About

I have always had a desire to explore new worlds and new environments. My personal and intensive ‘intercultural experience’ began when I was working as a journalist in Seoul, Korea. For my work I interviewed people from diverse backgrounds in terms of their professions, educational levels, socio-economic status, and ages. It was a truly eye-opening experience that prepared me to leave my comfort zone and reach out for connections with others, no matter how different their backgrounds are from mine.

The second phase of my intercultural coming-of-age started when I immigrated to the United States right after getting my Master’s degree. Moving to the U.S. seemed a logical decision to me when I was dreaming and planning to expand my horizons. As an immigrant, I experienced my share of struggles while trying to adapt to the new cultural environment of the U.S. and trying to overcome the language barrier. These experiences, however, have also been very enlightening to me as they have helped me put my life in perspective.

I am very confident that I can help you improve your communication in intercultural settings. My personal experiences, combined with my strong academic background – BA in journalism, MA in mass communication, and Ph.D. in communication – will serve as great resources in my efforts to provide you excellent service.


Education
Ph.D., Communication, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
M.A., Mass Communication, Sogang University, Seoul, Korea
B.A., Journalism, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea

Work Experience
In addition to working as a communication consultant, I have been working as a speech communication instructor at several colleges in Southern California. Before my teaching career, I worked as a public relations and research manager at the Korean Chamber of Commerce in New York City, and as an English/Korean interpreter for legal and medical cases. I have also taught Korean language at the Korean-American Community School in Columbus, Ohio. Before immigrating to the U.S., I worked as a journalist for the monthly magazine ‘Ju-Bu-Seang-Whal’ in Seoul, Korea.

Languages
Korean, English, French, and Japanese

I have a great passion for learning languages, which I believe opens the door to the world. I am fluent in Korean and English and am conversational in French and Japanese.

Volunteer Experience
I have taught ESL at an adult school in Columbus, Ohio and am currently volunteering as an ESL tutor as a member of ProLiteracy America.

Interests and Hobbies
I love to visit foreign countries and meet people from different cultures. I enjoy learning about different ways of living in different cultures and experiencing commonalities of human bonds in spite of all the differences. For the same reason, I love to watch foreign movies and study foreign languages. I am conversational in both French and Japanese and am fluent in Korean and English. I also love to hike: I have hiked the Grand Canyon (2007), Halla Mountain (2008) on Jeju island, Korea, and many local mountains in Southern California.