When I was in fifth grade at an international school in New Delhi, against my better judgment, I brought something special for snack break: a packet of crushed-up Shin Ramyun. The rustling of the packet and the sharp, spicy aroma quickly caught my classmates’ attention, and many were eager to try it. It was an instant hit, until one friend rubbed his eyes while eating and the chili powder left him in tears. Though I was reprimanded by my teacher, I began to realize how something ordinary to me could feel entirely new to someone else. Over time, sharing snacks from Goldfish crackers to masala bhujia taught me the joy of experiencing cultures different from my own.

Younger me, feeling like royalty.

Returning to Korea after five years in India, I found myself acting as a cultural bridge in high school. I guided visiting students from Thailand and Bulgaria, represented my school at an international science fair in Thailand, and, as a result, was featured on my school’s website promoting exchange programs.¹ Among these experiences, the most transformative came when I volunteered as a student buddy for an American exchange student through the National Security Language Initiative for Youth. We participated in many cultural and educational activities, spent breaks and lunches together, and explored Seoul, visiting landmarks such as N Seoul Tower (notably featured in KPop Demon Hunters). In return, I gained a lifelong friend who later returned to Korea as a university exchange student, and then as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant. Ultimately, I realized that bridging differences goes beyond cultural understanding; it is an active process of listening, learning, and building lasting connections.

Group photo with exchange students during high school.

This realization led me to seek ways of fostering inclusivity during my undergrad at KAIST I created and led the Internationalization Team in the Department of Chemistry Student Council, serving as a translator for international students and working with them to address their concerns. Wanting to better understand their perspectives, I became labmates with international students in a required course. In the lab, we developed an unusual symbiosis: I translated instructions from our teaching assistant into English, such as “the TA said to add ethanol on top of the resolving gel for SDS-PAGE,” while one of my labmates, more familiar with biochemistry, would explain why— “to make the gel flat and level.”

Photo with labmates during undergrad at KAIST.

It is this spirit I hope to bring with me as I pursue graduate study overseas. I am drawn not only by the opportunity to grow as a rigorous and independent researcher, but also by the chance to collaborate and build a supportive community with members from all around the world. My background has taught me that inclusion often begins in small, everyday interactions that build trust, whether helping a lab member troubleshoot software or supporting a new student as they adjust to graduate life. The great Roman bridges that still stand after millennia were not built from a single stone; they endure because they were laid piece by piece. In the same way, I am ready to lay each brick with care and help build a community that is strong, supportive, and built to last.

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Footnotes

Here is my high school’s website promoting exchange programs: eng.hana.hs.kr/international/exchange.do ↩