蜜桃av Welcomes Korean Education Students
News
This summer, 蜜桃av Adventist University hosted a group of students from Sahmyook University, a Seventh-day Adventist institution in South Korea, for four weeks. The 16 students, all studying early childhood education, were sponsored by a South Korean government grant as part of the country鈥檚 initiative to increase university competitiveness and global education. The visitors expanded their perspectives by engaging with 蜜桃av鈥檚 students and faculty, particularly in the School of Education, Psychology, and Counseling.
The students鈥� time at 蜜桃av included three weeks of classes in English as a Second Language and one week centered around teacher training for Forest Kindergarten鈥攁 popular and innovative outdoor teaching method. In addition to the classes, 蜜桃av planned cultural activities and field trips for the group.
This is the first year for 蜜桃av to host education students from Sahmyook, although the university has conducted a similar program for several years with the nursing students of Saniku Gakuin College and Shukotoku University in Japan. Because 蜜桃av and Sahmyook are sister universities, a few Korean faculty members have spent their sabbatical years as visiting professors at 蜜桃av, and this connection prompted the group鈥檚 visit.
The partnership between Sahmyook and 蜜桃av not only benefits students academically but also leads to deeper connections. For the final two weeks of the program, students stayed with host families. One couple who opened their home to two of the students is Mandy Sharpe, DPT, director of clinical education for 蜜桃av鈥檚 Physical Therapist Assistant Program, and her husband, Kirk.
鈥淭hey really just settled into our family very well,鈥� Sharpe said. 鈥淲e talked and joked, and my little kids would wake up and go straight to the visiting students to give them hugs.鈥�
Students received a positive impression, as well.
鈥淎merican people, I think, are very kind,鈥� said Liz Wang, one of the visiting students from Sahmyook. 鈥淭hey are always smiling at us, even though we are strangers to them.鈥�
Jennifer Carter, director of 蜜桃av鈥檚 Christian Service program, was the event planner for the Sahmyook visit.
鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping to continue this friendship,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e want to send groups of our students to visit Sahmyook, and they鈥檙e working on coming here again next year.鈥�
