My mother has always been my primary source of encouragement for lifelong learning. She instilled in me that even simple experiences, like trying new foods, can be valuable learning opportunities. Her childhood was marked by extensive travel and living in various Western European countries alongside her American father and Dutch mother. However, when she moved permanently to the United States as a preteen, she lost her ability to communicate in her first language, Dutch, due to a fear of being bullied. This experience has deeply influenced my dedication to creating a nurturing and judgment-free environment for language learners since this loss is something my mother and I both mourn. Though the context is different, I know it equips me to encourage learning and exploration in students I may teach by approaching their mistakes with understanding and empathy. Additionally, my mother’s fondness for the memories of her childhood spent across Europe has always motivated me to travel for pleasure and work.

This background led me to an unexpected academic journey. When I began university, I had no destination in mind, just a desire to explore the world. When I had to choose my mandatory language course, I chose Korean because of one novel I read in high school, The Square by Choi In-hun. This choice created a ripple effect. I originally planned to study creative writing and English literature, something I still did, but neither of those held my academic interest after I began to learn Korean. I still remember sitting in a classroom with eighteen other students as our Korean language teacher explained Sino-Korean numbers and their differences from native Korean numbers. The way language is shaped by shared history between two cultures fascinated me. I grew more interested in language as I learned more about the post-Korean War period. In particular, language policy in North Korea and South Korea and how it changed to reflect a nation that was divided and emerging from decades of colonialism was one topic where I was explicitly taught how much the past can continue to impact the present.

The summer of 2022 was my opportunity to travel. Studying abroad in South Korea coincided with my final year of undergraduate studies and gave me many new experiences, including my first international flight. I tried new foods, saw new places, and experienced a rainy season for the first time. More than that, studying at Korea University solidified my love of history and clarified how language learning can connect to everything. I took two history courses there, one focused on post-World War II world history and the other on post-World War II Korean history. Both reignited a love for history I had not felt since my first year studying Korean. It was also due to the professor of both courses, name removed for privacy, who continually encouraged me through interesting lectures and interactive discussions that related history to current events. It fueled my interest in history to the point that I wrote my final undergraduate paper on a South Korean film based on Admiral Lee Sun-Shin, and I will be writing my Master’s thesis on the trilogy the first film is part of. After working for a few years, I plan to work toward a Ph.D. in East Asian studies, a field I am confident will remain a continued passion.

The Fulbright ETA is a position that will enable me to grow as a teacher and also allow me to make the best use of my passion for teaching and education to improve student learning experiences. At the end of the day, students’ continual improvement is all that matters. Because of my unique background in language learning and varied interests, I believe this position will be instrumental in my professional development while at the same time offering an opportunity for me to inspire students to follow their passions, just as my role models and professors did for me. Through the Fulbright Program, I want to help students open the door to interests that language learning enhances, just like the doors were opened for me by my mother.