Zac McRae is an Australian exchange student at RPI who recently paid the third graders at Bpght Hills a visit.

March 29, 2010 - Boght Hills third graders, who have been learning about the continent of Australia this past month, received a special treat recently, as an Australian exchange student paid them a visit they will never forget.

Zac McRae, the Australian Exchange student, stopped by to talk about his homeland and entertain any questions the third graders had about Australia. McRae, who lives in Melbourne, Australia, is currently studying mechanical engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Karen Dvorak, Program Manager in the Office of International Programs at RPI and a Boght Hills parent, helped organize this special event.

Students asked a variety of intelligent questions, including where McRae has traveled to in Australia, what his favorite sport and sports teams are, how long his flight was from Australia to the United States and if he was enjoying his stay in the U.S.

However, when McRae told the third graders that indeed, he had seen a Tasmanian Devil before, each student’s jaw dropped to the floor. He explained to them that, while Tasmanian Devils do not look like the character portrayed on Looney Toons, they are quite fast and very loud.

To end the visit, students we able to sample Vegemite. Vegemite is a dark brown Australian food paste made from yeast extract. It is a spread for sandwiches or toast. The most common method of eating Vegemite is on toasted bread with one layer of butter or margarine before spreading a thin layer of Vegemite.