Author: Kate

Honors alum Tsubasa Morioka reports on her Fulbright ETA experience

Tsubasa Morioka graduated in 2012 with a B.S. in Information Management & Technology and won the Capstone Award for best Professional project for her thesis “Analyzing the Tea Party Movement, the Coffee Party Movement, and the Occupy Wall Street Movement: Case Study on How the Internet Influences Grassroots Social Movement.” After graduation, she spent a year in South Korea as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant.

Want to learn more about the Fulbright Program?  CFSA is holding an information session on April 4th, 12:30-1:30 PM in HL 107. RSVP here: http://nationalscholarships.syr.edu/?event=friday-focus-are-you-interested-in-graduate-study-or-an-internship-abroad

(Cross-posted from the Center for Fellowship & Scholarship Advising (CFSA) blog.)

1) Tell us about a particularly humorous moment in South Korea – maybe a moment of culture shock or misunderstanding?

My insas (formal greeting to teachers, elders, etc) definitely improved after this year. You’re supposed to bow and say hello in a formal way (anyeonghashimnika). And you’re supposed to bow to a 90 degrees for a particularly important person like a principal at the school. Initially, I couldn’t help but try and maintain an eye contact with the person I was saluting, because I always do that when I greet people in the States. But this looks terrifying if you’re bowing to a 90 degrees, as it looks like you’re glaring at the person you’re saluting. I’m happy to report that I no longer give a withering glare.

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Tsubasa with host sisters.

 

2) Who has been a particularly interesting person that you’ve met?

I lived with a host family and I had three host siblings: one girl in high school, one boy in middle school, and one girl in elementary school who is currently a third grader, Jongwon. Jongwon is a funny, kind and precocious child who sometimes acts as my workout coach when we go to the nearby park to exercise after school. (She rides on her bicycle and I jog alongside, trying to keep up as she shouts out words of encouragement such as, “let’s go!’ and “too slow, Tsu!”) She was my constant companion at home, and taught me a lot about Korean culture and language.

3) Describe a memorable meal you’ve had – the food, company, and setting.

During Fulbright Orientation in July, when we had time to get to know other grantees, transition to life in Korea and learn Korean, we went to Donghae on a group excursion for the weekend. Donghae is by the sea so the seafood is amazing! So two other Fulbright grantees and I tried raw squid and its nerves were still in tact! The tentacles would suck onto my tongue as I tried to chew and swallow! We went hiking in the afternoon and talked and chilled til late at night by the beach. Needless to say, this weekend was one of my highlights during orientation.

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4) What are you doing for fun or relaxation?

I love going to the sauna with my host family on weekends! A sauna is a public, gender segregated bathhouse in Korea  consisting of a place to wash, a steam room, a hot tub, a cool tub, and a sauna. There’s another one called jimjilbang where you can stay overnight and they have various amenities like a game room and resting rooms. My host family and I usually go every Saturday to a sauna. Once you get used to it, it’s a fun, relaxing, cleansing experience where you get to bond with your friends and/or family members in a most unorthodox manner. Other than that, I like exploring around Korea with other Fulbright grantees and going to one of many idiosyncratic, nongeneric coffee shops in my city.

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Me, Rachel Young, and Jonathan Nwosu (all SU alums!) and Megan photobombing at a Donghae beach.

5) Tell us about your teaching assignment.  What’s your weekly schedule like?

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I teach about 16 hours a week. With 4th and 3rd graders, I co-teach with a Korean English teacher. With the rest of the grades, I teach on my own, but am often assisted by the home room teachers for giving instructions, etc. The classes are 40 minutes long. I have a small club class once a week with advanced English learners in the 6th graders. I also teach a very short, conversational English class for teachers during their weekly meetings for about 20 minutes.

As an elementary school teacher in Korea, I use a textbook for third through sixth graders for the majority of the time. I do phonics and literacy activities like letter recognition with first and second graders (and lots of singing).

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The weekly schedule:

Mondays: 6th graders (3 classes)

Tuesdays: 5th graders (3 classes)

Wednesdays: 4th graders (3 classes)

Thursday: 3rd graders (3 classes)

Fridays: 1st and 2nd graders (4 classes)

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6) Any advice for SU students applying to a Fulbright ETA?

Seek advice from various resources at SU early. (Honors Dept, advisors at your school, fellow peers, etc). Be engaged in activities that pertain to the grant type and the country you are applying to and write about it in your personal statement.

 

GoodByes (2)

 

 

CFSA Friday Focus session on research and funding for STEM majors

Attention STEM students! Read about Honors senior Allison Roberts’ research experience at the National Cancer Institute, a new cross-post from the Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising (CFSA) blog. We’ve been featuring SU student winners of nationally competitive awards and asking them 6 questions about their experiences.  

Want to learn more about research opportunities and other fellowships? Come hear from Professors Julie Hasenwinkel (engineering) and Larry Wolf (biology) about conducting research, REU and summer programs, and funding for graduate study.

 

Join us on March 28th and RSVP here: http://nationalscholarships.syr.edu/?event=friday-focus-tba-2

Allison Roberts poster presentation

1) You are in a lab at SU; how did you decide that summer research at the NIH would be a good fit for your current and future goals?

Based on my research experience in Professor Robert Doyle’s lab here at SU, and my summer research experiences in Professor Bil Clemons’ lab at Caltech, I was searching for another summer internship to further my research abilities. The NIH is a renowned research institution and when I realized there was a possibility that I could intern I was thrilled.

2) What was the most surprising aspect of your research experience?

The most surprising aspect of this experience was the independence I was given. I truly felt that I could go to anyone in the chemical biology laboratory and discuss my research, or about their work. It was a very open and collaborative atmosphere that was incredible for research and learning. It was also a unique experience to watch a new lab start up. I learned a great deal about what it really takes to start up a lab from scratch, important lessons that will pertain to my future career.

3) Who was a particularly interesting person that you met?

During my time at the National Cancer Institute, I became acquainted with Dr. Christopher Campbell, MD/PhD. Not only did he help me revise and polish my personal statement for my medical school application, he also discussed the realities of a career as an MD/PhD versus MD and ultimately played a crucial role in my decision to pursue an MD. His mentorship and guidance was incredible and I plan on staying in contact with him.

4) Tell us about your research in the lab. What did your daily schedule look like?

I always like to be in lab earlier than expected, so I would try to get in around 8:30am. From there I would check my emails and check on any experiments I had running. I then planned out my experiments for the day and started work. I had a great deal of independence, which really helped develop my confidence in my research. Throughout the day I would update Dr. Meier as I saw him. There were also weekly group meetings where members presented their research. I also attended a molecular imaging seminar as well as a career fair down at the NIH in Bethesda, MD. There were a great deal of career-oriented activities and seminars I could attend and I learned a great deal from them.

Allison Roberts with NIH lab group

5) What did you do for fun in Maryland?

Frederick, Maryland is a wonderful place to live. Market Street has a lot of quaint shops, as well as phenomenal places to eat. I also went hiking at Sugarloaf Mountain, and also drove out to Gettysburg, which was only about a half an hour away. Washington, DC is only a 45-minute train ride away. There is a lot of history surrounding Frederick as well as in the town itself.

6) Any advice for SU students applying for the Summer Internship Program with the NIH?

When applying to this program, you need to contact various principle investigators and show interest in their work. I was lucky in that Professor Doyle had a connection with a PI at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), so finding a lab I could work in wasn’t as difficult. Definitely do your research, look at the various kinds of research happening at the NCI, and don’t be afraid to do research outside your normal field. This will help diversify your knowledge and skill sets.

 Anything else you’d like to add? 

Working at the NCI taught me a great deal about the “upper” level of research. A lot of funding for research comes from the NIH/NCI, so being able to work there allowed me to see where it all comes from. The advanced technology and vast resources at my fingertips allowed me to truly develop as a scientist and explore career options.