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.”
Milan Au (South Korea, 2022-23)
Milan Au is a Business Administration major at UC Riverside studying at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea for the 2022-23 academic year. Milan grew up in Rosemead, California. While in high school, his Chinese and English teachers instilled in him a love for language learning. He hopes to improve his Korean language skills and learn more about Korea’s Esports culture during this year abroad in Korea. Previously, he volunteered at an insurance/tax office for 10 months, where he helped immigrants obtain green cards. He is keen on helping Esports athletes with their visas and green cards in the future, and he hopes to help ensure that immigrants get the resources they need. Although he plans to explore Korea during his year abroad, his long-term goal is to explore the whole world! He loves to learn about different cultures and enjoys challenging himself in new environments. After studying in South Korea, Milan plans to study abroad in China to achieve fluency in Mandarin.
Akito Yatsugi (South Korea, 2022-23)
Akito Yatsugi is a UCSD International Business major studying at the International Christian University in Tokyo, Japan for the 2022-23 academic school year. Akito is a native of San Diego, California where his parents are heavily involved in the local Japanese community. Through interactions with students from Japan and their parents, Akito gained a passion for learning about Japanese culture and language. During his year abroad, Akito plans on fully immersing himself in the Japanese culture by joining student circles as well as actively participating in both school and social events. He reports that, “Classes are interesting and in particular, I find my interpretation class exciting, as it is challenging yet fun.” He was surprised to find that many students at the university speak English well, as many of them have spent time living abroad. In his free time, Akito enjoys surfing, watching baseball, and exploring foods from different countries. He plans to travel to many cities in Japan to eat food items that he has not tried before.
Ashley Lopez (South Korea, 2022-23)
Ashley Lopez is an International Relations major at UC Davis, studying abroad at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea for the 2022-23 academic school year. She is a first-generation student from Los Angeles. She has been studying Korean since her senior year of high school and has loved every challenge of learning a new language and culture. Studying Korean has made Ashley more involved in learning about cultures and aspects of society that are different from her own. She is excited to finally attend her dream University at Yonsei, a dream that was stalled by the pandemic. After graduation, Ashley hopes to pursue a Korean Language degree and continue higher education in International Relations. She enjoys cafe hopping and going around the city to take photos in her free time. While in Korea, Ashley writes that she “aims to fully immerse herself in the culture and its people to get the most out of her time in Korea.”
Duy Nguyen (South Korea, 2022-23)
Duy Nguyen is an International Studies-Political Science major at UCSD studying abroad at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea for the 2022-23 academic year. Born and raised in Orange County, California, Duy was exposed to a diversity of cultures throughout his youth, especially the Korean community in Garden Grove. These early experiences motivated him to pursue International Studies and Political Science at UCSD, while specializing in Japanese and Korean Studies as his minors. Duy believes his experience abroad will allow him to unlock a new understanding of international politics from South Korea's perspective, as well as gain a deeper knowledge and appreciation of Korean culture. Duy is the first in his family to attend a four-year college and hopes to pursue a doctorate in international politics in order to teach other college students. Duy was a research assistant under Ph.D. candidate Patrick Hulme at the UCSD School of Global Policy and Strategy, whose work consists of analyzing Congressional sentiments on the use of military force and the presidential authority to do so across a wide range of U.S. foreign conflicts. Duy helped to analyze these Congressional sentiments and has researched conflicts ranging from the Korean War to the current conflict in Ukraine. In his free time, Duy enjoys working out, watching sports, and eating spicy food. Whether engrossed in his studies, wandering around the campus at Yonsei University or catching a baseball game at Jamsil Stadium, Duy is excited to study abroad in South Korea.
Ragini Krishnaswami (South Korea, 2022-23)
Ragini Krishnaswami is a Korean major at UCLA studying abroad at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korean for the 2022-23 academic year. Her interest in Korean language and culture was piqued in her senior year of high school. Ragini has been exposed to multiple languages from a very young age; three of which are Indian languages. She explored her interest by learning other foreign languages, but she was most captivated by Korean. She made Korean her major at UCLA and found she was even more interested in learning about the culture and lifestyle in Korea, right at the source. By learning multiple languages, Ragini hopes to “connect the world and create new bonds through communication.” She has connected with several other Borton Scholars in Yonsei since arriving. She writes, “One of my classes is a cinema class, and my friends and I are planning to travel to Busan for the Busan International Film Festival. I can't wait to explore more of this country and experience the culture firsthand!” Ragini believes that her year abroad in Korea will not only give her the opportunity to learn the language she loves but also a chance to grow into a citizen of the world.
Justin Lim (South Korea, 2016-17)
Justin Lim is a Human Biology major studying at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. He is a Korean-American raised in Northern California. His interest in Korea was sparked when he visited the country as a third grader. Justin plans to apply to medical school in the future. In his free time, he enjoys photography and learning about computer hardware. His initial experiences in South Korea include being exposed to new forms of Korean cuisine, as well as dishes known to him that have gained new dimensions but retain enough familiarity to remind him of home. Justin writes that, “School life at Yonsei does not seem to be significantly different than at UCSD. While class sizes seem to be smaller at Yonsei, the difficulty and procedures are comparable to those at UCSD. Student interactions are a different matter.” He is working hard to acclimate himself, and though it is difficult, he finds the process enjoyable, and it is in these interactions that he is “learning things about Korea that I could only learn while living here.”