BA in Global Affairs

Global Study, Global Leadership

Sohee Kim, 2022

Sohee Kim

Sohee Kim (Class of 2022, Global Affairs major), is becoming a true global leader. In 2019, she attended the Global Classrooms International Model United Nations (GCIMUN) in New York and this semester, she started an internship as a researcher at Re-Shaping Development Institute (ReDI).

Sohee has always had her eyes set on international institutions. From her decision to choose Global Affairs (GLOA) as her major to her current internship, she has worked towards actively building her resume to reflect her interests. She participated in Global Classrooms: Seoul held by MUN in January this year and was Head Chair of the United Nations Human Rights Council. She was then selected as Best Chair, leading to her opportunity to participate in GCIMUN.

GCIMUN helped broaden Sohee’s cultural understanding. “After the conference, we had a chance to visit the UN Headquarters and had our closing ceremony there,” she said. “It was a really great experience. It was more interesting to debate with people from different cultures with different ways of thinking.” She was also able to use these experiences when writing her application for the internship, which included a written test as well as an interview. Sohee wrote about her own experiences in the field and shared her future aspirations during the interview.

sohee

However, her colorful resume did not come without its own set of challenges. English is not Sohee’s first language as she completed most of her education in Korea. But she did not let this become an obstacle and worked diligently to improve her English proficiency and writing skills at Mason Korea. “Before the MUN Conference, the chair has to write a 15-page report about agenda items so that delegates can research for the conference,” she said. “When I wrote chair reports in high school, it took more than a month to finish it. However, this time, I could write it in a week.” Throughout her time in college, Sohee learned how to find good academic sources and developed solid writing skills.

Building these skills in college has definitely paid off. As a researcher in her internship, Sohee has to find information on developing countries in order to strategize how to implement various projects. She is constantly reading about different cases of international institutions and donor countries and how they have functioned in the past. “Research skills that I learned during the semester helped me a lot,” she said. “My job requires a large amount of research, but researching in English is what I do all day at Mason Korea, so it isn't hard for me.” She also found the material covered in her GLOA, Government, and Conflict Analysis classes relevant and applicable.

sohee

“Don't be tied to Mason Korea only” are her words of advice for her fellow Mason Korea students. “Look for great activities outside of school. Students can meet new friends and gain memorable experiences. I have so many friends around me who say they don't have anything to write on their resume. It's not hard to find something to put on your resume if you actively look for opportunities.”