How Studying Abroad in Seoul Changed the Way I See the World

Ruby participated in NSLI-Y’s 2024 in-person summer study abroad in Seoul, South Korea

Hello! My name is Ruby and I was one of the lucky students who participated in the NSLI-Y trip to Seoul, South Korea in the summer of 2024. This experience completely changed my worldview, introducing me to so many new experiences and people, and most importantly, language. In the program, we took classes during the week, and went on excursions on the weekends. These classes plus educational and cultural activities greatly improved my Korean speaking and listening skills. I improved so much so that before starting college in September of

2024, I was able to test into the advanced Korean class due to the immersive and informative experience I had abroad with NSLI-Y.

I am extremely thankful to all of the people I met during this experience, and I still keep in contact with some classmates and my host family. I feel that study abroad is a vital experience for language learning, as it develops both linguistic and cultural understanding. Because of my positive experience in Seoul in 2024, I ended up going back during the summer of 2026 for an internship as a translator/interpreter. I found navigating the cities to feel familiar and un-intimidating, even nostalgic. Returning to Korean reminded me of my love for the Korean language and culture.

NSLI-Y and study abroad helped me become who I am today by showing me the beauty of linguistic and cultural exchange. I highly recommend studying abroad to anyone, regardless of your major of study, as there is so much to learn about the world around us and the people within it.

Support for this activity/conference/workshop was provided in part by the NSLI-Y 20th Anniversary Alumni Grants Program, an initiative of the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y). NSLI-Y is a program of the U.S. Department of State, administered by the American Councils for International Education. The opinions expressed herein are the author's own and do not necessarily express the views of either the U.S. Department of State or American Councils for International Education