Seungdeok Jin 

What motivates you?

"Challenging a new area usually makes me motivated. Setting a new goal and reaching out to the goal makes me excited. Rather than staying in my current position, I've tried to challenge myself to a new position."

What drew you to your professional field?

"My experience in the public sector when I was in my early 20s drove me to work for the Korean government. When I was a senior in college, I took a leave of absence from the university to fulfill my military duty. I worked at the community center for two years, and this experience determined my career path. While working at the community center, I was able to directly see the impact of the government's policies on the local community.
I was fascinated by the fact that I could work for the public, not for individuals or for the private sector.  So I decided to become a civil servant.

"I majored in chemical and biological engineering. So I thought I could understand the industry sector better than other sectors. and I wanted to make a development policy for the Korean industry. For these reasons, I applied to the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, and I could have worked in the industry sector and trade sector that I expected."

Why did you apply for the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program?

"I think this fellowship is most impressive in that it allows fellows to experience not only academic development but also professional development. The fellowship's professional development is an exceptional point from other programs. I'm expecting to work in an organization in America and learn American policies during our six-week professional development program. 

"In addition to this, my colleagues who are beneficiaries of the fellowship strongly recommended applying for this program. They told me that they got valuable experiences through the program that would be of great help during their entire career." 

What do you hope to take away from this fellowship and apply to your work or at home?

"I believe I would attain three precious experiences through the Humphrey Fellowship:

• The first one is English skills that will make me communicate and negotiate fluently. During my career, I got several chances to talk with other countries' government officials. But at that time, I felt that I need much more effort to develop my English skill to talk with them fluently. I think the fellowship is one of the most important chances to develop my English ability.
• The second one is perspectives that would attain by sharing ideas and thoughts with fellows. Talking with other fellows and people in the UC Davis community will expand my perspectives.
• The last one is an experience of the American culture. America is a very special country in that it contains various but harmonious races, cultures, and nature. Staying one year is not enough to experience much of the American culture, but I will try hard to experience American culture and their ways of life."

What is something from your country that you would like to share with the UC Davis community?

"Recently, many Americans are enjoying Korean movies and music. And they are giving good reviews. I think the content that gets good reviews are usually reflecting Korean culture well, and that content can appeal to people from other countries. I know several Korean movies and music that contain Korean culture and spirit. So, I'd like to introduce some Korean movies and music that the UC Davis community would enjoy and learn more about Korean culture."

How would you like to engage with UC Davis and the community here?

"I believe the experience in Davis will give me an opportunity to develop my English, expand my perspectives and enhance my spirit. So I'd like to participate in various activities or programs that would help me enjoy American culture, understand American people and study English."