Traveling Nearly 11,000 Miles to Attend the College
Meet Sky O’Brien, the new student at Principia College who traveled the farthest to reach Elsah. After journeying nearly 11,000 miles for more than 25 hours from his home in Perth, Australia, he has jumped right into campus life.
The idea of attending Principia was a small seed planted in 2011 during Easter Camp in Australia (an event for Christian Science youth). Sky was in high school at the time, and the idea of going so far away for college took some time to germinate. He decided to begin his university education about an hour from home, traveling by bus and train each day. While he appreciated the experience, he never felt fully satisfied. “It may sound clichéd, but I truly felt like a number at uni [university] in Australia,” Sky says. “I had more meaningful interactions with my Principia professors during the first few days of classes than I had during my three semesters in Australia. Also, the concept of a residential campus is rather uncommon [in Australia], and living on Principia’s campus is fantastic. I’ve already made many new friends here.”
Sky is planning a double major in English and political science with the goal of pursuing a career in journalism. “I love reading and I’m fascinated by politics, so I thought I would combine the two at college,” he says. “It’s great to be able to compare the Australian political landscape with that of the States, and I’m looking forward to observing an American presidential election while I’m here.”
Sky grew up playing cricket and jokes that he’s tried to explain the game to new friends at Principia without much success. So he’s turned his attention to rugby instead, joining the team and finding a warm welcome from Coach Ward Patterson (C'82) and veteran players who are keen to teach the game to him and other new players.
During high school, Sky served in student government as head prefect, similar to student council president in the U.S., and he’s interested in running for some leadership roles at Principia. He also had a job writing a regular column for a local newsmagazine. At the request of his editor there, he’ll be describing his experience living and studying in the U.S. to readers back home. Other activities that have caught his attention are the Sustainability Club and the Film Club. And he’s discovered the fun and friendship of house activities, especially Lowery House’s intramural volleyball team.
“I’m very excited about all the opportunities Principia offers,” he says, adding, “I wouldn’t be here without the generous scholarship and financial aid I was given. I’ll be eternally grateful.”