Page 5 - Access Magazine 2023

wander
THE
SHIELDS
FAMILY Both Sanchez and Yang GRANT received financial assis-
tance from Fresno State to make possible their semesters abroad. The Division of Continuing and Global Educa- tion awarded Sanchez a Diversity in Study Abroad Grant and a Travel Grant; it awarded Yang a Shields Family Grant and a Travel Grant. The Shields Family Grant given to Yang is a result of a philanthropic gift to the division of Continuing and Global Education, from a family that recognizes the transforma- tive changes that can occur when a student
studies abroad.
An engineering major from Fresno, Yang received encouragement to study abroad from other Fresno State students who’d made that choice. “They all told me it was amazing, and it was the break they needed. I thought, ‘What have I done in my college life that I found really meaningful?’ So I decided to take this opportunity.” Another factor in- fluenced his decision, as well. Yang says he was beginning to burn out academically and needed a change.
He chose to go to South Korea because it’s a technology hub and he enjoys Korean cul- ture, including its popular music and food. Studying at Chonnam National University in Gwangju, a city of 1.5 million, Yang met young people from the Czech Republic, France, Greece, Malaysia, Russia, Singapore and Spain. None had encountered someone with Yang’s Hmong background. “I gave them a quick history lesson, and it was amazing to see how they were all interested.”
Yang developed a strong friendship with his Vietnamese roommate. “He was fantastic, and I was kind of like his big brother, in a
way.” The roommate was shy and dependent on his older siblings at home, and he didn’t know how to order a movie ticket online or book a place to stay while traveling. Yang stepped in with pointers, and the roommate returned home knowing about Airbnb and entertainment ticket websites.
Meanwhile, his new friends in South Korea had questions about life in the United States. They asked about proms, which their high schools don’t have. They also were intrigued by prom gowns because Korean women only wear such dresses at weddings. On a more serious note, one student asked Yang about gun violence in the United States. In South Korea, the law requires citizens to store their guns at local police stations, and all gun own- ers must regularly renew their gun permits.
After his time abroad, Yang felt invigorated and ready to finish his degree.
maintain my work.”
Yet Korean culture remained a strong interest, and he found a Korean restaurant in Fresno where he could enjoy the cuisine (jjajangmy- eon, a noodle dish, is a favorite) and practice the Korean he’d picked up. “It’s great because the owners treat me like one of their own.”
Because of Yang’s family history – his par- ents were born in Southeast Asia – he knows in a personal way that the world is complex and varied. “But being abroad really cement- ed that truth,” he says. As for the future? “I want to go back to Korea. With the knowl- edge I now have, I want to see what my next experience will be like.”
NOT ALL THAT
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ARE LOST J.R.R. TOLKIEN
I came back with a fresh ind to listen to lectures and
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