Sancta Sophia News Blog

What is your full name?

David Anderson Behm

Where are you from originally (city, state, country)?

Faribault, Minnesota, United States

Tell us a bit about where you are from.

I’ve actually lived in a number of places; I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and have lived in various other states within the union, but Faribault is typical of where I come from.  Its a relatively small town (about 25,000 people) that is relatively rural and working-class, but I was fortunate enough to live in a relatively well-to-do/suburban part of town and go to a regionally well-know private boarding school where I was a day student.  Minneapolis was the nearest big city and was about 45mins drive away; Minneapolis is a very cosmopolitan city that is very clean and nice, but just a short drive outside the city and you’re into the rolling hills and farm country where my town was nestled.

What are you studying (name of your degree and University)?

Masters of International Security at the University of Sydney

How did you come to live at Sancta?

When I accepted admission to the University of Sydney, I immediately began thinking about where I was going to live when I got there.  I started browsing through the Sydney Uni housing website and the residential colleges quickly caught my attention.  I thought that it would be easier to make friends, get integrated and feel at home in a different country if I was  part of a residential college community.  In addition, the apparent esprit de corps of the residential colleges appealed to me.  Looking through the various colleges and their websites, Sancta seemed to be the best fit for what I was looking for.  Their options for post-grads including opportunities to work, room options and elevated status within the college community were better than any of the other colleges I reviewed.  Sancta was very forward about what they offered post-grads and had an entire section of their website devoted to them, while the other colleges had very minimal if any information about life there as a post-grad.  In addition, I thought it would be a really interesting and fun change of pace since my previous job had been in the military.

What do you like most about living at Sancta?

The post graduate community is really robust and although there are only a few blokes here at the college, the ones that are here are intelligent, well-rounded people who are good fun.  Its also a tight community of people; almost everyone knows everyone and its great to have that in a large university like Sydney Uni.  You come back after class and most everyone’s face is a familiar one, you always have someone to sit with at lunch or chat with in the hall and the result is that the college feels very home-y.

Do you have any Scholarship/s?

I have a music performance scholarship.

How has this scholarship helped you?

It has given me the opportunity to purse my passion for music and has enabled me to share this passion with the rest of the college.  I enjoyed playing at the Palladian competition and really enjoy playing for special events and formal dinners.

What are your plans when you complete your studies?

I plan to work for the US federal government or possibly work in defence and strategic consulting.

What advice do you have for potential & new Sancta students?

Living at a residential college has made life as an international student so much easier (no house-hunting to do, no monthly bills to keep track of, no groceries to buy or dishes to wash, etc.); but it’s not perfect and its up to you how easy and fun college life is for you.  So get involved and take the opportunity that the college has given you – by taking care of things like dishes and groceries for you – to make friends and pursue your interests.

Please tell us about the photos you have included:

1. Me with my discussion group at the International Peace and Security Institute in Bologna, Italy. The countries represented in my group included Iceland, Pakistan, UK, Australia, Canada and the US.

2. My piece at the Palladian competition.

3. Me in my prior job as an Army Officer. This was taken during a break at a small outpost in Northern Iraq.