NORTON – Wheaton College junior Dan Spencer made the last-minute decision this past spring that sent him on a jet\u00a0across the world.<\/p>\n

Spencer, the Lyons’ top male sprinter, spent the last three months in Australia participating in a study abroad program through Wheaton. While he spent much of his sophomore spring semester debating whether or not he wanted to leave Wheaton, it wasn\u2019t until two weeks before he was supposed to come\u00a0back in the fall when he found out he was accepted into Boston University\u2019s International Programs located in Sydney, Australia.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think I had actually told anyone else at the time that I was applying,\u201d Spencer said. \u201cI had already registered for classes and was rehired and placed as an RA but this all happened very quickly. I almost didn\u2019t end up applying even after all of that, but my mom told me I really should and that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and all of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Excited, yet nervous, Spencer accepted and traveled across the world to a much different place than his hometown of North Yarmouth, Maine.<\/p>\n

Not only has Spencer gained class credits but work experience through a required internship.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis semester, I am enrolled in three courses and my fourth ‘class’ is a clinical internship in a physical therapy clinic about an hour outside of the city,” Spencer told Swimming World<\/em> from Sydney. “My classes have been great and I have learned so much at my internship it\u2019s ridiculous. This is the third clinic that I have interned at so far and it has been a great experience.”<\/p>\n

During his spare time, Spencer has gone to the beach as much as possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are beaches everywhere and I absolutely love them. Sydney has such a beach lifestyle, it\u2019s so much fun,\u201d Spencer said. \u201cI was also really lucky to have been able to make friends from Sydney University because they have showed me around and introduced me to more awesome people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spencer couldn\u2019t stay away from the pool for too long, and had the opportunity of a lifetime while on a day trip.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith my Australian Sporting traditions class, I went to a field trip to the Sydney Olympic Park and got to swim in the Competition pool from the Games,” Spencer said. “That was a really amazing experience. It was a great pool; I borrowed my friend\u2019s GoPro and took some videos while I was swimming.”<\/p>\n