ISA Internships in Seoul, South Korea

Overall participating in my internship helped me not only improve personally but also helped me learn more about my career path. As well as expanding my knowledge of the Korean language and broadening my view of different cultures. I enjoyed my time in South Korea, and it was bittersweet when the program came to an end. I'm glad I got to make a lot of relationships abroad and explore my individuality!

Hello! I am Cameron, I went to South Korea through ISA for the Late Summer, Fall, and the Winter Seasons, and it was my favorite memory and makes me want to go back A.S.A.P! Going to the country without prior knowledge of the language I was able to learn through the classes I had taken at Korea University and immerse myself quick enough that I did not struggle as much as one would think. I love food, and it was so easy to get a quick bite to eat or have a nice sit down meal with friends and colleagues, during my first week a meal was set-up through the program where everyone in the program was able to have a sit-down nice meal where we learned each other's names and ate great Korean Fried Chicken! Pro's: Food, Culture, People you meet, Overall Experience Con's: When you leave you just want to go back !

I knew I wanted to study abroad at some point during college, but when when the whole world closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic during my spring semester of my freshman year, I lost hope in that dream. However, I was able to achieve this milestone when I attended study abroad information sessions and connected with our study abroad office. They directed me to a portal full of all types of programs from around the world. I knew I wanted to go to Asia, and I could only afford a summer semester. Eventually, I narrowed my desired country down to South Korea, in which I chose ISA Abroad's internship program. I mainly chose to be an intern over enrolling in classes because of affordability and I didn't need to earn any more credits. I wanted to graduate at the same time as my peers in May 2023, so it made more sense to experience this opportunity in a different way. I also loved the idea of feeling like I was living and working in a foreign country almost independently. From start to finish, the program was exactly what I needed to grow as a student and a young adult. I made numerous connections and friends once I returned home, and I felt a new sense of self efficacy in myself. A lot of the friendships I made were also possible due to the few field trips we took as a whole. The staff of ISA were also very helpful from when I first applied all the way to the end of the program. There was a tremendous amount of support for us without any sort of micromanaging or infringement on our autonomy. Even when students began getting sick, our supervisor was able to take us to clinics and pharmacies. Personally, my match with my employer was incredible! I learned so much about marketing and travel agencies, but most importantly, I learned a lot about Korean geography, history, and culture. I couldn't have asked for a better boss and coworkers! There were some downsides to this program. We did not live in apartments located based on our companies like we were initially told, which I was actually very excited about. Consquently, my commute was an hour away from our hotel. At times, there were moments where the amount of work I did compared to interns at different complanies felt unfair, but I understand this isn't necessarily ISA's fault. It went the same for the hours I worked compared to peers because I didn't have as much freedom in my schedule. Despite it all, I still had an amazing and fulfilling experience through ISA's intern program. This entire summer has permantly shaped who I am. I would do it all again if I could!