Junehee Son (South Korea, 2023-24)

Junehee Son is a double major in Education Sciences and Political Science at UC Irvine studying at Seoul National University in South Korea. She has been dreaming of studying abroad since high school. Growing up as a missionary kid, she had the opportunity to live in many countries overseas which shaped her identity and has given her purpose in life. She aspires to start her career in education and ultimately work with UNICEF to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children in some of the world’s toughest places. Junehee looks forward to being exposed to the unique cultures, practices, and values that eventually initiated the Korean Wave through a top-quality school system that will introduce her to non-American, “uniquely Korean” views. She writes from Seoul, “I had the privilege of experiencing Chuseok, the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving, which spans three days and stands as one of Korea's major holidays. The delectable traditional foods I savored during the Chuseok celebration left me truly astounded. It would be a formidable task to pick a favorite among all the delicious dishes, but if I were pressed to choose, it would be Songpyeon: a traditional Korean rice cake, resembling a half-moon, with an array of fillings such as red bean paste, toasted sesame seeds, and chestnuts.”