Orientation to South Korea

Hi, everyone!  I wanted to begin this blog prior to leaving for South Korea on June 22nd in order to document my thoughts and preparation process.  I have never really been abroad before, if I don't include the 2-4 hours I spent in Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, and Cozumel on a cruise when I was, like, 10-years old.  


Applying for the Hanyang Fellowship was a bold step for me.  Essentially, I thank Dr. Kathryn Cowles for forwarding me the email about the fellowship and urging me to apply.  Otherwise, it is likely that this opportunity would have passed me by and I'd be stuck in Ohio all summer (which isn't a terrible thing, exactly, but this trip is way cooler).  Shortly after writing/submitting a ten-ish page essay for the fellowship application, I found myself a recipient of the Hanyang Fellowship.  Simple as that!


In winter quarter, I did an extensive project on internationalization on the American university campus, focusing primarily on ONU.  Our world is constantly and rapidly changing and it is important to have a global perspective that replaces out-modeled, patronizing views of places beyond American borders.  Surely, spending a month in a culture other than my own will help shape my view of the world.  I've heard from many people that I will likely catch  "the travel bug" after one trip abroad.  As long as I don't decide to live in Seoul for the rest of my life, I think my parents will be okay with that ;).  Ultimately, I'd like to document the highs, lows, and many discoveries I will experience in South Korea in order to formulate methods to stimulate a greater study-abroad interest at ONU.    


In detailing my experiences in Seoul, I hope to discover valuable solutions that facilitate internationalization on the American university campus. Globalization and internationalization are ambiguous, intimidating terms to many Americans. What they do not refer to is the complete disintegration of the American way. Instead, they denote growing interconnectedness and interdependence among nations through rapidly evolving technology, economy, culture, and politics. In a sense, the world is getting “smaller"; international perspective is becoming an increasingly important resource for American college students.