Infusion Staff
Sarah Berg
Editor in ChiefSarah loves book reviews, bus rides, and stone fruit. She earned a BA in English Literature from Miami University, where she pursued interests in poetics, Korean literature, and translation, and taught everything from Art History to swimming to CPR. A first-year ETA, she now teaches elementary students in Yeosu.
Tim DiFazio
Managing Editor - LifestyleTim won second place in a Yu-Gi-Oh tournament when he was 10, and it’s all been downhill from there. He teaches at an all-boys high school in Iksan where he regularly loses arm wrestling matches to his students.
Mailé Nguyen
Managing Editor - LiteraryMailé enjoys making zines, gyoza, and mix CDs. They are a second-year ETA in Gumi.
Constantine Botimer
Design EditorConstantine’s hobbies include cooking, baking, making cocktails, thinking about cooking, looking through cookbooks, and eating. He grew up around Detroit, MI but attended college in Berea, KY where he received a BA in Art. Constantine is currently a first-year ETA at two middle schools in Yeosu, Jeollanam-do.
Patrick Long
MonitorSome people have interesting talents or engaging interests and some people just like going on walks, binge-watching TV, and watching the same vine compilations over and over again (RIP Vine). Patrick is the latter. With a lack of any discernible talents, special skills, or hobbies, Patrick has approximate knowledge of and interest in many things (and little to show for it). His biggest passions are career development, education, and public service programs. He graduated from Appalachian State University with a degree in Psychology with minors in Sociology and Leadership Studies. He also received his Med in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration from the University of Vermont. Patrick is a first-year ETA in Andong.
Kristy Sonberg
MonitorKristy comes from a small town in Maryland and is proud to be the first in her immediate family to travel internationally. She graduated with a BS of Education from Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania. Kristy is a second-year ETA teaching at a small elementary school in Hwacheon.
Ivy Yen
Social Media CoordinatorIvy’s goal for 2019 was to use less social media. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a BS in linguistics and psychology. A first-year ETA, Ivy teaches at two elementary schools in Sejong.
Noreen Plabutong
Wed EditorNoreen is not passionate about many things except a good bucket hat, iced vanilla lattes, and EXO. She graduated from Emerson College with a BA in Writing, Literature and Publishing. A first-year ETA, Noreen teaches at an all-boys middle school in Mokpo.
Jenna Parker
Staff Editor - LifestyleJenna and Max have the same nervous energy. She graduated from the University of Arizona with double majors in Political Science and Linguistics and from Arizona State University with a Master of Public Administration. Jenna is a first-year ETA and teaches at a high school in Naju #najucrew.
Audrey Summers
Staff Editor - LifestyleAudrey is originally from Grand Marais, Minnesota, a town so far north that she goes grocery shopping in Canada. She likes to brag about the fact that she is ambidextrous. Audrey graduated from Beloit College in 2018 with a degree in creative writing and a minor in journalism. She is a second-year ETA and teaches at an elementary school in Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do.
Bethany Mazurek
Staff Editor - LifestyleBethany memorized four poems from Lord of the Rings in eighth grade because that is the kind of life she lives, and graduated from Grand Valley State University with a double major in Anthropology and Chinese Studies and a double minor in East Asian Studies and Classics because she just doesn’t know when to quit. She is currently in the process of rating every cafe in her placement of Naju by the quality of their caramel macchiatos and is a first-year ETA at Honam Horticulture High School.
Zoya Hsaio
Staff Editor - LifestyleZoya is commonly known to use words like “rad” unironically and enjoys typing in ALL CAPS for the fun of it. She holds a deep adoration for food, as evidenced by the fact that she once ate 65 shrimp in one sitting. Zoya teaches at a coed high school in Gimhae as a 2nd-year ETA, and graduated from Purdue University with a B.S. in Management and Marketing.
Nicholas Gedigk
Staff Editor - LiteraryNic is a first-year ETA teaching at a vocational high school in a Mugeuk, a town in Chungbuk Province near Innovation City where he lives with his homestay family. He graduated from Vassar College with a major in anthropology and minor in religion.
Justin Abbott
Staff Editor - LiteraryJustin is a South Korean adoptee from Incheon, but spent most of his former years growing up in a small town in southern New Hampshire. As a prospective medical student, Justin can usually be found studying in a local café or library. He is an avid fan of basketball (Go Warriors!), escape rooms, and roller coasters. He graduated from the University of Vermont with a BS in neuroscience. Justin is a second-year ETA and teaches at an all-boys high school in Suncheon, Jeollanam-do.
Caroline Porter
Staff Editor - LiteraryCaroline enjoys watching terrible movies, playing string instruments poorly, and the feeling you get after reading a bonkers good poem. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a BA in English and minors in Korean and creative writing. Caroline is a first-year ETA teaching at Hwacheon Middle School way up in South Korea’s northern mountains.
Madisyn Mettenburg
Staff Editor - LiteraryMadisyn Mettenburg is three ghouls in a trench coat. She is a first year ETA in Mokpo and a graduate of Oberlin College, where she earned BAs in Creative Writing and Political Science. She enjoys ulterior motives and the font “Garamond.” This bio came to her in a dream.
HeeJae An
PodcastHeeJae started using “lit” ironically but now finds it stuck in his everyday vocabulary. His talents include (and are limited to) clicking his tongue loudly and having a great sense of direction. HeeJae graduated from Tufts University with a bachelor’s in child study and human development and a master’s in clinical developmental health and psychology. He is a second-year ETA teaching in a co-ed middle school in Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do.
Beth Lee
PodcastAlthough Beth has not mastered the Korean language since moving here, she has mastered the game of charades (not in the classroom, but in the 편의점). She graduated from UC Davis with a degree in communication and a minor in writing. She is now a first-year ETA teaching at a coed high school in Cheongju.
Open Window Staff
Meghan Duffey
Open WindowMeghan aspires to one day open a 24 hour bookstore and to earn enough money so that her pets can live comfortably. Her hobbies include reading, excessive tea drinking, and photographing the cats in the river behind her apartment. She graduated from Mercer University in Macon, GA with a BA in English and Mathematics and minors in History and Spanish. A first-year ETA, Meghan teaches at a coed high school in Jeonju.
Jennifer Chan
Open WindowJennifer cannot really identify trees, make falafel, or rollerblade, but she considers these works in progress. She teaches at an elementary school in Jinju.
Tatum Shannon
Open WindowTatum loves bullet journaling, eating ice cream, and pretending to be good at karaoke. Tatum graduated from Florida State University with a BS in International Affairs and a BA in Chinese. She is a first-year ETA and teaches at an elementary school in Sejong.
Stefano Scotti
Open WindowExcept for bananas, Stefano prefers fruit underripe. He teaches at an all boys middle school, where he realized he hasn’t changed all that much. He graduated from Vanderbilt with a BA in Anthropology.