Interning in South Korea in Summer 2018

Hayley Daughma Start Date: Nov 6, 2017 - End Date: May 5, 2018
  • Seoul, South Korea

My Travel Story

by: Hayley Daughma Start Date: Nov 6, 2017 - End Date: May 5, 2018
After years of hoping and wishing, I’m finally going to live out my dream of going to South Korea! What’s better is that I am going there to intern as part of my journalism major. But I can’t do this without some help, as there are fees to pay once I am officially placed at my internship.

Who am I? My name is Hayley and I'm 25 years old. I'm attending Florida Gulf Coast University and am in my junior year, majoring in journalism.

What will I be doing? I will be interning in South Korea as part of the Asia Internship Program. I am still awaiting placement at a particular site but my spot has been secured in the program since September 2017. My internship will, of course, be journalism-based.

What am I seeking money for, and what am I doing to supplement donations? I'm hoping to raise money to help cover the program fees, which include internship placement, visa assistance, housing, transportation, and much more! In addition to soliciting donations, I am also working and saving money when possible, saving leftover financial aid money, and applying to competitive scholarships aimed at students who are studying/interning abroad. The total program cost is $7,143. I am looking to raise at least $2500 through this campaign.

Where am I going? Seoul, South Korea! Until I am officially placed at a site, the exact location within the very large city of Seoul is yet to be determined.

When are you going? I selected a program start date of June 2018. Again, until my internship site is finalized, I don't know the exact date that I will leave for Korea and start the program.

Why are you going to South Korea? I chose South Korea as I have been interested in the country and its culture for nearly a decade. I have been teaching myself the language for just about as long and consider myself to have at least an intermediate fluency. In addition to honing my journalism skills, I hope to utilize and improve my Korean while abroad so that I may become closer to fluency and much more well-rounded.

Why intern abroad when you can intern in the United States? This opportunity will be life-changing for me. Going to the other end of the planet to do my internship sounds crazy but will give me a competitive edge in the journalism industry post-graduation. There is a chance of gaining employment at my internship site as well, which would be incredible! 

This is an opportunity of a lifetime and it would be incredible if you all could help in any way you can.
  • Seoul, South Korea

Updates

5

  • Long Time No Update

    June is drawing ever so close, and with that comes my first (and hopefully only) interview with a potential internship site! That's happening tonight and I have my fingers crossed that it goes well! If it does, I will share more information as to where I'm going and what I'm doing when I can.

    But if all does go well, that also means that the program fee will be due very very soon. I have $2000 saved, and I am currently waiting to hear back from the Gilman Scholarship for their decision on my application. In the meantime, it's time for a few final big pushes on this campaign.

    Please donate if you can and spread the word! I do have donor incentives on the right side of this page for those who donate certain amounts. The minimum donation is $10, but if you would like to donate less please contact me for alternate methods! Thank you all so much in advance~

  • Six Months To Go! + First Non-academic Article Published

    Hey everyone! With my program starting some time in June, I have six months to go until I head off to Korea! Please don't forget to donate and/or share this campaign to go towards my program! I am currently waiting for the Gilman Scholarship to open (the website says "mid-January") so that I can apply and hopefully receive the scholarship to help fund my internship.

    Also, last weekend I self-published my first non-academic article on Medium, covering the life and death of a singer that I love dearly, SHINee's Kim Jonghyun. You can read it here: https://medium.com/@hdaughma/kim-jonghyun-was-not-a-household-name-by-any-stretch-but-his-fanbase-was-far-reaching-from-his-e435c7c097b3

    This article is just an example of the kind of thing I want to go on to do as a journalist and writer. Help me further my education AND my career in any way you can!

    Thank you to those who have donated, and thanks to those who have shared my campaign! Happy New Year!