My Reflection on the SNUAA USA Scholarship in Korea – Jennifer Lee

This summer at Seoul National University gave me an experience I will carry with me for a long time. I arrived excited to study at my grandfather’s alma mater and to spend time in a country that has always been an important part of my life. I left with a fuller appreciation for Korea: its history and traditions, its people and landscapes, and the many ways its past and present come together.

At SNU, I took Introduction to Personality and Mental Health with Professor Park Young Soo and Topics in Future Healthcare with Professor Seo Jongmo. Both courses built naturally on my background in neuroscience while introducing me to perspectives on mental health and healthcare that I had not encountered in the same way before. I was especially grateful for the professors’ welcoming approach and the close classroom environment. In Topics in Future Healthcare, we were introduced to surgical tools used in operating rooms and had the opportunity to handle them while learning how they are used in practice. A visit to the SNUH Institute of Convergence Medicine and Technology extended this learning even further, giving us the opportunity to see how artificial intelligence and virtual reality are being explored for medical education and healthcare.

The program also reminded me that learning does not end when we leave the classroom. Cultural excursions to Gyeongbokgung Palace, the National Museum of Korea, Gwangjang Market, and the DMZ allowed me to encounter Korea through its history, traditions, and contemporary life. Some of my most meaningful moments happened between destinations. Traveling with students from around the world gave us time to exchange perspectives, learn about one another, and share our experiences of Korea. Seeing Korea through their eyes made me look more closely at aspects of my own culture that had always felt familiar, from its language and food to its customs and traditions.

I especially appreciated how the program encouraged us to learn about Korea by experiencing it firsthand. From traditional Korean cuisine to international restaurants and from historic sites to modern spaces shaped by technology and innovation, I found myself seeing familiar parts of Korea with fresh eyes. The experience deepened my appreciation for the ways Korea’s history, culture, and continued innovation exist alongside one another.

I am sincerely grateful to SNUAA-USA and, in particular, to Kwang and Kook-Wha Koh for making this experience possible. Their generosity allowed me to study at SNU and make the most of a summer that extended far beyond the classroom. I am proud to have been part of a community that invests in students and helps them build a deeper connection with SNU and Korea.

I return home proud of my country and even more curious about it. There is always another place to see, another story to learn, and, somehow, another reason to love Korea.