Honors students travels to South Korea

Seven students landed on the foreign grounds of South Korea on Oct. 20 and stayed for a week. Jonathan Amos, Halle Garrus, Demario Lowe, Ashlynn Bridges, Kourtney Lardge, Tara Branscomb and Nadia Grier, explored the major cities, mainly Seoul and Incheon.
These students were able to receive this great opportunity through the college of international business, which implements study abroad field trips for a handful of selected applicants. The United Negro College Fund Special Programs Corporation sponsored the trip, while the institution, Overseas Korean Culture, and Education Center, Kong Ju National University, hosted the program.
“The program’s main objectives is to expose the participants to global business and entrepreneurship practices,” said Dr. Rahim Quazi, associate professor of economics and director, Center for International Business Education.
The interactions made on these trips have greatly shaped the participants perspective on global business.
Among the seven students that participated on this trip four were first year honor students; Grier, Lowe, Bridges and Lardge.
Dr. James A. Wilson, Jr. associate provost and associate vice president for academic affairs, and director of the honors program believes in making students into future global leaders.
“The international travel experience for our students is an education in itself and it serves directly as a foundation for networking that our students will continue to use five, ten, even fifteen years from now,” said Wilson.
The experience was certainly an experience according to freshman marketing major Grier. “We sat in on a grad school class and we were actually able to participate and give our input. Our overall goal on the trip was cultural immersion,” said Grier.
“Korea is extremely advanced as far as technology, but because of the low economy a lot of the country is unable to experience the benefit of the technology,” Grier continued.
Technology is improving South Korea’s low economy to make it a major powerhouse in the future. The country’s technology may aid Americans now that their philosophy is more open to improving trade between the two countries.
Junior management information systems major Demario Lowe said, “The trip was amazing. I’ve learned so much about Korean culture and international customs. I look forward to building my foundation as a global citizen.”