Hello everyone, this is Lulu!

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A little about me: I was originally born in China and adopted into a Minnesotan family. I grew up knowing I wanted to become a doctor and went to Iowa State University as a Pre-Med major. Initially going into college and throughout most of college, I thought I would go directly into medical school after graduating, however, I decided to take a detour on my pursuit of medicine by taking a break from academics. During my year off, I decided to apply for Fulbright because I didn't feel ready for medical school and wanted to try something completely different and outside of my comfort zone. I wanted to experience and travel to other countries before medical school and thought Fulbright could broaden my knowledge of other cultures/societies while also providing skill sets I could use during my medical career.

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What makes me qualified to teach English to South Korean students? Having been adopted at an older age with no previous English language knowledge, I had to learn English and attended elementary school within eight months of coming into the United States. I took English Second Language (ESL) classes all throughout elementary school but was able to move up to the advanced English classes later in my junior/high school years. During college, I studied abroad in Spain with no previous Spanish knowledge (I took French in high school). I lived in a Spanish homestay where my host family did not speak English and I did not speak Spanish. At first it was hard to communicate with my host family but over time, I learned some Spanish and was able to get by. I feel these experiences have provided me knowledge in which I can help other students trying to learn a new language.

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Fun fact about me: I had never been outside of the United States prior to studying abroad in college (besides being adopted) but now I have been to four of the seven continents and travelled to over 25 countries. This is when I developed a love for traveling and partially why I feel comfortable enough to move abroad for an entire year. I find experiencing new cultures and societies fascinating and this has led me to want to work for a humanitarian organization once I become a physician. 

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