Suffolk had two students studying in Korea this past summer. Sophomore Julie Ritz is majoring in international relations in the Government Department and her advisor is Professor Simone Chun. Senior Katharine Sampson majors in broadcast and journalism in the Communication and Journalism Department. Her advisor is Professor Dana Rosengard.

Both students spent the summer of 2011 studying the Korean language at the Korean Language Institute of Yonsei University in Seoul. In addition, Katharine had an afternoon internship at the Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) Channel 7, one of Korea’s major TV networks.  Both Suffolk students received scholarships provided by the Jongha Scholarship Foundation, which was established by the KCC Corporation in Seoul. On the Suffolk campus, this year’s summer program was facilitated by Professor Henry Kim of Economics and Ronald Suleski of the Rosenberg Institute for East Asian Studies.

From Katie Sampson:
If someone asked me six months ago what my plans were for the following summer, my response would have been one with casual ambiguity. I never dreamed I would spend it pursuing my broadcast career in the heart of Korea. When I was approached about a potential internship opportunity at SBS-CNBC in Seoul, I pounced on it. Of course, the idea of living in a foreign country for six weeks – something I had never done before – was intimidating, especially because I did not speak Korean. But an experience like this comes once in a lifetime, and I was not going to let it pass by.

Living in Seoul proved challenging yet invigorating for a student like myself. I was immersed in a culture I had never known, forced to embrace the traditions and customs that accompany it. Being the minority was humbling. I received a scholarship to take a Korean language course and live in the dorms at Yonsei University. This allowed me to learn some basic Korean and meet some amazing people (and eat as much kimchi as possible!). As for my internship, it was incredible to see that most aspects of news stations are universal, even when in a different language. I felt comfortable, like this was the one constant in a “foreign” situation. I was initially unsure of how I could offer help to a news station that broadcasts in Korean, but was relieved to find out about a segment called ‘Wall Street English’. Teaching English to Korean viewers, this segment takes US-CNBC video clips and explains certain words and phrases to the audience. I helped choose and define phrases and even co-anchored the segment three times a week. I could not have asked for a better experience and environment.

Now back Boston, as I continue to search for a great Korean restaurant, I can’t help but think about all I have learned and most of all – when I will visit that amazing country again.

Katie Sampson at Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS).

Read more at: http://www.suffolk.edu/48763.html