For context about me, I am a first-generation college student from my dad's side. He was born in Seoul, South Korea, and was adopted by a white catholic family when he was five. Growing up, I didn't know much about my Korean heritage because I was never taught any of it. When I got into MSU, I started to learn more about my Korean heritage. I eventually went to Seoul (the major city in South Korea). There, I was able to see myself grow into the person I've wanted to become for so many years. For the first time in my life, I can confidently say I found a place where I felt like I belonged. I found a group of people who had similar backgrounds to me and understood my experiences.

In Seoul, I finally broke out of this box that I put myself in for so many years. I finally let myself live. I stopped worrying about what others think about me. I gained confidence in myself that I had been lacking for years. I found a group of friends there that are genuinely some of the funniest people I have ever met. I also dove into my Korean background, exploring the city but also joining a KAD (Korean Adoptee) and DoKAD (Descendant of Korean Adoptee) group. I got to hear about their experiences of how they fell in love with Korea and the city itself.

I also got to work on an internship in Seoul, and I got to work in the Korean work culture and hear about what it's like to live there from native Korean Speakers. My experience abroad helped me find out what career fields I'm truly interested in pursuing. I found that I actually do like making content and coming up with ideas on a weekly basis and creating those ideas. I found that I would also be open to pursuing a job in covering Esports.

Having knowledge of the Korean language before leaving definitely helped, but I was able to find new ways of navigating the world and how to interact with people from different cultures but also in the workplace, I learned a whole new kind of work culture that will help me work better in any place I find myself working in the future.

But overall, my experience abroad helped me in my career so much. The experience I gained from my internship was unimaginable, especially during the small amount of time I was there. I am so thankful for my time spent in Korea. I am thankful for the experiences that I gained there, work-wise wise but also culturally and personally. This experience is something I will never forget and will always look back on.

• Name: Noah Nolan
• Status: Senior
• Major: Games and Interactive Media
• Hometown: Hudsonville, Michigan
• Program: Internships in Seoul