Sara will spend a year in Malaysia, beginning with an intensive 12-week Bahasa Melayu language course, followed by an exchange program at Universiti Malaya and internships across the business and legal sectors in Kuala Lumpur.
“I’m particularly interested in gaining insight into how business and regulatory environments operate across Southeast Asia, especially in the context of cross-border work and emerging areas like digital payments,” she says.
“I’m really looking forward to bringing those learnings back and seeing how they could apply in an Australian business context.”
Sara says the scholarship has broadened her perspective on future career possibilities.
“I think being immersed in a completely different environment will give me a much broader understanding of how businesses and professional relationships operate across different markets and cultures.”
She hopes her story encourages other students to pursue opportunities beyond their comfort zone.
“A few years ago, I probably wouldn’t have imagined myself applying for something like this, let alone spending a year overseas,” she says. “La Trobe has really pushed me to become more confident, more involved and more open to new experiences, and I think that’s where a lot of growth happens.”
