- Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project.
Over the summer 2018 term, I studied abroad at Korea University through International Studies Abroad, a third-party provider. In addition to taking classes, I also has the opportunity to explore Seoul and take part in cultural immersion activities offered by the university, such as Taekwondo classes, Korean cooking classes, volunteer teaching, and seeing a nanta performance live. I also took excursions to Busan, Donghae, and the Boryeong Mud Festival.
- What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project?
My summer in Korea was an extremely transformative experience for me in any ways. First, I had the chance to study and practice my Korean language skills daily, which improved both my ability and my confidence in speaking. I also learned that I would not be judged as harshly on my appearance or my language ability as I had thought that I would be. The many people that I came across, when hiking mountains, exploring the city, and eating in restaurants, were happy to speak to me and seemed impressed by my willingness to learn Korean. I learned to be more confident, more independant, and was able to open up to many new experiences.
- What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you?
Being in South Korea, especially outside of the tourist districts of Seoul, I was quickly forced to be comfortable speaking in Korean. I have always had major insecurities surrounding speaking in a foreign language for fear of being wrong or embarrassing. However, when I went out with some of my friends from the program, I had the highest Korean language ability of the group, so I was often in charge of communication for taxis, restaurants, shops, and entertainment. It soon became very comfortable to speak to the locals that I met because I could see that while I was not always grammatically correct, they were appreciative that I was trying. My Korean language class also helped me with this. The class was accelerated because of the short summer term, and it was extremely challenging. However, I learned a lot about new concepts and vocabulary as well as more native ways of saying phrases that I already knew.
Most importantly, I was exposed to so many aspects of Korean culture that I would not have had the chance to experience otherwise. For example, I was able to participate in Taekwondo Classes, nanta live performance, and volunteer teaching an english class at a rural middle school in Taebaek. Living in Seoul gave me the opportunity to experience Korean food and drinking culture as well. I tried as much Korean food as possible, trying to be more adventurous than I am at home. I ate from street vendors, restaurant, and specialty shops with foods like squid ink ice cream (really made with squid ink).
Living abroad also gave me many new friends from all around the world. Because my roommate at Korea University was Guatemalan, I had to the opportunity to speak to her in Spanish as well as Korean, and learn more about her culture. I also made friends with people from China, Singapore, Cambodia and Japan. We have been exchanging videos of our home countries and universities since being home, and we plan to keep in touch and visit each other if possible.
- Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life?
First, my time studying at Korea University and living in Seoul made me decide to pursue attending graduate school in Seoul. The cultural experiences, language immersion, and amazing professors that I met during the summer program convinced me that the added value of living in South Korea would add a competitive edge to my resume when applying for jobs in international relations. Especially wanting to pursue a job working in the public sector, experience living abroad is a highly valued skill. And Korean is a critical language, which adds to the importance of living in South Korea. Additionally, I am now considering applying for jobs in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the State Department, specifically for the embassy in Seoul or the consulate in Busan.
I also blogged about my experience at http://www.thebahm.com/ Check it out!