Any form of travel can be wonderful and awe-inspiring, but there’s something special about a journey shared with students from different Asian countries and be a part of the joy of discovery. This is what Darileen M. Zshornack, one of our students from the School of Dentistry realized when she was chosen to represent Emilio Aguinaldo College Manila in the Asian Summer Program organized by Dongseo University in Busan, South Korea.
The summer program which began on July 9, 2018 was a three-week study program participated by several countries in Asia. The participants attended classes in subjects such as Emergency Disaster, Internet Economy, Social Media and Knowledge Creation. The professors who taught these subjects were also from Asian countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Korea and the Philippines. Aside from the classes the students also joined in Sports activities and Cultural events.
Darileen had written a journal to chronicle her experiences as a student in Dongseo University, from the first day when they were given a very warm welcome by Dr. Jekuk Chang, the president of the university to the symbolic “Flying of Paper Airplanes” where all the students wrote their dreams for the future.
Drawing out of her pool of resourcefulness, Darileen and Aileen Estocato another student from EAC- Cavite, studied, explored, mingled and developed new skills and capacities. They took advantage of this wonderful opportunity as all these classes opened up their minds and introduced them to so many people from all walks of life.
I am sure that this Busan experience was a turning point in the life of Darileen, out of her comfort zone, in another country, taking a chance on something different, forging new connections, and expanding her horizons. I do hope that this learning experience will have a profound, rippling effect across her life and prepare her to a world of greater possibilities.