Sally Williams, '27, Government, Harvard Summer School Program in Korea, Summer 2024

I spent this summer in Seoul, South Korea with the Harvard Summer School Program in partnership with Ewha Women’s University. This program was something I could have never imagined being a part of the summer after my freshman year of college. Prior to going to Korea, I have never been abroad before, so attending this program was a big leap of faith! I decided to take the risk and I am so grateful I did! This past summer I grew so much as a person and have made so many memories and friendships that will last a lifetime.

Being without my family and not knowing the other students, either at all or not knowing them well, prior to the program and being in a new country, of course had its difficulties, but the Harvard students, the professors, and later on, the Ewha students were all so kind and open that finding security and trust within the program came easily. Soon enough I was able to comfortably go out on the weekends with friends, try new foods, and go to different parts of Korea. I was even able to go on a weekend trip to Busan with friends! Having other students to experience this amazing opportunity alongside me allowed me to feel brave and continue to goout of my comfort zone. I was able to do so many things that I would’ve never thought possible.I learned so many lessons from my peers and my professors that I will continue to reflect on.

My Korean language class taught me many new phrases, sentence enders, and vocabulary that came in handy when ordering in restaurants, shopping, and trying to make friends with locals. Being in Korea and having the ability to practice my Korean with native speakers in actual daily situations was such a bizarre experience and allowed me to realize how much I have improved in Korean. Walking on the street and being able to understand parts of conversation left me with a good feeling.

Our anthropology class was such an immersive and thought provoking class. I had never taken an anthropology class prior, but being introduced to the thinking structures and havingin-depth conversations was very enticing and left me feeling rewarded from the ideas my classmates had brought up. I now consider taking more anthropology classes as a result. Taking this class alongside the Ewha students with the topic of Global Korea was interesting. The students had strong opinions and I was able to learn a lot from their first-hand experiences. Being able to openly share our experiences as students that study in America and comparing what wehave learned, believe, and our perspectives on history with the Ewha students was very valuable to me. I was able to better understand the power knowledge holds and how as individuals we shape the world around us in our views and beliefs.

Our weekly trips introduced me to so much history and culturally significant places inKorea. I enjoyed going to landmarks and also larger trips like our trip to Jeju Island. Going on these excursions as a class was fun and also a learning experience. This helped us bond and create deeper friendships.

One of the greatest parts of this program was the connections I made with professors, staff, and students. What a beautiful group of people! I feel so lucky I was able to have this experience and I will cherish my memories and the friends I have made.