19-year-old Korean chosen among 19,000 intern applicants

왼쪽부터 마리아 카탈리나(22), 엘리아 페레즈(21) 구민재(19)

By Choi Hee-jae

Globalization has turned the world into a stage. The concept of “national” has transcended into “global.” People now have a wider stage to roam on but are faced with problems: language, geographical and cultural barriers. ??

Koo Min-jae, 19, of South Korea is one of three people who have won an international intern contest where a total of 19,000 competed. The two others are Elia Pérez de Miguel, 21, of Spain, and Maria Catalina Rey Guerra, 22, of Columbia.

The competition was organized by Education First (EF) is one of the largest private education providers with 400 schools and over 15 million students across the world. It was founded in Lund, Sweden, in 1965 and specializes in language education, cultural exchange and educational travel.?

The three were given the privilege to travel to three destinations of their choice for three months, starting July 4. ?

“We were very much impressed by the creativity of the videos [they submitted],” said Sebastien Dayteg, HR director at EF International Language Centers.

The three started the first part of their global internship at the head office of EF International Language Centers in Zurich, Switzerland.

Koo, a Korean university student, will travel to Zurich, Boston and Shanghai. She has been assigned to draw up marketing strategies for the institute in the three cities.

Elia, an audiovisual communications student with a passion for cinema, will be filming the EF schools in Auckland and Los Angeles, and attending an orientation in New Zealand in preparation for her video project.

Fluent in German, English and Spanish, Maria will focus on social media marketing strategy in Zurich and London.

A frequent traveler and fervent learner of new languages, Koo is not afraid to jump into unfamiliar situations. “My passion for people and cultures has driven me to join a drama production, spoken entirely in German and teach Korean to exchange students at my university,” Koo said. “I’ve realized how eager and passionate I am to step into the wider world and enjoy new adventures.” ?

?Koo said that she hoped to work at the United Nations, delving into agricultural and child issues. “The EF internship will be my opportunity to inch closer to my dream.” ?

?The organizer commented that if there is one thing common about all three interns, it is their love for meeting new people and encountering new cultures.

The writer is a Korea Times intern.