driving around the city, looking around. Political geography a good crossroads between international studies and geography. It鈥檚 the idea of how a space is governed and how things are governed within a space.鈥
鈥淭hroughout the whole process of applying for the Westpac Scholarship, I stayed in close contact with the Study Overseas team. Last year I applied for the NCP Scholarship but I wasn鈥檛 successful, but I developed a good relationship with some of the staff and they encouraged and guided me through the process of applying for Westpac. It was a little surreal when I鈥檇 found out that I鈥檇 actually gotten it. Not only having the financial support of being able to go overseas but having access to the 100 Scholars network 鈥 that was something I was really interested in. A network of young intelligent people who have similar interests in trying to build those Asia-Australia ties 鈥 I was very excited to be a part of that. I do remember the day I found out, it was quite overwhelming at first but then it slowly sunk in. I realised 鈥榯his is actually going to happen鈥.
Sam hopes to take courses in politics, geography, and sociology while in Hong Kong, but is open to try other classes as well.
鈥淚 have thought about learning a language. I started Japanese when I first started university but found it too difficult, then I did a bit of French to fulfil the language requirement of my degree. I鈥檇 certainly revisit it if I get a lot of connections and networking opportunities in Hong Kong 鈥 I can see how a language would be beneficial there. I鈥檇 say I鈥檓 not naturally good at learning a language, but I鈥檇 like to reconsider it down the track. Hong Kong teaches classes in English, which as someone who doesn鈥檛 have a flair for languages, was a good thing to still have the same opportunities as students who do find picking up languages easier.鈥
鈥淚鈥檝e had different ideas about where I want to go with my degree. At the moment I鈥檓 looking more into the research kind of things, whether it be academic research or policy research. Like I said earlier, I love learning and the university experience. I鈥檇 love to convert those skills into a job. I鈥檓 doing an internship this semester with Dr Minerva Nasser-Eddine in the Department of Politics & International Relations department. She runs her own business in international migration. I鈥檓 doing a research project with her, which is really the first thing I鈥檝e done outside of the University within the research area. I鈥檓 really looking forward to working with her. I鈥檒l take all the experience I can get to get that real world experience before pursuing the career path I want.鈥
In ten years, Sam would like to be working somewhere in research, and has considered being behind-the-scenes in the government or the private sector. He is also open to teaching at University and becoming a tutor. He can see himself as someone who will 鈥渏ump around the field a bit鈥 and is excited to see where life takes him.
鈥淚 know a lot of people who don鈥檛 study overseas who are doing quite well, but turning that classroom knowledge into real world experience gives you that international edge over everyone else. It makes it easier when you graduate and apply for graduate programs and things like that. Having those international experiences is more personally fulfilling as well. It shows you鈥檙e willing to take the challenge and make the uncomfortable more comfortable.鈥