Author: kim.5141
Year in Review
The International Affairs Scholars program has definitely had an impact on me over the past couple of years in a variety of different ways. The social aspect of IA is probably what has effected me the most as I got to meet and interact with people from all kinds of backgrounds and cultures in a peer to peer setting. Educationally, IA has taught me how to be more globally minded and to expand my world view past the United States and to the planet as a whole. As a peer mentor, I learned that managing relationships along with school work is more difficult than I originally perceived. Though my mentee and I had a cordial relationship and met a few times first semester, we got out of touch in second semester and have not spoken or met since. Whether it was lack of time or interest, mismatching personalities, or the impetus of forced social interaction, I think the results show that I have plenty of room to grow in this capacity. If that opportunity will ever come along again is another matter. As far as growing as a leader, I don’t think IA has had any marked effect on me, nor has Ohio State in general, but that is largely due to the fact that I don’t actively seek out leadership positions past maybe facilitating group projects in class. Unless a leadership role is thrust upon me, it is not within my personality to take on these kinds of roles unless I really want to step up and attempt it. As I graduate from the IA program, I will take what I have learned from others with me into any potential leadership positions in the future. Although I cannot pinpoint one or two specific instances where IA has been helpful, I believe the program as a whole has had a significant impact on me thus far and will likely continue to in the future.
Before IA, I was largely the same as I am now, a pretty normal Korean-American kid from northern Virginia which, as diverse as people may think it is seeing that it’s so close to DC, was not actually so. In high school, I had the mindset of being accepting and keeping my vies broad but my actual experience with diversity and worldliness was shallow at best. After coming to OSU, however, I was able to actually fine tune these beliefs with substance as I grew to be more cognizant of specific global issues and became more familiar with some different world cultures that I did not have any prior experience with. Before IA, I was still mature, willing to evolve my ideas, and able to look outside my initial expectations. Now that my time in IA is over, I have grown in all these capacities and have become a more well rounded individual in the process.
I believe that personal growth gives us context and perspective because it illustrates a person’s ability to change and to not only accept new ideas but incorporate them into their own as well. Personal change through context is seen through the actions that the person takes. Personal change through perspective is seen through the experience that brings about the change in an individual and also the experiences that the individual has gone through in the past. Through context and perspective, people can reflect on past experiences and consider all the aspects that contributed to their growth.
G.O.A.L.S.
Global Awareness: As an International Studies major and an International Affairs Scholars student, I try to be globally aware. In this world of constant connection and interaction, no country can ever just tend to its own matters. One country’s actions can cause huge ripples throughout the global system. As a second year, I have much to learn about the world and its players and my classes will reflect my desire to gain more knowledge of this complicated world we live in.
Original Inquiry: Originally, I didn’t think that I would attempt to research any topic but as part of a scholarship application, I was directed to looking further into the status of North Korean refugees in South Korea. The condition of these refugees is dire, as reintegration and adjustment does not treat these people well. After visiting South Korea in the summer, I hope to have a better grip on this situation and hopefully research this problem more extensively in the future and possibly work toward a solution.
Academic Enrichment: Although I have not done so yet, I am interested in supplementing my college education with extracurricular classes. At the rate that I am learning Korean now, I do not believe I will reach my desired level of comprehension before I graduate. I am planning on studying abroad and learning more through that program but if I feel that that is not adequate enough, I might end up taking some classes over the summer while back home in Virginia.
Leadership Development: During my time here at OSU, I have tried to put myself in several leadership roles, whenever possible and not matter how big the role is. Whether if it was moderating my group presentation in my Persuasive Communication class, getting the ball rolling on multiple group project e-mails, or , I feel comfortable enough to put myself in a leadership role if the need arises.
Service Engagement: Throughout high school and college, I dedicated my summers to volunteering at a low-income children’s camp back home in Virginia. I currently have over 600 hours logged in over 4 summers and plan to continue as long as possible. These kids make my summer worth spending as they are inspirational and a joy to be around.
Career
I began working at the age of 16. My first paid job was as a host at a restaurant. This position allowed me to practice my people skills and built my foundations for a professional work ethic. My most recent paid position was as a food runner, a mainly support role that helped the servers and chefs keep the restaurant moving at an efficient pace.
Before getting a paid job, I spent my summers volunteering at a low-income children’s camp. The make up of this camp was and is mainly Ethiopian/Eritrean and Hispanic youth. The decision to volunteer at this camp has changed my outlook on life. Through spending time and bonding with these children, I learned that no matter your background or environment, anyone can aspire to do anything. Every year that I return to this group of 100 or so kids teaches me something new and keeps me coming back for more invaluable times.
After I graduate, I hope to work for the government overseas, starting in South Korea and possibly branching out to other countries. My experience abroad will expose me to worldly views and diverse cultures and I would return to the US with this newfound knowledge and share it with all who care to learn.
Throughout all my previous positions and experiences, I have gained invaluable skills that will contribute to my future professional goals. OSU has made me a more well rounded student and individual.
Artifacts
The STEP program at OSU took up more time and caused me more stress than I thought it would. Although going to meetings and attending co-curriculars was manageable, albeit tedious, the real meat of the program came when writing the proposal. Before getting into STEP, I had planned to use the money to either study abroad or maybe use it on a potential internship, ideally the former. When I found out that my study abroad program was not OIA approved, I ultimately had to write my proposal on a potential future internship. This proved problematic as the proposal is very structured and details are key. However, with the help of my STEP coordinator and some clever writing, I was able to successfully submit my proposal with confidence. Though it may only be a place holder, I wrote it in a way that I would approve of its review even if I had an internship secured. Additionally, at the time of this writing, my initially proposed study abroad program is being reviewed and might be approved for STEP funding. Fingers crossed.
Though these may just seem like a collection of groceries to some, to me they are a memento from my second trip to Toronto, Canada. My second time around, our group spent more time exploring what Toronto had to offer including the Royal Ontario Museum, the Islamic Aga Khan museum and Casa Loma, all sites that provided interesting historical, cultural, and artistic knowledge that would be hard to find anywhere else. One of the favorite parts of my trip was going to a Metro, a Canadian grocery store. As mundane as that sounds, it was interesting seeing what brands and types of foods Canadians were able to buy versus Americans. It’s interesting seeing well known American brands or companies selling certain foods to different areas, regardless of their proximity. In the picture, there is Kraft peanut butter, a company that is widely known in the United States but not for its peanut butter. It was also a learning experience purchasing the groceries as the Canadian currency system is similar yet also different from the US system. There, tax on certain foods is higher and they also round up to the nickel, a more intuitive and time conserving practice than fiddling around with pennies in the US. No matter how much flak I got from the group I was with, the Canadian grocery store experience was one of my favorites and the one I look forward to the most when in Canada.
This is screenshot of the letter of approval for a scholarship I applied for through the Mershon Security Center. The scholarship is for study abroad trips that further the understanding of national security in a broad context. I add this to my artifacts as this is the first supplementary scholarship I applied for in my lifetime and had the good fortune of receiving. These funds will go towards my study abroad trip to Korea during the summer of 2016. Throughout the application process, I met with different professors I have never spoken to learn about a relevant issue to both South and North Korea, the matter of North Korean defector refugees, the topic I will be researching during my time in Korea. I also hope to reconnect with my culture while learning the language of my people to a higher level than before. Though the scholarship process was relatively challenging and more than a little stressful, I am satisfied with the end result and with the effort that I put into the whole process. Hopefully this is not the first and only scholarship I will receive during my time at OSU.
This is a picture of one of the group projects that I completed for a WGSS class I took first semester. The end product of the project was a blog post created on WordPress. Each group had to take a topic and examine it both intersectionally and intertextually and present it to the class. I chose to use this project because even though it took an unnecessary amount of time to complete in a class that I thought would require little work, what I did to complete the project was admittedly quite relevant. To me, this artifact represents a sort of wake up call in that the media that we and other groups examined work to perpetuate typical gender, sexual, racial, and class norms in ways that no one would even think about questioning unless under such academic circumstances. Being able to look at media intersectionally and intertextually will be useful in the future so I don’t just mindlessly consume the products advertised to me by companies. This project and this class has ultimately taught me to be a smarter consumer of media in looking out for reinforced stereotypes and typical social roles portrayed by the media.
This is a picture of a loaf of bread that I made on a Sunday morning in the RPAC test kitchen (yes, that’s a thing). This loaf was made at the end of semester Bread Club meeting where members got to bake their own bread from start to finish. This loaf of bread was a delicious learning experience. Being an international studies major, I don’t get many opportunities to make things with my hands, let alone something that is fluffy and delicious, so I was both proud of and satisfied by the end product. What I found surprising was how long the rising and baking process was as the process took almost 2 hours from bowl to mouth. I guess the takeaway from this experience was patience and of course, the recipe that we used that I took so I can make some more bread later. I also learned that bread dough is rather hard to mix. And also that I need stronger forearms…
This is a tie from the store Tigertree, located in the Short North area of Columbus. Apparently it was made in the US (100% polyester) for the obvious reason to get bought and worn by the buyer. I chose this tie as an artifact because it is a, well, an artifact of my first real trip to the Short North. Last Saturday, me and one of my suitemates along with some other people on our floor in our residence hall went “gallery hopping” in the Short North. We went to a gallery or two, grabbed some food, and went to many different stores. Before then, I had only gone to the Short North for a happy hour or to go to one place, not multiple. From this experience, I learned that Columbus is a more interesting city than I gave it credit for, at least the immediate area around campus. I knew the Short North was already there but I had never taken the opportunity to explore it like I did. I also learned about the multiple bus routes that run from campus to the downtown, as I grabbed some bus maps.
About Me
Hello. My name is Andrew Kim. I am a Korean-American 2nd year from around the Washington D.C. area. My major is International Studies with a specialization in Security & Intelligence and a minor in Korean. I lived in Korea for 4 years when I was younger but have since moved back and have spent the majority of my life in the States. I hope to one day work for the Central Intelligence Agency and go abroad to work for the federal government. The past few years of my life have greatly shaped who I am as a person today. Volunteering for 4 years at a low income children’s camp and working in 3 different restaurants has really opened my eyes and have taught me a lot about work ethic and the value of resilience.
I chose the International Affairs scholars program as I thought it best matched my interests/major. So far, the decision has only paid off with the people I’ve met. Very little discussion or time has been spent on actual aspects of international issues or global cultures but I still remain hopeful and have not regretted my decision since I have got to campus. As far as what qualities or traits I see being exhibited on campus, there seems to be a great deal of importance placed on diversity but with a great lack there of. Considering where I am, it makes sense, but to actually experience diversity, one must seek it out themselves.