Why I picked Korean

In less than 10 days i’ll be spending the summer in Seoul with 49 other crackheads like me (that’s a joke, don’t do drugs kids). That’s still crazy to think about, and it only becomes real to me little by little. You may be wondering how I ended up with you lot, so here goes:

My name is Dominic Phillips, and I grew up in Plano, TX. If you know anything about my hometown, it’s probably that the city is filled to the brim with Asians. And by that I mean they’re everywhere. There are Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Indian grocery stores all over the place; there are great restaurants from a variety of cuisines, and you can even find a 노래방 or two. All this exposure to other cultures got me interested in international travel. If there’s one thing I most enjoy doing in life, it’s going abroad. Additionally, I enjoy learning languages (why else would I be here?). My school school offers Chinese, so I take that, but wanted a chance to learn something new.

When I found out about NSLI-Y, it was a dream come true. I get to live with a host family in another country and learn the language, for free????? I went in tho the application with a “Why the hell not?” attitude because I didn’t think I had a real shot of getting in. In the beginning, I was torn between applying for Russian, Arabic, or Korean. In the end I settled on Korean for a few reasons: 1) South Korea is such a highly developed country with so much cool stuff going on. I live for the city life sometimes. I can’t wait to explore Seoul and check out all the cool things the place has to offer 2) Hangul is sooo cool from a linguistic standpoint and so much more convenient than Chinese. Imagine not having to memorize a different character for every word and tell the difference between 4 tones. 3) My dream job would be to work for the State Department, so if I know Chinese and Korean (and maybe i’ll try Russian later who knows), i’ll be set.

The whole process went in kind of a blur, from the essays to the interview. I was overjoyed to hear that I was a semifinalist, and nearly lost it when I got accepted. I got the email during school and everybody was so confused why I suddenly had a mental breakdown. It may sound cliche, but getting that acceptance was one of the happiest moments in my life. To make things better, I have found in my fellow finalists a group of fun, intelligent, and supportive people from all over the country. I couldn’t ask for a better group to spend the summer with, and I haven’t even met any of y’all! Here’s to having a great NSLI-Y experience and growing together as Korean speakers!

Polluting the Internet, One Post at a Time

This is probably gonna be something I look back on and cringe, or colleges are gonna find and facepalm at during admissions but you know what I’m sleep deprived so impulse wins.

Sup, my name is LH.

I applied for NSLI in my sophomore year when my friend who was applying for Arabic told me about the program. At the time, I was self teaching myself Chinese because of the business opportunities and also the sheer number of people that spoke the language. Also, I wanted to impress some girls with some supreme i n t e l l e c t (that was also the reason I took Latin in middle school). I applied for the Chinese Summer program with extremely extremely banal essays. So banal, that if you read them and found them interesting, you’re probably the type of person that watches those live Chicken Cams online that show all those chickens running around and laying eggs or something weird like that. I won’t judge dog. Of course, I got rejected because I really didn’t have the right motivations for learning Chinese, and my future is probably not in that country. My essays also sucked.

This year though, I tried to do some introspecting. Now, I’m not the type of guy that introspects too often, I sort of just do things on impulse. Like writing this post at midnight. Anyways, I’m going off track. For those of you who don’t know, I’m half-Korean, and I work at a Korean school. I’m definitely not fluent, but I know enough to teach the really basic classes with young kids. I guess you could say I applied for that but I don’t really think that’s the big reason, you know. I might make a post on that later, no idea.

I really didn’t think that I’d get in. I kind of just applied just to apply. Somehow, stuff worked out and here I am writing this post. Welp, heres to NSLI 2019.

Be Proud of Yourselves

Our generation is very well acquainted with stress and even severe levels of anxiety that have not been seen with past young-adults. This is very specific to us and we are almost at home with this constant weight. This isn’t a neuroscience research paper, I promise. This is my blog post to remind you of how proud I am of all of us and how proud you should be of yourselves. It takes serious grit to even apply for a program like NSLI-Y, especially when we are in the midst of witnessing the terrible acts of others in the world and when we are trying our best to destroy the system we were put in by utilizing our right to education. This alone is very brave and it is so important that we are using this right when there are so many that can’t. We are learning and we are going to change the world that we know into one we can be proud of. In exposing ourselves to a whole other culture and life this summer, we will develop our empathy the way that is needed to better our society; because beyond everything, all we need is love.

여러분 많이 짜랑해용~~~

Farris ♡

To New Beginnings ~ Amanda

“HEY MANDY…..or should I say 안녕 맨디!”

In the midst of anxiously waiting for NSLI-Y results, I wrote two letters to my future self. One to read if I became a finalist, and one if I did not. Almost an hour past the release of two Korean programs, I almost gave up hope and read the dreaded “Open if you are not a finalist” letter. But sure enough with one more refresh, I found out I was set to explore Seoul, South Korea for the summer while deeply engaging with the language, the culture, and the people. To say I was excited is an understatement. Inspired by visits to Korea Town with my family when I was younger, I set out to learn the beautiful language myself two years ago. My old friends made fun of me for learning Korean and I had no one around me to help with my learning. The fact that all the effort I put in and taunting I brushed aside paid off, is huge to me. I hope to take this opportunity as not only a chance to improve my language skills and grow a better understanding of a new culture, but also as a chance to use what I know and will learn to uplift and help those around me. In a few days I’m headed off to meet the other finalist, who over these past few weeks have become sincere friends. I know this experience will be challenging at times and some days will be hard, but my dedication to  absorb as much as possible on this trip will push me through any tough moments. And while I’m excited to eat Korean food, visit karaoke rooms, and watch Hongdae street performers, I can’t wait to finally learn more about something I have been passionate about with those feel the same way. NSLI-Y has provided me and other students with a tremendous gift, one that I can’t wait to share and cherish forever.

SiriusA: The Complete Timeline for the NSLI-Y Applicant

Disclaimer: A complete chronology, this is very long and contains useful and anecdotal information concerning the NSLI-Y Application Process from being a Prospective Applicant all the way to being a Finalist.

안녕~ Heyo~ If you’re reading this blog post, you are probably either

A: a prospective NSLI-Yian (like Earthling, but for NSLI-Y)
Keyword: @Prospective

B: someone who was rejected from NSLI-Y
Keyword: @Hope

C: a Semifinalist
Keyword: @Semi

D: a fellow NSLI-Yian of the Class of 2019 (AYYYY WE MADE IT!!!)
Keyword: @Fellow

E: an alumnus NSLI-Yian who is reminiscing about the past
Keyword: @Alumni

F: a human being who has access to the Internet somehow 😉
Keyword: @Human

In an effort to provide the most relevant information to the appropriate reader, I’ve divided this blog post into sections. Feel free to skip to whatever fits your fancy by searching for the Keyword associated with each type.

For example, if you’re a Semifinalist, Ctrl F “@Semi” and jump to that section.
Of course, feel free to read on~
(Ctrl F for Windows, Cmd F for Macs, as of 2019/6/13)


@Prospective (for the Prospective NSLI-Yians)

The prospective NSLI-Yian goes through a variety of different phases.
(By the way, NSLI-Yians are people who receive scholarships to travel to a foreign country and become at least bilingual)
Listed below are some of the moods you might encounter for your convenience.

  • “wait. language scholarships are a thing? i got to apply”
  • “wait.. why are they so annoyingly expensive”
  • “wait… i get to travel and receive stipend and learn dat language? i got to apply to NSLI-Y”
  • “(internally wishes the selection committee to accept the application that you worked on for weeks/months)”
  • “(internally wishes the selection committee to accept the application that you worked on last week)” <– DON’T DO THIS
  • “/outwardly is super confident in your application because you poured your time, effort, sweat, and tears like you never have before”
  • “(internally doubts that you’ll make it even past the first round because it’s cOmPeTiTiVe)”

When I became a prospective applicant, I was pretty excited. I felt like I had nothing to lose by applying. I had self-studied Japanese for since middle school. Chinese was my heritage language and I was taking Spanish in school. The self-proclaimed language nerd, I literally wasn’t aware of the existence of study abroad scholarships until my high school Spanish teacher talked about it in class.

To be honest, i was S H O O K.

After the S H O O K phase, I went onto the NSLI-Y website and signed up to be reminded when the application came out.

NSLI-Y Application is Now Available!
This is the start line.

To be honest with you, there are just so many blog posts on the Internet that have advice for the prospective student.

My Advice: Don’t study a dozen or more blog posts and over-analyze them (even though you think you’re not)

Do, however, plan for every requirement the application offers — recommendation letter, transcript, essays, logistical data tasks.

Example:
August 2018 — I received the notification
September 2018 — I asked my Spanish teacher for a rec letter, brainstormed my essays, took time on the weekends to do the annoying logistic tasks, etc.
October 2018 — I submitted my application.

And most importantly, pour your entire heart and passion into your application.

“If the other person can see your linguistic passion leap off your application, you’re a strong applicant.”

– Jonathan, NSLI-Y Summer Seoul Finalist

Personally, I think this was the defining characteristic of my application, and though I am not on the committee that selects applicants, I’m sure that skimming through the links I’ve posted below will show this to be one definite way to become a NSLI-Yian.

My Curated List of Links
Instructions: Just skim these.

Good Luck! and Don’t Procrastinate!


@Hope (for those who were rejected)

You(ノT_T)ノ ^┻━┻ NSLI-Y
(ノT_T)ノ ^┻━┻

Hey,

Perhaps you just saw the notification five minutes ago, or it’s already been a couple of months now.

How are you doing?

Perhaps you’ve been taking it a bit too hard on yourself, or you’ve kept replaying the one thing you’re sure ruined your application or interview.

Perhaps you’re confused. Perhaps you’ve given up.

Here’s a tip.

STOP

Why? Three Reasons.

One — Because replaying your supposed mistakes aren’t helping you.

Two — Because with every new application cycle, you have a chance to demonstrate your newfound appreciation or linguistic awesomeness in your application.

Three — Because your rejection now says nothing about your future destiny.

Perhaps you’ve stopped, and reflected on your application, and what this means in your future…

Will you decide to stay down

Or stand back up?

To reflect on how you could improve your application

To further explore your fascination with said language and culture.

No matter what your motivation is for applying, no matter what your background is, no matter how many foreign languages you know, you can do it.

The next step is yours to take.


@Semi (For those awaiting their interviews, aka Semifinalists)

At this point in the NSLI-Y Application process, you might be feeling one of the following moods.

  • “(impatiently waiting for my notification)”
  • “(S H O O K when you passed the first round)”
  • “(dancing in the car outside the library because you didn’t want to make a scene in the library)” <– tbh, this was me
  • “/realizing that you have to do an interview”
  • “/again scrubbing the internet for tips on interviewing”
NSLI-Y Semifinalist Notification Letter
DO YOU KNOW HOW s h o o k I WAS WHEN I SAW THIS

My ADVICE – Don’t scrub the Internet looking for a dozen blog posts and keep sTrEsSiNg oUt.

Do practice interviewing with someone like your high school counselor or your foreign language teacher.

Do watch your email inbox vigilantly for any updates from the interviewer. (They got a lot of people to interview, make sure they don’t forget you want to interview)

“Fill your interview time with your fascination with said language and your unique perspective, as if you were talking with a friend who loves foreign language and culture.”

– Jonathan, NSLI-Y Summer Seoul Finalist

Quite frankly, your interview CAN BE that friend who loves foreign language and culture. Literally in my interview, I couldn’t stop talking about how fascinated I was with Korean, its unique alphabet, its similarities to Japanese, and . . .
I’m going to stop here.

Because you have your own unique reasons for learning said language, whether it be Korean or otherwise.
Build off of that to create a wonderful experience in your interview.

Go show that interviewer what you’ve got! You can do it!

P.S. If you want, here’s my curated list of links for you to SKIM.
(Don’t over-analyze these y’all)

other resources
http://www.nsliy-interactive.org/2018/02/08/safety-on-nsli-y-2017-programs/
https://shraddhajoshiblog.com/advice-from-alumni/
http://www.leadwithlanguages.org/lwl-language/japanese/
http://www.leadwithlanguages.org/lwl-language/korean/
http://www.leadwithlanguages.org/language-programs/summer-programs/
https://nhastyinkorea.wordpress.com/
http://www.nsliy-interactive.org/2018/02/12/summer-in-seoul/


@Fellow (for all my Fellow NSLI-Yians!!!!!)

AYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I know for all of us in the KakaoTalk group chat for the Seoul Summer program, one recurrent theme is how excited everyone is to meet one another.

This blog post is so long, so I decided to split it.

Click this link <> to read my blog post about my reflections and observations since I’ve become a NSLI-Y Finalist~


@Alumni (for the honorable NSLI-Y alumni)

Frankly, I’m not an alumnus yet, but I can attempt to write a blog post as if I am writing a time capsule letter to myself.

Feel free to check out my separate blog post here at <>.

Note to Future Self: Making my first blog post is pretty cool, but not when pulling an all-nighter because sTrEsS.


@Human

Thus, this extremely long blog post concludes.
I hope this blog post was of use and aided you in educating or entertaining you.

I recently started my own personal blog, which aims to record my adventures on this Earth throughout my lifetime. Feel free to click HERE if you want to check it out.

전말 감사합니다~

The Past 2½ Years ~ Zackary

I started my NSLI-Y journey 2½ years ago.

December 2016: I discover NSLI-Y because I remember my brother applied to go to China for the summer, and I say, “wuh :0 i wanna do that.” Unfortunately I am about a month too late to apply, and I have to wait many more months before the next round.

January-August 2017: I spend a LOT of time checking the website, waiting for some updated news about the next application cycle to come out. I am obsessed with reading NSLI-Y blogs and watching NSLI-Y vlogs, especially ones about going to Korea (😉) because those were the most common ones I could find on YouTube.

September 2017: Eventually the 2018-2019 application cycle opens my Junior year, and I’m PUMPED that I finally get to apply.

October 2017: Obviously I wait until the last week before they’re due (that’s actually not too bad procrastination-wise for me), write my essays, fill out a few boxes, and send out my application for NSLI-Y CHINESE (oops) Summer.

November 2017: I spend every waking hour thinking about my application.

December 2017: I receive notification that I’m a semi-finalist, and I think, “:D” I join the semi-finalist Facebook chats and the Chinese applicant chat, meet some amazing people, and make some great friends (@Ciara (she’s got into to Chinese Summer and is going to Chengdu this year!!), @Herb Chair, and so many others that I can’t name them all 💃)

January 2018: I go to my interview, and I think it goes swimmingly (I watched my interviewer’s NSLI-Y Korean vlogs beforehand by coincidence, and I had done a lot of preparation and interview practice, so everything was best-case-scenario YOU WOULD THINK).

February 2018: I never stop thinking about NSLI-Y.

March 2018: My rejection letter comes. Alas, I was a fool 😦 I read over my essays and noticed some FATAL FLAWS (they were really bad) and I get kinda depressed 😥

April-September 2018: I have to get NSLI-Y off my mind, and c**lege appl******ns are right around the corner, so I decide to focus on other things. I ditch the NSLI-Y community that I was so attached to in order to write Common App essays and prepare for senior year.

October 2018: I have 2 days before my NSLI-Y app is due and I have 5 days before my early decision dReAm ScHoOl app is due. I eek, and I shriek. My NSLI-Y app is blank and I still have to write 4 essays for college, on top of a busy schedule for school, homework, orchestra rehearsals, a critical band concert, and about 3ish hours of sleep a night. I submit my applications to NSLI-Y (Korean Summer this time 😉) and college. I die.

November 2018-February 2019: I resurrect from the dead. I get into college. I get a NSLI-Y semi-finalist email. I have my interview (barely (the system forgot about me and the interview also goes very poorly because I was sick and very socially inept that day, plus I had the most important audition of my life thus far afterward AND an orch concert after that)). Unlike last time, I forget about my NSLI-Y application and prematurely accept defeat.

March 2019: The unthinkable. I’m at my friends house playing board games and eating chips when the Korean semi-finalist Kakaotalk starts blowing up. I see that people have received acceptance emails. My inbox is empty. I feel the same burning pang of sadness in my gut as I begin to accept defeat. My friends and I go on a walk in the rain along a train track in the woods, and the last piece of hope in me decides to refresh my inbox. I see an email from NSLI-Y.

AAAAAAAAAAAHHHCKKKKFKENWJWBIDNXKALWLJFJCNDKWNKABCKDNFMSMWJWBJKZPKQUWKCIRLEJHSNZKSJNCKMWIWGYABCOELPQLWKXNUXBCHJAJEESDF

  • The road: bumpy :^/
  • The friends: made Ɛ>
  • The despair: occurred :^(
  • The hope: persisted :^)
  • The lessons: learned :^0
  • The future: bright :^D

Now I’m here talking with 49 of my new bestest chingus (if you don’t speak Korean that means friends :3) on Kakaotalk more excited than I’ve ever been. I’ve been studying so much vocab for the past months to prepare, and I simply cannot wait.

If you’re a NSLI-Y applicant reading this, I hope you learn that the path to NSLI-Y is a r d u o u s but so so much fun, and it will be a journey in and of itself before you even begin to think about going to another country 🙂

The Beginning~ Jay

I was always intrigued about the complexities of the world. From its languages to its cultures, the world seemed like a place with endless possibilities. These endless possibilities propelled me into the position that I am in now— a NSLI-Y finalist who is going to spend 7 weeks in Seoul, South Korea. I knew this would only be the beginning.

I found out about NSLI-Y through an internet friend that I had made. She was aware of how interested I was in Korean culture and the language itself so she recommended the program. My initial thought was that I would never get into a program with such a competitive reputation, but I was never one to completely let a challenge stop me in my tracks. With my head held high and the support of countless friends and family members( to which I will always be grateful for), I went to work on the application process. I wrote down deadlines on sticky notes; I placed reminders on my phone to remind teachers about recommendation letters; I read the various blogs from alumni who had gone through the same process for insight. It was an ongoing process that at times made me worry quite a lot. I’ve never been one to be outright confident in getting accepted into something since I always told myself that there was a chance I would not get accepted. I live by the motto, “Expect the best but prepare for the worst.”

Luckily, on December 3rd, at exactly 5 p.m., I got the semi-finalist notification. I was ecstatic to say the least. I continued to prepare myself for the next part of the process: the Interview. With the help of an alumni from last year’s program, I was able to better prepare for the interview. I was lucky enough to be interviewed by someone who was comforting in her questions and extremely approachable. To my interviewer, if you see this, thank you :). The waiting process was agonizingly long. It felt like every other week my friends or family would ask if I heard back from NSLI-Y. This span of time between December and March, I did not stop repeating the motto mentioned before. It was allowing me to accept that if I did get in, great, but if I didn’t get in, life will go on. As life would have it, it all worked out.

I didn’t know I received the finalist email until I got home from work. I was a bit stressed due to the week that had just passed. I walked into my house and my parents decided they had to talk to me. At the time, there was a little voice in my head that said it was about the NSLI-Y program but I didn’t pay much mind to it. It was not until I read my parents email that said, “Congratulations on your (or your students) acceptance as a finalist.” As soon as I read the word finalist, I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Just recounting it right now makes me feel exactly what I felt— a tingle in my fingers and rapid beating of my heart. To be extremely honest, I cried in such a way that surprised me. With the stress from the previous week and the constant nagging voice that assumed I wouldn’t get in, the news had me hunched over trying to catch my breath; I couldn’t stop laughing and crying at the same time. I was relieved that all the waiting had paid off and all my work into the interview had paid off as well as the work I put into the essays. I will forever be grateful for getting in on my first try. For those who read this in the future, know that your hard work will pay off in one way or another; Believe in yourself.

I didn’t mean to make this as long as it came out lol whoops. So yeah, that was the beginning of what’s to come. I am currently counting the days down until I leave to Seattle with 49 other people that I am dying to meet. These are the people who I alluded to in my essays; The people that I hope to make connections with that will last a lifetime. Please enjoy our journey as we venture to Seoul. Thank you for reading.

🙂

oh hello there – sophie

Hey guys! I’m Sophie. I’m from the Dallas, TX area and as of right now, I’m a senior in high school (I graduate in three days wowow). I’m so excited to spend my summer in Seoul with my fellow NSLI-Yians! (idk if I spelled that right LOL)

A little bit about my application process: This is my first year applying for NSLI-Y, and by some miracle, I got in! I didn’t find out about the program until like maybe two weeks before the application deadline, when a girl in my Chinese class, who’s a China summer alumni, shared the program with us. Once I heard about it, I knew I needed to apply, even though it was super last minute. Of course, my NSLI-Y app had to coincide with college apps, but I managed to get everything done after a few (aka many) sleepless nights. In my essays, I mainly emphasized how much I enjoy learning languages and how NSLI-Y would be beneficial for my future career goals, since I’m planning to major in international business (hook ’em 🤪🧡🤘🏼), and I hope I can live and work abroad in East Asia in the future.

When I found out I was a finalist, I was so surprised but also so so so ecstatic; I actually started shaking hahaha. I was really nervous after my interview because I thought I didn’t do well, but I guess I doubted myself too much. I’m a little sad that I’m going to spend my last summer before I go off to college away from my friends and family, but I’m so thankful for this opportunity, and I’m definitely going to make the most out of it!

It still hasn’t really hit me that I’ll be spending seven weeks of my summer on the other side of the planet, but I’m so ready because I know it’s going to be amazing. I don’t know how often I’ll be posting, but I’ll try to update at least once a week once program starts. I’m hoping to make one of those “one second a day” videos and I’ll definitely share it with y’all once I finish it!

Thanks for reading my rambling and I hope you enjoy following us on our journey!

And so it begins- Daniel

It’s real right?

Honestly, I still can’t believe that I’m going to South Korea this summer. Its been a wild ride so far and I hope it keeps on going. I’m not too sure of what I’m even supposed to do to stay patient (lol).

I’m hoping that this journey will help me a lot in the long run. Especially since I want to teach in Korea after college. But hey you’re not here for me to keep rambling on like an old man (or are you?) I guess I’ll also drop what exactly happened on the day I got accepted.

It was honestly just like any other day, go to school, study, die a little inside from it, and come home. I remember seeing the email that said I was chosen as a finalist and I just sprawled out on my bed with a huge smile on my face… it would’ve probably creeped anyone one honesetly…

But after that moment I’ve been able to meet so many unique and interesting people in both the NSLI-Y Finalist Kakao chat and Semi- Finalist chat. Hopefully, I’ll make a couple of good friends too on program.

But until June 24th, I guess I’ll just be stuck here in good ol’ Virginia bored outta my mind eh? This is how it begins. Just like any other journey, with a single step.

You’re probably wondering how I ended up in this situation – Ava

“Wait so… Where are you going this summer? Ohhh, haha not North Korea though, right? Hahaha, get it? Ok, but why are you even going?”

That’s the reaction I get when I tell people about NSLI-Y. I have two uncles who are Korean adoptees and have been studying the language for four years, have spent a few birthdays away at Korean language immersion camp, and it’s become a huge part of my life. But never mind all that. I’ll tell you why else I’m going, and why I’m going with NSLI-Y.

I heard about NSLI-Y three years ago and knew I was going to apply. I had been looking to study abroad for two years before that, but every program was around $6,000, which definitely wasn’t happening. For two years, I timidly followed a large sum of Instagram accounts and blogs to keep an eye on the program, and decided that my prime time was summer after my junior year. When I applied, I told everyone. Teachers, family, classmates, my dentist; I was so thrilled to even apply for this program. But I didn’t bank on getting in. After all, it was extremely competitive. I spent a couple weeks on my application and sent it in, expecting nothing back. I went on with my life, and then was slapped in the face by my semi-finalist notification in December. Things were getting serious.

I had always dreamt of traveling the world. Minnesota is not exactly somewhere I’d consider thrilling, especially after 16 years of it. I had only been to the surrounding midwestern states, rural Georgia to visit family, and and Chicago, once. I love huge cities, airports are exciting, and I have always longed to venture further than the small terminal of MSP. But it was never in the budget. I never had a passport, because even if I did, the furthest I’d get to go was southern Canada, by terribly long road trip. Other study abroad programs were thousands of dollars. It didn’t help that my stepsisters, who have family in Spain, toured Europe every summer, and sometimes twice a year. I felt like my own family was living my dream and I was never able to. Admittedly, I still feel so jealous of them. I’m just glad that this summer, instead of watching them have the summer of their lives while working full time, I’ll be having the summer of my life a bit further east of them.

After making semi-finals, I went out and told literally everyone I could talk to, again. For some people this kind of thing was a vacation. For me, with big dreams of travel and language learning, applying for my first ever passport was a dream come true. I had been outside, observing the program for so long. Actually doing it, going through the motions, was absolutely insane to me. It was only during semi-finals that I realized so many other applicants were doing the exact same things as me. I joined Facebook groups, chats on Kakaotalk, the whole lot. I started to really anticipate spending time with these people, to finally meet a group of such like-minded people, to properly get to know them all.

Before, I had been set on not telling myself I’d get in. After all, I’d make the most of my summer either way! But after meeting and talking to these people for a few weeks, I wanted to spend my summer with them so bad. The people I’ve met through my journey learning Korean have been so impactful and irreplaceable. From camp to NSLI-Y to the 할머니 at the Korean market, I have been connected to amazing people with diverse experiences and made lifelong friends. It’s these people that have kept me studying hard, moving forward, and made all my efforts worth it.

The day finalist notifications came out, I couldn’t stop smiling. I was representing South Korea at a 3-day, statewide Model UN conference when it happened. I sat in my committee smiling like an absolute fool while everyone discussed heavy topics. I probably looked like a terrible person. I called my mom and told her right away. I told the group chat. I told my committee chair, who (surprise!) told me she spent last summer in Jeonju, and was in the runnings for Academic Year this year. (If you ever read this, congrats Sophie!) During evening activities, I mini-celebrated with all my friends; I was surrounded by people who were supportive and excited for me, and nothing felt better. I hadn’t realized how much I wanted NSLI-Y. There was a weight off my shoulders suddenly, an enormous one I hadn’t felt until I realized I didn’t feel it anymore. From then on, school got easier, I got happier, life moved on a little bit smoother. I had done the seemingly impossible.

I am so fortunate and very, very lucky to have made it my first year applying. It’s been my dream for a long time, but it was still my first time around. There’s no tricks, no strings you can pull. I just got lucky.

Here’s the version I tell my confused onlookers: I’ve been studying for a long time and I won an amazing scholarship, I would be an idiot not to take all of the amazing opportunities it presents me with.

As I gear up for this summer, I really hope things start feeling real. Because right now, with only 35 days left in Minnesota, they still don’t. I am filled with excitement, passion, and four years of built up anticipation, but am still struggling to process the amazing opportunity I’ve been handed. I have started writing on my own blog, and you can read more about my experience with Korean and overall language learning HERE.

This is going to be the best summer of my life. Of so many of our lives. So many dreams are coming true. Thanks for coming along.