Amy Morrisett,'19, Korea Institute Undergraduate Language Scholarship to Ewha (Tuition Waiver), Summer 2016

I was extremely fortunate to have been given a grant to study at Ewha Women’s University for a month this summer. It had been my dream to visit Korea for over four years, and so of course I was ecstatic to be able to visit all of the landmarks I’d dreamed of seeing and trying all the different foods I’d heard about. Still, even with such high expectations, my experience surpassed every preconceived idea I’d had about how the summer would go.

There are four integral aspects of my month in Korea that made it such a wonderful experience. First were the classes I took. My Korean language class met four days a week for three hours each day, and it seriously challenged me to improve my speaking, reading, writing, and listening abilities. As the least experienced member of the class, I knew I would not be able to breeze through.

However, I had such great support from my professors and classmates that I didn’t worry much about my previous experience. My second class, which focused on sex, gender, and sexuality in Korea historically and in the present day, really inspired me to think deeply about issues of gender and sexuality. In fact, I was asked to give a speech at our program’s closing ceremony, and I chose to focus on these issues because the class had such a significant impact on the way I thought about them.

Second of all, the support I had from Harvard even while on the other side of the planet made the experience a great one. The Korea Institute staff made me feel safe and supported during my time in Korea, and the Harvard-­‐ sponsored events (like getting to tour Seoul National University and eat at a gourmet buffet restaurant) helped me feel connected to my school and were great experiences in and of themselves.

Third, Ewha also provided us with ample support to make our time on their campus wonderful. All students in the international summer college were matched with an Ewha student, referred to as a Peace Buddy, who took us out for excursions, helped us practice our Korean, and truly became our close confidants and friends. I am still in contact with my Peace Buddy and several other Ewha students and have promised them that they have a room to stay in if they ever visit Boston. Also, my Korean speaking abilities greatly improved because I was able to have real conversations with these students.

Finally, both the organized and impromptu excursions that I went on while in Seoul were quite unforgettable. I visited the House of Sharing, Everland, a Bibap Musical Show, a traditional folk village, and the DMZ as part of Ewha’s program, and as mentioned earlier, I visited Seoul National University with other Harvard students. Additionally, I took it upon myself to visit several other landmarks like Namsan Tower, the Han River, Hongdae, and countless other places when I had free time. I truly felt culturally and linguistically immersed.

Overall, I am incredibly satisfied with my experience in Korea, and so very grateful that the Korea Institute made it possible for me to have this summer of a lifetime.