Over the course of the months of August through December of 2021, I complete an education abroad trip at Korea University in Seoul, South Korea. I studied different environmental science classes, as well as the Korean language during my time at the University. I also took many different trips and hikes around the different mountains and parks of South Korea. I met many different international students, as well as professors and other educators.
During my semester in Seoul, many of my perspectives on myself, Korean culture, and life itself changed. I found myself growing slowly, as the semester began. I found my understanding of new people began to develop in ways that I had not experienced before. I was more patient, more thoughtful, and more understanding of the people that I met. I began to learn more about their life perspectives, which gave me the understanding that there are so many ways that I can learn to share my experience in my own community, as well as listen to the unique experience of others upon returning home. I had assumed that my perspective or experience was not interesting or valuable, as I had always surrounded myself with mostly other people from the Midwest. This changed during my time in Korea and has opened my eyes to the importance of sharing cultural ideas and experiences. I also found many people who shared my passion for conservation and sustainability. This allowed me to bring newfound ideas surrounding preservation of natural spaces and sustainable solutions to challenges facing the environmental movement today. In addition, I gained a great bit of confidence in how I conduct myself. I now feel much more comfortable approaching new people, and I am very open to taking advantage of each day so that I can maximize my potential to make memorable experiences happen.
In Seoul, I met many other people who had a similar outlook regarding conservation and sustainable outdoor recreation. I often planned trips to explore the beautiful Korean countryside and national parks. On these hiking trips, I had a lot of time to reflect and discuss with my friends our appreciation for nature, and how our cultures viewed life spent in the outdoors. This time of discussion and introspection left me hopeful that there are people across the world that hold the same values of sustainability that are essential to understanding how to protect the environment. I also took several environmental science classes at Korea University. This time spent adjusting to a new educational environment fostered the opportunity to learn environmental science perspectives from the Korean perspective. I discovered ways in which different cultures deal with pollution and recycling, as well as different cultural beliefs regarding community-oriented care for the natural world. These discoveries are essential to me because they offer new outlooks on life and make me a better environmental scientist.
It is imperative that people develop the capacity to interact with new people of different cultural backgrounds. At Korea University, I was able to meet people through the international program that were from many different countries and backgrounds. We quickly developed a strong sense of community, and we came to embrace out differences. I learned a lot about how to be a good listener, a kind neighbor, and a thoughtful friend to people that I may have never had the opportunity to meet without my education abroad program. I believe that in today’s world, there needs to be more people who are open to listening and caring about the perspectives of others.
Finally, my education abroad program worked to build up my confidence in my social interactions, decision-making, and independence. I started my trip in August completely alone, not knowing a single person that was going with me to Seoul. I found that by being thrust into a completely new setting, the only option I had was to put myself out there to make new friendships. This allowed me to practice putting confidence into myself and my social life, so that I could meet all kinds of interesting and exciting new people. I also was responsible for determining how I would feed myself, paying for insurance and transportation, and finally what my schedule would be like day to day. This required me to take responsibility for myself, as I had complete independence for all my decision-making. I found that I rose up and felt extremely comfortable in my new environment, giving me great confidence in myself to exist outside of the care of another for the first time. These circumstances have greatly benefitted me as a young adult, as I now feel great excitement for the world ahead of me, rather than fear or uncertainty.
These changes that I have undergone while on my education abroad trip at Korea University in Seoul, South Korea have served to prepare me for a lifetime of learning and exploring. I have found a great passion for interacting with and listening to people of different cultures, and I find great excitement for the prospect of future travel. I feel confident that I can be self-sufficient wherever I go. I know that I can make friends and connections with others that I meet. From an academic and professional perspective, I have created an international network through my experience that I can utilize as I look to fulfill my career goals internationally. With my newfound perspective on sustainability and the environment, I will be able to become a more informed environmental scientist. This is of great importance to tackling the challenges that the environment faces today. My experience through STEP and education abroad has been extremely impactful on my life and has shown me that I can adjust to many new environments and situations without self-doubt and fear. I am extremely grateful for the opportunities I was given through this trip as well as the friendships I made in Korea.