In this blog post, I’ll summarize what I learned, focusing on my academic efforts, school activities, and experiences with compassion and giving during my time in high school.

Academic Experiences and Reflections

There is a saying that to truly understand a country’s culture, you must first learn its language. As a child, I lived in the United States while my parents were working abroad, so I naturally began speaking English; as a result, I felt somewhat distant from the Korean language and culture.
When I entered high school in Korea, the hardest part to adjust to was the language barrier. I wanted to socialize with my friends, but because communication wasn’t smooth, I felt lonely. To overcome this, I decided to study Korean systematically, from the basics to advanced levels.
The method I chose was to focus on my textbooks. Korean language textbooks contain a structured framework for improving language skills—such as speaking, reading, and writing—which served as my compass for learning Korean. I started by rereading middle school Korean textbooks, gaining a broad understanding of literary works, the history of the creation of the Korean alphabet, and the characteristics of the Korean language.
In high school, I actively took speaking classes and consistently practiced reading aloud from the textbook in front of the class, even when my pronunciation was awkward. I built background knowledge through reading courses and honed my sentence-structuring skills through writing, which helped me gain confidence in the language as a whole.
As a result, my language grades steadily improved. Although I initially scored at Grade 5 or below, I rose to Grade 3 or higher through textbook-based study, and later, by studying classical poetry and modern novels in depth, my grades improved to Grade 2.
My friends, who were initially awkward around me, began to help me after seeing my consistent effort, and thanks to that, I was able to naturally expand my social circle. Through this experience, I realized that language is the starting point for cultural understanding, and that systematic learning materials, such as textbooks, are the best teachers when it comes to studying a language.

Major School Activities and Reflections

After entering high school, I struggled to adapt to all subjects, but I felt confident in English. Thanks to my natural pronunciation and reading and writing skills, I was appointed class president and leader of the English conversation club. The English conversation club operated during creative elective periods, focusing on topic-based discussions.
We practiced conversation by reading original English novels (e.g., Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, etc.) for a week and then gathering to discuss the characters and plot. As class president, I moderated the discussions, posing questions and summarizing presentations to guide the conversation.
The biggest challenge I faced while running the club was getting participants to open up and speak. My friends felt awkward and afraid just to start speaking in English, and they were hesitant because they didn’t know how to begin. Since this issue directly affected the overall atmosphere of the activity, I had to come up with a solution.
First, I selected books that my peers would find interesting but that weren’t too difficult. I chose works written in a style that could be understood through context, so they wouldn’t give up because of unfamiliar vocabulary, and during discussion time, I summarized the content first to create a relaxed atmosphere. I also presented topics related to daily life to make them more accessible.
For example, I chose simple yet discussion-worthy topics, such as thoughts on boarding school life or opinions on discrimination, and asked questions to elicit responses so that participants could speak comfortably. As a result, my friends gradually gained confidence, became more comfortable expressing themselves in English, and became more actively engaged in the activities.
Through this experience, I learned not only language skills but also facilitation and leadership skills, as well as how to create an environment where members feel comfortable speaking up. The process of communicating and leading through English sparked my interest in career paths that require communication and leadership, such as the field of international trade.

Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation, and My Reflections

During my sophomore year of high school, I had the opportunity to participate in a two-week homestay program for exchange students. The program allowed students from Canada and the United States to experience Korean classes and explore Korean culture, and I was assigned to host one of the exchange students, ○○○.
Since ○○○ had a deep interest in Korean culture and history, I was worried about whether I could properly introduce these topics to them. So, I prepared in advance and sought help from friends to create a more comprehensive itinerary.
During class observations, I took the language barrier into account by explaining things in English or teaching simple Korean to convey the lesson content, and I also had ○○○ join my English conversation class to give them a chance to share what high school life is like in the U.S. On weekends, we visited historical sites in Seoul, such as Gyeongbokgung Palace and Gwanghwamun, and I tried my best to convey the cultural context by adding explanations based on my own knowledge.
I also took ○○○ to Itaewon and Insadong, places they had wanted to visit, to introduce various aspects of Korean culture; in the process, I discovered many new facts about Korea that I hadn’t known myself. Above all, I was deeply impressed by the thoughtfulness of one of my friends, who stepped in to explain things I wasn’t familiar with; witnessing this made me realize just how meaningful it is to help others.
Through this experience, I reaffirmed the connection between language and culture, and learned that a considerate attitude toward others is what makes true cultural exchange possible. The process of preparing, explaining, and collaborating as a host taught me the importance of striving to understand others, as well as the valuable lesson that small acts of consideration can build great trust.