# Zachary Sherwood, '13, Intern at COEX (Convention & Exhibition Center) in Seoul-Summer 2012 September 07, 2012 ![Intern at COEX, Zachary Sherwood, in Korea 2012](/sites/g/files/omnuum10896/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/koreainstitute/files/coex_picturesherwood.jpg?itok=4CdZnil3) When I embarked upon the daunting summer internship search in the fall of my junior year at Harvard, I faced the ever-present dilemma of determining whether or not I should consider internship experiences that I was expected to pursue or ones that I genuinely wanted to pursue. As an economics concentrator, I was naturally expected to strive for a summer analyst position at a major finance or consulting firm, but I quickly found such opportunities to be, quite frankly, all too conventional. Having discovered a passion for travel during my first two years at Harvard, I instead wanted to look beyond the all-too-familiar, Harvard student-friendly confines of cities like Boston, New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. and see what opportunities were available in places that I was largely unfamiliar with yet wanted to learn so much about. I wanted an internship experience that was exciting, engaging, challenging, and, most importantly, enlightening, and fortunately, my participation in the Korea Institute’s Summer Internship Program fulfilled all of these expectations and more. This summer, I worked as an intern in the Global Business Unit at Coex, Ltd., the owner and operator of Seoul’s largest and most popular convention and exhibition center. Over the course of my eight-week internship, I edited and improved marketing materials, revised websites, drafted market reports, and conducted research, all with the goal of helping Coex attract more overseas buyers and exhibitors to the major exhibitions and trade shows that the company manages in Seoul each and every year. Like any internship, some of my responsibilities were tedious or difficult to understand at times, yet my superiors and co-workers always tried to provide me with variety of tasks that were both challenging and informative, including a major project in which another intern and I were expected to present actionable ways in which Coex could improve its appeal to overseas visitors and international tourists. By the conclusion of my internship, I had learned more about the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions) industry that I ever thought I would, and I can confidently say that I made a number of positive and concrete contributions to Coex during my time at the company. Arguably the most memorable aspect of experience at Coex, however, was what I learned beyond my role as an intern. Through regular seminars, excursions, lunch events, office outings, and programs arranged specifically for interns, I had the opportunity to meet many of my managers and fellow co-workers, whose kindness, guidance, and hospitality made my stay in Seoul immeasurably more satisfying. I also enjoyed learning about the unique characteristics of Korean office culture specifically as well as the rewards and challenges that come with working in an international setting more broadly, and the fact that Coex has agreed to continue what proved to be its inaugural summer internship program for foreign students is a testament to how enriching my experience this summer was for both me and my co-workers at Coex. Having the opportunity to live and work in a dynamic and fascinating city like Seoul was definitely unforgettable: I loved exploring the city, acquiring a newfound appreciation for Korean cuisine, interacting with countless Koreans who never refrained from doing everything in their power to make my stay in Korea as pleasant as possible, and even managing to have a little fun every once in awhile (okay, maybe too much fun). Yet what I found to be the most rewarding aspect of my participation in the Harvard Korea Summer Internship Program this summer was the fact that I had the opportunity to immerse myself in a culture that I had previously known so little about, and I am grateful that the Korea Institute allowed a student like me who had absolutely no prior experience with Korean language, culture, or history to participate in such a fascinating and worthwhile program. My experience in Seoul this summer not only allowed me to acquire an indelible appreciation of Korea’s role in the world but also has inspired me to remain engaged in Korean affairs both on and beyond Harvard’s campus, and I that the Korea Institute will continue to provide such incredible opportunities in the near future to students like myself who are simply looking to take a chance and explore something new. See also:- [ Undergraduate ](/audience/undergraduate) - [ Student Reflection ](/news-type/student-reflection) Share on:- [ Facebook ](#) - [ Twitter ](#) - [ Linkedin ](#)