INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY (IT&T)
Su-Yeon Park

A student from Kyungpook National University in Daegu, South Korea, Su-Yeon Park applied in January of 2006 and was promptly placed at International Trade and Technology (IT&T). Much of her paper describing this internship appears below in translation from the Korean.

“Standing in the Center of the World”

“I wanted an internship before graduating from college, so I was pleased to discover that KNU has a relationship with the Washington Internship Program. To my surprise, I was quickly placed at International Trade and Technology, so I had no problem waiting for a company to accept me. Then IT&T requested that I come to Washington, D.C. as soon as possible to help with a big trade fair called the Federal Office System Exhibition (FOSE) on March 6. After I received my DS-2019 for the J1 visa and attended an interview at the American Embassy in Korea, I flew to the United States and arrived on March 4. I started work without even having a rest from the jet lag. FOSE was aimed at the U.S. federal government as a customer. KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency) held the exhibition, and IT&T attended as a consultant for KOTRA and eleven other Korean companies. I attended the exhibition and helped it run smoothly. The scale of this event overpowered me. Since it was the thirtieth anniversary of FOSE, it was even bigger than usual. I adjusted to being in the U.S. while helping with the exhibition for three days.”



“IT&T helps Korean enterprises to export goods, like military supplies, into the United States. This firm was founded by Jeong Seung-Gyu and Nina May ten years ago. Many Korean companies have similar problems; although their products are often better than the American competition, the Korean companies tend to have weaknesses with advertising in English. IT&T functions as a link between Korean and American firms. I felt proud of our company for the important work it does. The fact that my contribution could affect exports from my country motivated me to work hard at the internship.”

“I was given the title of a ‘marketing assistant,’ but I flexibly worked on several tasks depending on the situation. For example, I also helped with fight and hotel reservations because our company is somewhat small. In addition, I scheduled staff meetings, which were held three or four times a week, and wrote reports on the results. In addition, I took part in FOSE and the Government Security Expo (GOVSEC) as well as the Sea, Air, Space, and Marine Military Expo.”

“One day I conducted a tour of Washington for an important buyer from Mexico. My boss, who is fluent in Spanish, was supposed to be in charge of this tour, but he had other important business to handle at the time. I took our guest to famous attractions like the Smithsonian Institution, the National Aquarium, and Capitol Hill. I had a good time with the man who was our client because we went to many places I haven’t yet seen but was hoping to visit.”

“I lived in the home of my boss, Nina, in McLean, Virginia. When I first saw this house, I was surprised by its splendor. I had heard that this town was quite rich, but the level of the wealth was more than I expected. I held parties many times, thanks to the kindness of my host family, and I had the chance to experience American-style parties. My host family took me to the fireworks during Independence Day. I was impressed that Americans celebrate their history even though it is relatively recent.”

“Public transportation in McLean was not very good – probably because this town is affluent and every household has at least two vehicles. During weekdays, I had little trouble because my boss gave me a ride to and from work, but on weekends getting to Washington was inconvenient. Since there was no Metro access near where I lived, I relied on buses that run once or twice per hour, and if I missed one, I had to wait another hour or go home. I shopped at Giants, Whole Food, Safeway, and Harris Teeter for groceries. Sometimes I went to Korean markets to buy rice and Kimchee. The price of food was almost the same as in Korea and even cheaper for milk and fruits, but eating in restaurants costs at least ten dollars for dinner.”

“I went to Milwaukee and Chicago for sightseeing. One of my friends was living in there, so I stayed in her house with her family. Chicago, the third largest city in America, has a big body of water – Lake Michigan – and lots of skyscrapers, which are absent from Washington because zoning codes prohibit buildings from being higher than the Capitol. I visited the Art Institute of Chicago and spent a whole day enjoying its large collection. I saved money by using the international student card. As always, traveling filled me with joy.”

“From my internship I learned the importance of positive thinking and trying to learn from whatever I did. I realized that I have to approach first when meeting new people. No one will show interest in me if I stand alone and don’t talk. Better to say: “Yes, I can do this” when facing a challenge rather than cultivating modesty. Nevertheless, I feel somewhat wistful because I wasn’t active or aggressive enough. This internship taught me that how many fruits I bear depends on how much I try and how fully I expose myself to the world.”

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