Projects
|
FAQ
|
Announcements
#Increased patience; greater self-reflection #Project execution ability; sense of accomplishment #Experienced the advantages and disadvantages of self-directed activities
For someone who wants to reflect on their abilities orI recommend it to people who have the determination to try doing anything from start to finish on their own.
Harvard student heads to Thailand to brighten the world / Son Jae-eun — gap-year participant / 12-week gap year |
Q.Please give a brief self-introduction.
Hello, I''m Son Jae-eun, a university student majoring in English literature.
I''m in the English Language and Literature department, but I wasn''t good at English..I didn''t attend school regularly.
Q.What made you choose this program among Korea Gapyear''s various gap year programs?
I had a consultation with Director An Si-jun before choosing a gap year program. He came to know my personality and tendencies very well, and since he recommended this program, I decided without much deliberation.
Q. Have you always been interested in volunteering and engaged in it?
When I was in elementary school, my mother emphasized the importance of volunteering, so I experienced it a few times.. HoweverAs I grew up, those opportunities disappeared, and I didn''t look for volunteer activities myself..
Q.Jae-eun, you also took a gap year doing volunteer work in Cambodia, right?
What are the differences between your activities in Cambodia and those you did at the NGO in Thailand?
They''re clearly different..Cambodia (''Gap year review'' Link).Also, there was a schedule set up, so we carried out activities according to it..
But in Thailand, we operated autonomously..So everything was up to the individual..And in Cambodia, no matter which volunteer came, they could work within a set system, but in Thailand activities were project-centered, so you were greatly influenced by the colleagues you worked with and the activities could change a lot depending on the project you planned..
Q.How did you prepare before leaving for your gap year?
Vaccinations,Raising funds,Apart from essentials such as plane tickets, I didn''t prepare anything..In fact6months, I managed with just one backpack..
Q. What was the program''s structure and organization like?
As mentioned earlier, the system was autonomousandfluid, so it''s a bit hard to explain precisely..As for a rough daily routine,
Morning9o''clock, after arriving at the center,Volunteers meet with each other They talk about the project and share information.
Through searching, they review the materials gathered so far and identify what will be needed.
They make field visits to scarf sellers and scarf workshops in Chiang Mai city.At the NGO I''m part of, we sell traditional Thai scarves made by local residents to help revitalize the community.
Lastly,While having dinner, the volunteers have a beer together and talk about what they did today..
Q. To describe this program in one word?
Finding balance.
Learning a foreign languageandworkand with othersrelationshipswhile balancing all of these at the same time,myprojectI have to carry out.
Q.Please describe the projects you carried out in Thailand.
I carried out three projects during my gap year.
1.A project to find outlets for the scarves and renew the existing products
2. Introducing the NGODesigning a pamphlet Project being produced
3.A crowdfunding campaign to raise money for the children, including food expenses for the children''s orphanage.
The target amount for this project was100The goal was 1,000,000 won, and we succeeded by raising more than that.
Q.Those kinds ofDon''t those activities require professional expertise?
Honestly, you don''t need professional knowledge, but it''s difficult without it.. Iwas also in that situation..Even if I had an idea, it was difficult to judge whether the idea was realistic. However,When running the crowdfunding project, a Hong Kong friend who majored in economics sent me materials about funding, and I studied them hard to carry out the project smoothly,I also realized that with enough motivation, you can study what''s needed locally and find solutions.
Q.During the gap yearTell us about a memorable person among the people you met in Thailand.
Friends I worked with in Cambodia came to visit, so I mostly spent time with them.. During Thailand''s New Year festival season, the closest roommate from Cambodiacame to visit with his friends,We played card games I had never played before with those friends, rented several songthaews (Thailand''s small buses), and traveled around enjoying the festival..
Q.How did you spend your leisure time?
I mainly rode a motorcycle..I would sit on the terrace to watch backlogged dramas or read books, and whenever I got bored I''d always hop on my motorcycle and ride..
The scenery was so beautiful..I visited all the temples I could see and rode a motorcycle into every corner of the forest — I don''t think there was anywhere I didn''t go..
Q. What was the most difficult part of participating??
I had already overcome the environmental aspects while living in Cambodia, Aside from that, I didn''t have any difficulties with daily life or work.
However, the hardest thing was not getting along with a colleague I worked with..That colleague was known among other volunteers for not respecting people and not being considerate..Moreover, because I had to carry out the project with them and lived in the room directly across from theirs, I didn''t even want to run into them on weekends, so I would leave my place to hang out at a close friend''s house or travel with that friend.
Q.Then on the other hand,When did you feel the happiest or most rewarded while participating?
When I created a pamphlet that the NGO I worked for would continue to use..I felt the greatest sense of accomplishment when I selected the photos for the pamphlet, edited the layout, corrected typos one by one, and, after pouring effort into it, the pamphlet finally came out as a finished product..
Q. What are the pros and cons of the program you participated in?
The advantages arethat you can freely use your abilities and carry out projects autonomously,
The downside isSo if you lack motivation, both satisfaction with the program and the quality/completeness of the project can decline..
Q.this programWould you recommend it to people like this!?
Someone who wants to reflect on their abilities, orSomeone who has the will to try doing anything from start to finish on their own.
Q. Were there any changes when comparing before and after taking a gap year?
I''ve become more patient.. As I mentioned earlierThe supervisor''s influence is significant..Seeing that person made me reflect on myself..
The way I was only stubborn,It gave me an opportunity to reflect on how I only asserted my own opinions.
For someone who wants to reflect on their abilities orI recommend it to people who have the determination to try doing anything from start to finish on their own.
Harvard student heads to Thailand to brighten the world / Son Jae-eun — gap-year participant / 12-week gap year |
Q.Please give a brief self-introduction.
Hello, I''m Son Jae-eun, a university student majoring in English literature.
I''m in the English Language and Literature department, but I wasn''t good at English..I didn''t attend school regularly.
Q.What made you choose this program among Korea Gapyear''s various gap year programs?
I had a consultation with Director An Si-jun before choosing a gap year program. He came to know my personality and tendencies very well, and since he recommended this program, I decided without much deliberation.
Q. Have you always been interested in volunteering and engaged in it?
When I was in elementary school, my mother emphasized the importance of volunteering, so I experienced it a few times.. HoweverAs I grew up, those opportunities disappeared, and I didn''t look for volunteer activities myself..
Q.Jae-eun, you also took a gap year doing volunteer work in Cambodia, right?
What are the differences between your activities in Cambodia and those you did at the NGO in Thailand?
They''re clearly different..Cambodia (''Gap year review'' Link).Also, there was a schedule set up, so we carried out activities according to it..
But in Thailand, we operated autonomously..So everything was up to the individual..And in Cambodia, no matter which volunteer came, they could work within a set system, but in Thailand activities were project-centered, so you were greatly influenced by the colleagues you worked with and the activities could change a lot depending on the project you planned..
Q.How did you prepare before leaving for your gap year?
Vaccinations,Raising funds,Apart from essentials such as plane tickets, I didn''t prepare anything..In fact6months, I managed with just one backpack..
Q. What was the program''s structure and organization like?
As mentioned earlier, the system was autonomousandfluid, so it''s a bit hard to explain precisely..As for a rough daily routine,
Morning9o''clock, after arriving at the center,Volunteers meet with each other They talk about the project and share information.
Through searching, they review the materials gathered so far and identify what will be needed.
They make field visits to scarf sellers and scarf workshops in Chiang Mai city.At the NGO I''m part of, we sell traditional Thai scarves made by local residents to help revitalize the community.
Lastly,While having dinner, the volunteers have a beer together and talk about what they did today..
Q. To describe this program in one word?
Finding balance.
Learning a foreign languageandworkand with othersrelationshipswhile balancing all of these at the same time,myprojectI have to carry out.
Q.Please describe the projects you carried out in Thailand.
I carried out three projects during my gap year.
1.A project to find outlets for the scarves and renew the existing products
2. Introducing the NGODesigning a pamphlet Project being produced
3.A crowdfunding campaign to raise money for the children, including food expenses for the children''s orphanage.
The target amount for this project was100The goal was 1,000,000 won, and we succeeded by raising more than that.
Q.Those kinds ofDon''t those activities require professional expertise?
Honestly, you don''t need professional knowledge, but it''s difficult without it.. Iwas also in that situation..Even if I had an idea, it was difficult to judge whether the idea was realistic. However,When running the crowdfunding project, a Hong Kong friend who majored in economics sent me materials about funding, and I studied them hard to carry out the project smoothly,I also realized that with enough motivation, you can study what''s needed locally and find solutions.
Q.During the gap yearTell us about a memorable person among the people you met in Thailand.
Friends I worked with in Cambodia came to visit, so I mostly spent time with them.. During Thailand''s New Year festival season, the closest roommate from Cambodiacame to visit with his friends,We played card games I had never played before with those friends, rented several songthaews (Thailand''s small buses), and traveled around enjoying the festival..
Q.How did you spend your leisure time?
I mainly rode a motorcycle..I would sit on the terrace to watch backlogged dramas or read books, and whenever I got bored I''d always hop on my motorcycle and ride..
The scenery was so beautiful..I visited all the temples I could see and rode a motorcycle into every corner of the forest — I don''t think there was anywhere I didn''t go..
Q. What was the most difficult part of participating??
I had already overcome the environmental aspects while living in Cambodia, Aside from that, I didn''t have any difficulties with daily life or work.
However, the hardest thing was not getting along with a colleague I worked with..That colleague was known among other volunteers for not respecting people and not being considerate..Moreover, because I had to carry out the project with them and lived in the room directly across from theirs, I didn''t even want to run into them on weekends, so I would leave my place to hang out at a close friend''s house or travel with that friend.
Q.Then on the other hand,When did you feel the happiest or most rewarded while participating?
When I created a pamphlet that the NGO I worked for would continue to use..I felt the greatest sense of accomplishment when I selected the photos for the pamphlet, edited the layout, corrected typos one by one, and, after pouring effort into it, the pamphlet finally came out as a finished product..
Q. What are the pros and cons of the program you participated in?
The advantages arethat you can freely use your abilities and carry out projects autonomously,
The downside isSo if you lack motivation, both satisfaction with the program and the quality/completeness of the project can decline..
Q.this programWould you recommend it to people like this!?
Someone who wants to reflect on their abilities, orSomeone who has the will to try doing anything from start to finish on their own.
Q. Were there any changes when comparing before and after taking a gap year?
I''ve become more patient.. As I mentioned earlierThe supervisor''s influence is significant..Seeing that person made me reflect on myself..
The way I was only stubborn,It gave me an opportunity to reflect on how I only asserted my own opinions.
What makes this project special