Tiffany Song, '16 Harvard Summer School in Seoul Program-Summer 2013

HSS-Seoul Program in 2013: The Summer Experience of a Lifetime

The day of my flight to South Korea, my emotions were as mixed as bibimbap, a delicious Korean mixed rice dish that I would get to know very well in the coming weeks. I felt a bit anxious, because this would only be my second time abroad and also my first extended period of time away from home in a foreign country. However, I also felt a huge sense of anticipation, since I hoped that the eight-week summer program in Seoul would be an opportunity for me to learn and grow as a person. The moment that the plane touched down in Incheon International Airport, the mixed bibimbap of emotions became masked by one pure feeling: excitement.

The eight weeks I spent taking part in the program affected my life in more than a few ways. One particularly significant way that my time abroad affected me was through the academics of the summer program. The Harvard Summer School in Seoul program enabled me to take an intermediate Korean language course in addition to a film course focusing on modern Korean history. As a Korean American eager to become proficient at the language and eventually intern in Korea, the opportunity to learn the language while being immersed in the country was truly amazing; not only did my Korean ability drastically improve, but I was able to gain a deeper understanding of the people I met when I was able to communicate with them in their first language. In an increasingly globalized world, foreign languages are becoming more important than ever for better international communication, and I am thankful that this program boosted my level of Korean so greatly.

The film class was also an incredible learning opportunity. From a technical and aesthetic point of view, I had never before done any work with filmmaking or film, so learning how to make a film (from shooting and interviews to editing and beyond) was a process that was incredibly fascinating. Moreover, since working with media is an increasingly popular skill in the work force, the class has prepared me for working with programs like Final Cut Pro if I ever need to produce another big project. More importantly, though, the film class helped me gain an understanding of the country I was in and collaborate with many different types of people to produce a final project I could be passionate about and proud of.

In South Korea, not only did I learn from academics, but I also learned from collaborating and spending time with the people I met there, and from being immersed in a cultural experience unlike any other.

Even outside my program, I was also able to truly live in Korea. This may seem like an obvious statement, but what I really mean by “live” in Korea is that I got to hike behind the President’s house, wade in the Cheonggyecheon stream running through the heart of Seoul, see the city from the very top of the Namsan Tower, visit the southern regions of the peninsula, ride a ferry to the beautiful island of Geumodo, taste raw octopus and other traditional Korean dishes, step inside the palaces of long-ago kings, walk through one of the three jewels of Korean Buddhism, immerse myself in the hustle and bustle of Seoul, bargain in traditional markets, experience the best of modern technologies, get to know and speak to native Koreans, and overall just learn how to make the most of the experience.  Naturally at first it was difficult adjusting to the pace and lifestyle of Seoul, but soon it became a fabulous adventure of discovery. I’m extremely grateful for the chance I got to adapt to these challenges, because as I overcame them little by little I came to appreciate my summer experience more and more.

I’m grateful for many reasons. One reason is that the things I learned in Korea are things I can carry with me for the rest of my life; the lessons I learned there did not stop at the airport. Upon returning to Harvard, my summer experiences have helped shape how I think about things such as classes, concentrations, and career selection. For instance, I am now more sure than ever that I want to keep pursuing advanced Korean, and I also want to explore East Asian Studies as a secondary, which has helped shape my class-selection decisions. Career-wise, I definitely hope to intern in South Korea in the future, and possibly even work in a field that deals with US-Korea relations. My summer experience was extremely helpful in guiding these big decisions. 

I am also extremely grateful to the award donor that made this trip possible for me through the Korea Institute Scholarship. I may not get to meet my donor in person, and even if I did, I’m not sure I would be able to thank them enough for the incredible opportunity and the life-long memories I made thanks to them; I am truly unable to thank them enough for opening this door for me. Had I not received this grant, I would not have gone to Korea this past summer, and I’m not exaggerating when I say that I cannot imagine how different I would have been, and how different my life would have been, had I not experienced the things I experienced, learned the things I learned, and met the amazing people I met.

In conclusion, going to Korea for this eight week program truly changed my life. Not only did it help shape my future goals and career ambitions, but I was able to grow as a person in ways that would have never been possible had I not gone on this wonderful adventure. Because of the financed opportunity that I was generously given, I was able to grow as a more globally aware citizen, to learn a language, to drink in the culture and beauty of South Korea, and to make life-long friends all the way across the world.

I am overjoyed to report that my summer experience was everything that I hoped it would be, and beyond.