“Some people are afraid of those who are not like them, but I love meeting new people because I can learn about their culture and their language. I really like to see people’s happy faces when they’re discussing their different cultures, sharing their ideas, and sharing their personal experiences. My biggest interest is learning new things.

This is my second semester at the main University of Utah campus. I came here from studying at the Asia campus in South Korea where the classes are smaller but you can get to know your professors and classmates better. Part of the requirement of studying at the Asia campus is to come to the U.S. for two semesters to study at the main campus. The campus here is so massive, compared to Asia campus. I was afraid to come here at first but there are so many different classes and events I can choose from. There are a lot of diverse fields of study you can try; even though I’m majoring in a specific class I can integrate my learning with various studies. I’m exploring and expanding my career opportunities. Graduation is coming up but the reason why I’m graduating next semester is because I want to learn more.

While studying in Asia campus I was able to apply for an internship during the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics. I was afraid because I thought internships were only for the students who were really intelligent and know what they are doing. I was surprised when I was selected. I have a lot of friends like me who are afraid to try something new, to try an internship because even the word internship was heavy for me. But don’t be nervous. Just go try new things and believe in yourself.

Something new I tried while at school here was joining the women’s air pistol team. I was looking for a novel student club to join and something not found at the Asia Campus. First I joined out of curiosity and now I’m having so much fun with the team.

There are quite a lot of Asian students who want to make American friends here but they are afraid and just don’t know how. My advice to anyone is, just say hello to your classmates. That’s how you start. So don’t be afraid to talk to the Korean students. We’re going to be so friendly.”

—Youngjoo Cho, Class of 2020, B.S. in Strategic Communications, College of Humanities