Melbourne Student Wins Work and Travel USA July Prize Draw

Thu 10 Jul 2008

Student Placement Australia (SPA) is delighted to announce that Ahmed Khalaf, a 3rd year engineering student from the University of Melbourne has won a sponsorship to fulfil one of his dreams and work in the USA for a year.

SPA & CIEE are giving away 5 free places on the new Work & Travel USA program worth over A$1,500 each. One lucky winner will be drawn at random in the first week of every month from July - Dec 2008 inclusive.

Ahmed said he was “Surprised, excited, and downright flabbergasted” when he was told that he had won a placement in the USA. “Usually I don’t enter competitions so for a first win, I really couldn't have asked for anything better!”

Ahmed explained his motivations for entering the competition “I've always wanted to travel to the US. I'm really looking forward to the whole experience. I've never travelled anywhere alone, and so I expect it to be a huge and invaluable life experience.”

“The opportunity to work while I'm abroad is also a massive plus, as it greatly decreases the financial burdens of travelling, while also giving me some great material to add to my résumé!”

When asked where he would like to live most Ahmed responded “New York City is probably on the top of my list. I love the big, busy, cities with all the hustle and bustle. Add to that a few more of the prominent coastal (and inner) areas and I can't imagine a better trip!”

When asked about his plans for work whilst in the US Ahmed stated how ideally he would like to work in his field. “As a 3rd year engineering student, I see this as a great opportunity to gain experience and also make the contacts that might pay great dividends in the long term. But at this stage I’m keeping my options open”.

Congratulations to Ahmed for being our first winner!

Click here for more information on the program, or

To enter the competition click here!