2013 Ewha ICSC : Alyssa Abraham

I desired to attend Ewha’s Summer Program for numerous reasons: to gain a new perspective on woman’s universities; to learn the Korean language; to explore new academic topics; to make international friends…the list goes on and on. My expectations for the program were quite high and they were not disappointed.

Working for the Elizabeth Somers Women’s Leadership Program at my home university, George Washington University, I was particularly interested in attending the world’s largest woman’s university and perhaps gleaning some knowledge about what has made Ewha’s program so successful. I was immediately impressed with the sense of school pride and enthusiasm towards Ewha from everyone I met. I never heard any complaints toward the school. The summer program introduced us to “PEACE BUDDIES” or Professional Ewhaians At Cultural Exchange: full-time Ewha students who would show us around the campus and Seoul. They all stressed that classes were demanding and the curriculum was rigorous, but they felt a strong sense of community at Ewha. After only one month of being at Ewha, I can understand and share these sentiments.

The sense of community that a woman’s university offers is unique. I think it provides a supportive environment emphasizing collaboration over competition. This was evident in the sense of cooperation and dialogue that was encouraged in our international program. As Korea’s oldest co-ed summer program, there were a significant number of males in the international program, but this simply underscored the importance of woman’s universities. The program was able to demonstrate to these men that woman’s universities are just as rigorous and respected as co-ed universities. Ewha recognizes the important contributions that women offer society and helps cultivate leaders in their respective field. Having males come partake in the summer program, shared in this spirit of achievement with them.

Leaving Ewha, I would love to create a tighter partnership between the Women’s Program I work with in DC and Ewha in Seoul. Both programs, I feel, share a similar global mindset. They strive to mentor leaders across disciplines to excel both locally and abroad.

One thing I will take away from Ewha and hopefully be able to apply to my work in DC is the importance of a strong alumnae community. I think this contributed to the sense of community I experienced at Ewha. When meeting various people in Seoul, if I mentioned that I was attending Ewha, I would often receive a very positive reaction and a gleeful exclamation similar to: “Oh, my cousin went there, or oh! My aunt graduated from Ewha!” and then the person would proceed to tell me about where to visit while attending the university and activities to partake in if I could. We also had alumnae return to visit during our program and speak to a few of us students. There clearly seems to be a strong network of women who are protecting Ewha’s legacy and helping to further it. The ability to network and maintain strong alumnae connections is a major advantage to woman’s universities and programs.

I had previously done an international program taught by my home university, but this was my first real study abroad experience. Adjusting to a new university, a different culture, and of course the language barriers that often occurred, was a challenging experience. I probably overwhelmed the staff with questions, since I was unsure of how to accomplish even basic tasks, at first, in this new environment, such as how do I buy books for class! However, I know that I learned so much through the process. Life in Seoul, I soon realized, was not that different from my home in the US.

As I leave Seoul and Ewha, I will miss the quests to find the best popingsu in Sinchon; the long evening conversations over Iced Americanos; and our many adventures shopping, site seeing, and going to sing or norebong. Studying at Ewha was an unforgettable opportunity.
You cannot talk about Korea without mentioning all the tasty food and unique eateries!



 

Learning the different honorific language and ways to demonstrate respect at the dinner table was intimidating at first, but I quickly caught on, such as pouring drinks for elders.

 



I was surprised by how popular coffee shops are in Seoul. I spent MANY hours studying in coffee shops ranging from “cat cafes” where there are live cats to play with, to Hello Kitty themed cafes. The rise in popularity of coffee shops reflects the rapidly changing, developing society in Seoul.



 

Our classes were delightful and engaging. I loved how we were able to share such diverse views and perspectives in class and learn from one another. Particularly, in my Korean language class, I greatly benefited from the help and collaboration with my peers, as we would practice our grammar by speaking together. 

 

I also took the course, International Relations of North Korea with its Neighbors. One of my favorite classes was when we had North Korean refugees visit our class. We were able to converse freely with them and invited them out for dinner the next week. Our Professor sought to create more of a friendship between our North Korean visitors and us. Opportunities such as these are rare and unforgettable. They illustrate the interactive nature of the summer courses.



 

We also experienced Korean history and culture through our field trips to sites such as the Korean Folk Village and Kimchi World. 

I will never forget one of our other field trips: going to the DMZ and climbing down the formidable, deep passages of the 3^rd Tunnel. It was an eerie, sobering experience. 

 I also loved our trips to Everland, amusement park, to let off steam after studying, and seeing the B-Boy performance, a modern dance phenomenon that mixes popular Korean life stories with break dancing.



 

The friendships and personal connections I made during my time at Ewha will remain with me long after my “graduation” from Ewha’s Summer program. I was blessed to have a wonderful roommate and many excellent friends from the program. I was touched by how hospitable or welcoming Korean culture in general can be and I think this attitude carried over into the Ewha program. Most people I met were so open and endearing. They were engaged with others through sharing ideas and encouraging each other to experience the city. Whether I was going to dinner with my professors or enjoying a sunset along the Han River with friends, these relationships and partnerships will be the most memorable.