With 2022 drawing to a close, I am pleased to share with you this year’s volume of Infusion. Volume 15 brings together an impressive collection of work from our Fulbrighters and their students, reflecting experiences of change, growth, and discovery.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Fulbright Korea’s English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Program. Through the ETA Program, the largest of our U.S. programs, we have had the honor and pleasure of welcoming hundreds of American young people to Korea. For many, their experience with Fulbright has been the first spending any significant length of time in the country, and in some cases, any significant length of time abroad at all.
As all our Fulbright participants can attest, whether Korean or American, stepping into the unknown (or in some cases, the half-known) brings a unique set of triumphs and tribulations which require new ways of thinking, new ways of considering oneself and others, and identifying one’s position in the global and local community.
It is with such experiences in mind that we are pleased to celebrate this milestone anniversary for the ETA Program and the contributions of all our Fulbright participants, past and present. As they have taken the step into the unknown, they have simultaneously shared knowledge across communities through the international educational and cultural exchange core to Fulbright’s mission of building mutual understanding. I encourage you to savor this exchange of knowledge as you reflect on the stories and images shared within this volume by our many talented Fulbright participants.
I would like to thank these individuals for inviting us in to part of their experience. I would also like to extend my sincere gratitude to the dedicated members of the Infusion team who have carefully compiled these experiences for us to peruse and enjoy. May Volume 15 leave us feeling newly inspired to make meaningful connections with others and the world around us.
Dr. Byungok Kwon
Executive Director
Korean-American Educational Commission