NSLI-Y 2024 Korea – Week 6
Weekly Announcement 📣
The week of “lasts” has fallen upon us. Our last group activity. Our last class of learning. Our last peer partner meeting. Our last assessment. Our last time as a cohort. As the writer of this blog post, I hope to portray our week of “lasts” not as something to be sad about since it ended, but rather as something to rejoice in since it happened.
An Energetic Start to the Week 🥋
For our group activity this week,, our cohort took a 태권도 (taekwondo) class at the Dankook University gym!
NSLI-Y students stretch out before the beginning of class guided by their 선생님 (teacher).
Stephan readies himself to chamber a deadly kick to the paddle!
Gigi poses with the instructors after the lesson.
In the Classroom…🧑🎓
This week, our cohort concluded our Korean language classes. Here are some pictures of the final moments of learning at Dankook University!
Class 2 students (Abby, Hanan, Jude, Hazel, Jake, Stephan, and Karen) delve into the future tense and learn how to plan activities in Korean!
Class 1 students, Doris and Arjun, do a sample conversation to practice the “~(으)ㄹ까요?” grammar form, which is used to suggest something or ask for the listener’s opinions and thoughts.
In the last “learning” class ever at Dankook, Class 2 poses with their teacher, making a group heart, after giving her a framed picture as a 선물 (gift)!
Graduation! 🎉
After the completion of our final 시험 (test) on Thursday, we concluded our NSLI-Y program by giving our culminating project presentations. There were a variety of interesting topics ranging from beauty standards to the concerning population crisis in Korea. Next, we enjoyed our last lunch as a cohort nearby Dankook University. Finally, we received our graduation certificates from NSLI-Y!
Jake concludes his culminating project presentation about 공부 (studying) and 건강 (health) in Korea.
Hanan introduces her project on beauty standards for both men and women in Korea.
Jude, Doris, Hanan, Hazel, Abby, Stephan and the mentors (Nayeon and Joeun) enjoy their last lunch together nearby Dankook University!
Enzo, Andrea, and company enjoy their 포도 주스 (grape juice) during lunchtime.
The distinguished and now graduated NSLI-Y Korea class of 2024!
Mentors, Joeun and Nayeon, give Enzo a fun certificate of completion written in 한국어 (Korean) and a bundle of 한국 과자 (Korean snacks) for the flight back to America.
The Yongin Cohort works diligently on writing thoughtful notes to each other in their NSLI-Y Dankook “yearbooks” after the completion of the graduation ceremony.
Weekend last moments 😭
Jake spends his last full day with his host family at Yang Yang beach!
Andrea poses for a photo with her host mother at Yang Yang beach!
Arjun and his host brother ride the chairlift transportation system at Yongin’s very own amusement park: Everland!
Enzo enjoys his last dinner with his host family at a Korean barbecue restaurant!
Hanan enjoys her final moments in Korea with her peer speaking partner by taking some memorable pictures!
Doris spends quality time with her peer language partner over yogurt for the last time.
Author’s Remarks
It is hard to believe that our six-week excursion in Korea has come to an end. As we leave Korea, I’m sure that we all have mixed and uncertain feelings about reentering America again. Although many of these feelings may be sad or bittersweet, I can confidently say that everyone in this program has taken something valuable with them as they return to the states, whether it be something new that they learned about themselves, or something new that they learned about Korean culture and, obviously, the language itself. I wish all of my fellow cohort mates well as they embark on the next part of their journey, whether it be finishing out high school or moving on to university. I am curious to know what we will all do now and in the future having been impacted by the NSLI-Y Korea program so immensely.
Thank you for reading! 감사합니다!
Written by Jake, NSLI-Y Korea 2024 student
Post Script from Resident Director Madeline
Here is a quote to close out our NSLI-Y Korea 2024 weekly blogs. As the famous travel documentarian Anthony Bourdain once said, “Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.”