Waynesburg University’s exchange program partners with programs in Northern Ireland and South Korea. Typically, two students from Ireland attend Waynesburg University through the Study USA program every two to four years, while Ewha Woman’s University in Seoul, South Korea usually sends two students each semester, according to Admissions Counselor Robert Barnhart.

Even when exchange students go back to their own countries, their ties with Waynesburg do not end. While they are at Waynesburg, they form friendships and contacts they keep long after the semester or semesters they are here.

Barnhart said the university checks up on the exchange students after they leave through the relationships they make during the time they spend at Waynesburg.

“They often do become attached while they are here at the university. So, they will even connect through social media and some emails once in a while just to follow up, and they kind of keep track of us as well just to see what’s going on here and what’s new on the campus or what’s interesting,” Barnhart said.

Gina Park, a senior at Ewha Women’s University in South Korea, is double majoring in English and journalism. She spent the spring semester of her junior year at Waynesburg last year. Park said she believes coming to Waynesburg gave her a new perspective on her major and the world.

“It was a great opportunity for me to study in a totally different environment than I had back home. Since I only had one semester to stay [at Waynesburg], I tried to have diverse experiences with my new friends there. Being with people from different backgrounds and cultures definitely broadened my perspective of the world.”

Park plans to become part of a newscast after she graduates. She believes the classes she took while at Waynesburg will help her with her ambitions after graduation.

“I had a News Writing and Reporting class with Dr. Szuminsky, and it was one of the best choices I made at WU,” said Park. “Not only was I able to learn a lot of knowledge about journalism during the class, I could also have an opportunity to interview people and write articles, which helped me with both my English and writing skills. As part of the practicum hours, I also learned about the radio, which he recommended, and I’m sure that all those experiences will be very helpful for my future.”

Yunhee Kim also came to Waynesburg from Ewha Women’s University. She says the experiences she had here will make her stand out while looking for a job as a producer in her own country.

“I have a lot of experience from WCTV, and this experience will be special compared to other people who want to be producers in Korea. Also, I can speak English much better than before, so that makes me stand out even more,” said Kim. “Learning broadcasting and English from America can be a differentiation and a strength.”

Kim’s ambition is to become a producer of Korea’s entertainment television program. So, she did and internship with the Olympic Broadcasting System and is now looking for another internship or a part-time job with a broadcasting company to help her move further toward her goal.

Not only did Kim learn new skills at Waynesburg that will help her in her future career, but she also made friends and considers herself part of the Waynesburg University family.

“I experienced friendship beyond nationality from a lot of people at Waynesburg University. Waynesburg’s people were very kind to me and considered me as family and a friend,” said Kim. “I was very happy to be a friend and part of their family.”