The typical high school senior always talks about wanting to go far away from home for college.

Usually California, Florida and Hawaii come to mind for destinations that are far away and have nice perks.

However, most people wouldn’t think of going to school 8,900 miles away.

That’s the distance from DeKalb to Lismore, Australia — the home of NIU junior softball player Emily Gooding. Gooding, a transfer from Lake Land Community College, is in her first year playing at NIU.

“It was very hard to leave [Australia],” Gooding said. “At first, I was scared. Then, I was excited.”

It wasn’t as if Gooding planned to go to school so far away. But in the back of her mind, she knew the only way to play softball at the college level and get an education was to come to the United States.

Gooding’s parents were hesitant at first. It was clear they would be unable to see their daughter for four years. However, knowing her dream, they were very supportive of her decision to come to America.

“We didn’t have sports at universities in Australia,” Gooding said. “It’s mostly just about academics.”

Ultimately, Gooding’s choice landed her on an 8,000-plus mile trip to the southeastern portion of Illinois. That’s where she worked toward her softball dream at Lake Land Community College.

Although Gooding had to leave her home to continue her passion, her accomplishments in Australia proved to follow her to the States. In Australia, the infielder played on both state and national levels for softball. That successes continued at Lake Land.

Gooding was named conference Freshman of the Year, and was named to all-conference and all-region teams. She also received Academic All-America honors in 2007. All of these made her an attractive choice for first-year NIU softball coach Lindsay Chouinard.

“She is very talented,” Chouinard said. “She has a lot of tools for this game.”

Despite all her tools on the field, Gooding admits there were some challenges at first adapting to the American lifestyle.

“It took a little getting used to; people not understanding me and having to adjust the way I talk,” the Australian native said of Lake Land. “People made fun of how I talked and asked stupid questions about kangaroos and things. But after a few months, I got used to it.”

However, Gooding never found that problem at NIU. Her teammates embraced her right away as another member of the family.

It’s like coming into a family,” Chouinard said. “We let the girls know ahead of time we were having a girl from Australia and they were all very excited.”

“I thought it was cool to have a player like Emily coming to the team,” NIU senior Michelle Nendza said. “Right from the beginning, we brought Emily out with us everywhere. We all get along with each other.”

Gooding has adapted well to the American lifestyle, both off and on the field. However, she still maintains her Australian roots.

When out on the field, she’s the only player wearing a hat. And then there’s her unique way of cheering on her teammates.

“She says, ‘Come on, American,’ to our girls while they are batting,” Chouinard said. “You don’t really hear that too often.”

Gooding knew there would be sacrifices to continue her dream. She would have to leave her family and her country to pursue softball. While DeKalb certainly isn’t as warm or nice as Australia, her NIU teammates and coaches have done everything possible to make her feel at home.

“I get to play a sport I love and get an education and the whole experience,” Gooding said. “[But] I’ll probably end up going home [after graduation].”

And in the large scale of things, 8,900 miles doesn’t seem so far to pursue one’s dreams.