Every since I started having interest in South Korean culture, I always wanted to travel and live in South Korea for a few years. I started to learn their language, and study their history as a minor. However, during the summer, my dream started to become a reality little by little. I had the opportunity to intern at a private hagwon in Seoul, South Korea that helps students to prepare and apply to Wisconsin colleges/universities in America.
This internship was the highlight of my time in college. I saw myself growing and putting into practice the things I learnt during my time at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I understood that patience is a key virtue when you are teaching. You can't expect the students to immediately improve because you believe that your teaching method is the best. You need to understand students have different learning styles and needs. After all, you were once a student yourself. I learned that working with students one-on-one and spending time with them can really help them improve a lot. Being a mentor and someone they can lean on during their troubles is what I believe a teacher should be to their student. I had the honor to show that aspect during my internship.
I saw myself growing in confidence and doing things outside my comfort zone. I utilize my Korean as I was there. I was quite nervous speaking Korean because I felt that I wasn't at a good level yet. At the same time, I understood that I wasn't going to improve unless I spoke to people. It took a while, but I started to do it. During my stay in South Korea, I even joined a kickboxing gym. I'm a time of person that can't stay inactive for a long time. I'm so used to working out everyday that I find it uncomfortable to not work out for 3 months. So, I decided to look for a kickboxing gym around my area. I really enjoyed my time there. The coach spoke mostly English to me so I could understand how to execute the movement properly. The other members were very welcoming. I would have fun working out with the little children or helping the women with some of their workouts when they ask me to.
I created so many memories from my internship, but I can say I have two favorite one. One of them was my birthday. I started my internship a week before my birthday, and I told both my co-workers and students that my birthday was coming up. On my birthday, I was just expecting the students to give me a card. Unknowingly, they surprised me with a birthday cake! I was in awe because these students only knew me for a week yet they went out of their way to surprise me for my birthday! This truly showed the student's kindness and love they had. Another one of my favorite memories was watching the students grow everyday in their English skills. As part of my internship, I submitted a bi-weekly report on the students' performance, and each time I did it, I could see how much the students were improving. Some students went from being shy and having little confidence in their speaking abilities to being confident and holding it down with a conversation. I was so proud of their improvement , and happy to be a part of it.
So what is the next step for me? Well, I will be finishing up my senior year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Also, I plan to move to South Korea after graduation. This internship solidified my decision after spending a few months there. I'm not sure what I want to do in South Korea, but I know teaching English is surely an option I plan on looking into.
