Australia to Albany: 5 Questions with 3 Australian Freshmen

ALBANY, N.Y. (Oct. 29, 2026) — Students travel from all over to attend the University at Albany.

UAlbany's Class of 2030 spans across 40 states and 35 countries, bringing a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. Some made a longer trek than others, including three members of the Women's Rowing team who came all the way from the land down under.

Poppy Yarski, a business economics student from Brisbane, Sophia Smith, a political science student from Canberra, and Natasha Hughes, a chemistry student from Sydney, traveled more than 9,500 miles to study at UAlbany and continue rowing.

We sat down with them to find out how they’re adjusting to life on the other side of the world.

What's been the biggest culture shock since you came to America?

Natasha: On the second day, Poppy and I went to Walmart together, and it’s the biggest one in America. That was a crazy experience. None of our shops back home are that big or have that much stuff.

Sophia: One of the biggest culture shocks has definitely been eating different kinds of food every day. At home, I’m used to cooking for myself. Eating in the dining hall has been very different. University in Australia is not like that. Not everybody lives in a dorm. A lot of people live at home or in an apartment, so I definitely feel like I’m getting a real American experience every time I eat at the dining hall.

Poppy: The biggest culture shock I noticed was that when people hold the doors for me, and I say, “thank you,” they respond with, “mm-hmm.” I thought everyone hated me for the first week I was here.

How do you stay connected to your Australian roots?

Natasha: I bring my Vegemite every morning to breakfast, which reminds me of home. Poppy and I also have a big Australian flag in our room. Music, artists or shows that are Australian help remind me of home, while also helping share my culture with new friends.

Poppy: I’m very lucky that I have two Australian teammates. It’s definitely made being homesick a whole lot easier because I know I’ve got two others who feel the same way as me and understand when I talk about things from back home.

Sophia: I brought a lot of things from home, so it’s definitely good to wake up and see the picture of my friends on my desk or some things from my Mom that remind me of my parents. I have a big Australian flag on my wall, so it’s always nice to look at when I wake up. Those things definitely help me remind myself of my family and stay in touch with my origins.

What is your favorite part of America/UAlbany?

Natasha: My favorite thing would definitely be my rowing team. I really love the girls on the team, and I think our coaches have made such a supportive environment for all of us. Albany, I just love. I love walking around and, at the moment, seeing the trees and all the nature here. I’ve been on a couple of hikes. I like that it’s very seasonal.

Poppy: I just love the UAlbany campus and the amount of opportunities that are available to students here. I think the whole college experience has been so immersive, and America as a whole is a great place. There’s so much to see and do. I don’t think I’ve been bored once. Everyone’s been really welcoming and very friendly. Now that it’s coming into fall, I’m loving seeing all the leaves change. I’ve never seen a fall where the leaves change, so it’s very nice.

Sophia: One of my favorite parts has been the opportunity to keep rowing even after high school, but also just the people. I find that the people here are so kind and welcoming. It’s been such an amazing opportunity to be here and to study in a different place. I’m just really grateful.

How do you keep in touch with the people back in Australia?

Natasha: Even when I was still living at home, my friends were really good about short calls and stuff. I’ll get a call from my friends back home and we’ll just talk for like 10 or 20 minutes. It’s nice that we’ve still been able to do that even though I moved over here. It’s a 15-hour time difference, but it’s not too bad. I can talk to people on my way to training, and then I can talk to them at night.

Poppy: I’m really lucky to have a close group of friends back home who reach out regularly. My mum and brother are really good about calling me every single day, or I get texted updates or sent videos of my dogs every day, which is really nice.

Sophia: I try to call my mom as much as possible, although it’s about a 15-hour time difference, so our mornings tend to be quite late at night there, so it’s a challenge. But I still try to make it work. I think it’s really important to stay in touch with my friends and obviously talk to my parents as much as I can. That makes me feel a lot less homesick and a lot better about being so far away from home.

What is the most American thing you’ve done so far?

Natasha: As a team, we went axe throwing, which I think is quite an American thing to do.

Poppy: Definitely being in our team’s media day photo shoot. I’d never seen anything like that before. So, when we did our first rowing shoot, I was like, “Oh my gosh, this feels so American.”

Sophia: We went to a barbecue restaurant. One of the girls on my team owns the restaurant, so we went as a team, and it was so good. I got to eat American mac and cheese with brisket. That was great. I love that.