Ms Best, 22, who is a criminology student, left her Cherrybrook home last week for her first trip overseas to Austria, where she is taking up a scholarship to study for five months before travelling through Europe.

The former Cherrybrook Technology High School student enrolled in a criminology course at the University of New England in 2008.

``I've always found the area interesting and am passionate about justice,'' she said.

``I've always felt the need to help people.''

Ms Best applied for an overseas exchange program after she went to an archaeological dig in Armidale and became a friend of a girl who went to study in Brazil.

``She had a great time and came back speaking fluent Portuguese,'' Ms Best said. ``I also enjoyed my time meeting lots of new people in Armidale and getting out of my comfort zone, so I decided to apply.''

She received $1000 from the University of New England Exchange Scholarship and $500 from Education Australia's Mobility Scholarship.

She has also received $550 in a Federal Government loan for overseas study, which will be added to her HECS debt.

At Karl-Franzens University, which is in Graz, Ms Best will study elective subjects that will include European history and gender studies.

She will return home in August and continue studies in law, sociology, psychology, forensic science and archaeology in second semester.

``A lot of people ask me, `So are you like those people on CSI?'

``But it's not really like that only when you're in forensics,'' Ms Best said.

``I'm more interested in investigations or research-based fields.

``Juvenile and restorative justice are also interesting and growing fields.''