Mia Martinez

Mia Martinez
Northwestern University
Freshman
Claremont, CA

Hi! I’m Mia Martinez, a ½ Korean, ¼ Mexican, ¼ Italian first-year student at Northwestern University from Los Angeles, California. My passion for language started during elementary school, when I would practice writing in Korean after my mom introduced me to BTS. We bonded by going to K-pop concerts and watching K-dramas together. My high school offered Mandarin, so I jumped at the chance to learn Chinese characters, the closest I could get to Korean. I received the Mandarin Award in 11th grade as the top student that year, and I loved the spoken presentations. My Korean mom grew up in a small town in the Midwest where she was rarely exposed to the Korean language. Eventually, my Korean language abilities surpassed hers. I visited Korea with my mom, brother, and aunties in 2019, dreaming of returning.

My dream came true in 2024 when I was chosen as a National Security Language Initiative for Youth Scholar to spend the summer in Seoul. I lived with a host family for seven weeks while studying Korean at Hanyang University. This State Department-sponsored total immersion program inspired me to continue learning Korean at Northwestern. I’m studying Journalism and Political Science, and minoring in Korean, hoping to become a diplomat or journalist. As a Posse Scholar at Northwestern, I’ve received a full-tuition scholarship and participate in intensive weekly leadership training with nine other Los Angeles scholars. I’m also a Sheil Catholic Scholar, deepening my faith, and a Kaplan Humanities Scholar. I’ve joined the Northwestern Club Tennis Team and the Korean American Student Association. In KASA, I embrace my culture with a community of welcoming friends and upperclassmen. I’m grateful and blessed to receive the SNUAA-USA Scholarship to study and live in Seoul again. I’m excited to return and experience life at Korea’s premier university.

My Reflection on the SNUAA USA Scholarship in Korea – Mia Martrinez