Ha Eun Choi graduated last summer with a BA in Global Affairs and a minor in International Security. Upon graduating, she began a six-month internship at the United Nations Project Office on Governance (UNPOG) in Songdo. While working with UN professional staff at UNPOG, Choi realized she needed to obtain more professional knowledge in order to work at international organizations and UN entities in the future. She immediately started applying to graduate schools and as soon as she finished her internship, she began her master’s program in International Cooperation at the Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS) at Seoul National University (SNU).
“I owe it all to Mason,” says Choi, who credits Mason for her acceptance to graduate school. Choi entered Mason Korea as a Patriot Plus Program (PPP) student with zero study abroad experience. PPP allows freshmen to combine regular George Mason courses with additional language and learning support to help students improve their ability to learn in English. “PPP was extremely helpful for me—it helped me adjust to a US university and build a strong foundation for English for academic purposes,” reflects Choi. “From the moment I arrived at Mason, I made use of the various academic resources available and sought advice from my professors.”
Choi graduated as an academically outstanding student from George Mason University. Her academic achievement was instrumental to her acceptance to SNU GSIS, where all courses are conducted in English. She developed her academic expertise not only in the classroom, but also through activities such as the student fellowship program at Mason Korea’s Center for Security Policy Studies-Korea (CSPS-Korea). Her efforts paid off and she maintained a high GPA even while studying at the US campus.
Choi also held several internships during her undergrad years, including her internship with Olympic Broadcasting Services at the 2018 Pyeonchang Winter Olympic Games. At Mason Korea, she interned at the Career Development Center and also served as a Global Student Ambassador (GSA). In terms of student clubs, she was a staff writer for the school newspaper, The Voice, and one of the first members of Asian Boss Next (ABN), a collaboration with the media platform Asian Boss. “My English language skills exponentially improved through these activities, mostly through building relationships with various people. These experiences opened the door to my UN internship, which in turn led me to SNU GSIS.”
As someone who has seized every opportunity at Mason Korea, Choi urges her fellow Patriots to do the same. “I truly hope you know how privileged you are as Mason Korea students. Even though I didn’t start off my Mason Korea career with proficient English skills, I was able to excel at school, land an official UN internship, and now pursue a master’s degree in English because of the opportunities Mason Korea provided. Please actively visit your professors—I received constant advice and support from them. Frequently drop by the Career Development Center—find out about new internship opportunities and get counseling for your future career path. Take advantage of every resource and jump into your field of choice with confidence.”
To learn more about Mason Korea’s Patriot Plus Program (PPP), please click here.
To learn more about our Mason Korea’s Career Development Center (CDC), please click here.
May 15, 2021
