My arrival to Korea has been a dream come true.

Journey to Korea

By Justin Willis

         My arrival to Korea has been a dream come true. In retrospect, I can remember what has inspired me to become so excited about having this opportunity to be a part of GEPIK. My studies at the University of Leicester, my growing passion for the English language, and the process of being recruited, has ultimately made South Korea the country of where I’ve desired to teach.

As a former college student, I was constantly reminded to plan for the future. My undergraduate studies at Old Dominion University have helped me remain focused in my planning, but the time for graduation was rapidly approaching.  What was I going to do? Investing in the future was always important. One of my most memorable semesters was spent abroad at the University of Leicester, UK. Aside from studying at a foreign country, I met many great Korean friends. Prior to meeting them, I knew very little about Korea and its significant history and culture. However, my friends quickly filled the void and shared a piece of what they were passionate about in their country. The mental picture that they painted was quite aesthetically pleasing. After sharing some ideas about jobs following graduation, I was introduced to possibly teaching English in Korea!

Similar to reaching any other goal, one needs the help of others in order to arrive at the destination. I departed from the UK in May of 2009 and my process of being recruited was going to begin in June of the same year. My Korean recruiter was Juno Suh. During this process I was able to share any questions, comments, or concerns in order to give the best effort. She continues to be an amazing help to this day. Her emails and requests were clear, her responses and communication was quite professional, and her level of enthusiasm was unmatched. Her professionalism was comforting in what could’ve been a daunting task of being accepted into GEPIK. Furthermore, acquiring documents, being available for phone interviews, and constantly responding to emails were my initial duties. When I was faced with an issue, I saw it as a hurdle to jump over. I had to keep running. One of the reasons why I was persistent in this process was because she encouraged me to keep the faith and believe for the best.

In early January I received the job as an English Sports teacher at Shinan Middle School! I’m thankful everyday to have the opportunity of the enlightening exchange of thoughts, sights, and ideas with new friends, teachers, and students. I will continue to be optimistic about the year of teaching in this province and ultimately others will hopefully be inspired by the passion that I will have shown this year.

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