I came to the United States alone when I was 19 years old. In South Korea, I lived in a rural area where I did not have a chance to speak English since the public school I attended only taught reading and listening English. Without experience in speaking and writing English, having to write essays and communicating with professors in college was not easy. I had to spend longer time than others to finish homework and send a simple email. After realizing that I need to invest a long time to achieve a good grade, I used this deficiency as a stepping stone to improvement. I planned a detailed daily study schedule per semester. If I had an essay to submit, I started writing it a couple of months before the deadline and constantly visited the writing center for advice. Also, I utilized office hours to grasp the missed parts of the lecture. By actively reaching out for help, I could improve my English proficiency along with time management skills, which ultimately helped me gain a high GPA. After two years, I could get into a nursing program and fluently communicate with patients in a professional-level of English. However, I still have an accent and often get noticed by others, and am considered a foreigner. Although I am still improving on my accent, I do see it as a disadvantage since I have easily gotten judged by people even before they get to know me.
After working in the healthcare field for two years, I learned to accept myself and worked hard to give a good impression to my patients by providing the best quality care with my diverse background.
After working in the healthcare field for two years, I learned to accept myself and worked hard to give a good impression to my patients by providing the best quality care with my diverse background.
