“I have learned how important cultural exchange is to me, especially through the diverse people I've met and interacted with throughout this program. I've also learned that I've become even more adaptable to new environments, and love the opportunity to apply my knowledge of the Korean language into a real-world setting to allow me to practice and excel with the help of locals,” reflected Macy Brown, a finance major currently abroad on the Global May Korea program.
Students on the four-week program partner with Kyunghee University in Seoul, where they attend lectures about different aspects of Korean culture, traditions, environment and industry.
“Going abroad, especially to South Korea, was important to me because I wanted to learn more about my culture on a more interactive level. Being able to actually experience the language and cultural norms, while also visiting different historical landmarks after learning about the history in lecture has been so much more meaningful to my learning,” said Brown, who is also minoring in business analytics and Korean.
Along with the in-classroom instruction, the group participates in on-campus site visits to traditional landmarks, temples and different companies, exploring cities like Pyeongtaek, Pohang, Gyeongju and Busan along with the home base in Seoul.
“This program will help me move forward in my career by giving me a deeper global and professional perspective. Through our many site visits, including Samsung, Hyundai Seoul and Korean Broadcast System, I gained first-hand insight into how businesses operate in a global context,” she noted.
Brown’s favorite part of the program thus far have been visits to a Korean high school and elementary school, where she learned how to understand diverse perspectives and practice cross-cultural communication, something that she hopes to use in the future as industry continues to become more globally interconnected.
“While at Hana High School, we were able to sit in on a class, eat with the students and help a symposium class work on their research papers that were written all in English. I loved being able to talk with the high school students about our different perceptions of each other and connect with the culture on a more personal level. While at Daemyeong Elementary School, we were able to teach a classroom in English about our country, state and university while also helping them practice their English conversational skills. Seeing the students' enthusiasm made this cultural exchange much more meaningful to me, and it will be an experience I'll never forget.”