Sky Russell, '20, Korea Institute Scholarship to attend SNU International Summer Institute (SNU ISI), Summer 2017

For a couple of years prior to entering college, I was trying to teach myself Korea language. This was out of my interest in language learning as well the influence of having many Korean friends. Since there were no classes that I could take nearby or in school, I attempted to learn through books in the internet. This was not as successful as I had hoped, so I decided that once in college, I would study abroad in Korea to really force myself into learning this language. Once at Harvard, I was pleased and surprised to find KI’s unbelievably generous funding opportunities for summer study in Korea.

I was given the chance to study at Seoul National University’s 5-week International Summer Institute where I opted to take Korean language, ceramics, and metalcraft. I went in with knowledge of the Korean alphabet and some rudimentary greetings, hoping to leave with the ability to carry a conversation. Indeed, now I can engage in a conversation along the lines of: “Who is this? “This is my mother.” “What does she do?” “She is a banker.” However, my impressive language improvement is only a fraction of what made my time in Korea so valuable– it was a chance to make connections, to step out of my comfort zone, and above all, to change and grow. I met people from other U.S. colleges, France, the U.K., Singapore, China, and of course Korea, whom I surely would not have crossed paths with otherwise. I made friends with SNU teaching staff. I experienced the frustration of not fully understanding anything around me, which became motivation to study harder. I tried new foods, new art forms, and new activities.

The program gave me the freedom to move around on my own, and was flexible enough to allow me to see quite a bit of Seoul. After 5 weeks, I feel well acquainted with the city, like when I go again I will feel like I am “back.” I feel so fortunate to have been awarded the scholarship by KI, for this summer would not have been possible without that financial support. I am motivated to continue my Korean studies, and I am sure I will be back in Seoul soon.