DELPHI INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL EXCHANGE
Yu-Jung Ko

Like twelve other interns from Kyungpook National University in Deagu, South Korea, Yu-Jung applied to the Washington Internship Program in early December of 2005. Yu-Jung’s major was French language and literature, and she had gained much international experience working in Melbourne, Australia as a conservation volunteer and traveling throughout Europe to London, Prague, Munich, Interlaken, Rome, Venice, Nice, Paris, and Madrid. A member of the Scuba Diving Club on campus, Yu-Jung studied English at the Box Hill TAFE Institute. She requested an internship dealing with tourism or intercultural issues. Within a month, WIP placed Yu-Jung in a paid internship at Delphi International Cultural Exchange where she worked full-time for six months beginning in early March and earned $7 an hour. One other KNU intern had an unpaid internship there during the same time period. Among other activities, Delphi International sponsors international exchange programs that are funded by the U.S. State Department. Like other KNU interns who chose not to live in WIP housing, Yu-Jung cautioned that this decision might not have been the best because finding an apartment on her own proved more difficult than she anticipated, which is why WIP makes housing available to all interns who decide to live in any of its varied residences. Below are some excerpts and photographs from Yu-Jung’s final paper.

“At first I was anxious about going to the United State for an internship because I had only one year left to prepare for getting a job, and I didn’t want to postpone graduation. However, my professor advised me that finishing college a year or two later would never affect my future while working within my field in the United States could be a big help, so I decided to embark upon a brand new experience. The visa process was handled much more satisfactorily than I expected, and I was eager to work for an organization related to tourism. The first place to which I applied with the help of the Washington Internship Program was the Travel Association of America (TIA), which seemed like the Korea National Tourism Organization. I submitted my resume and cover letter after these documents were edited by WIP, and then I had an interview over the phone. Unfortunately, TIA didn’t accept me and hired an American applicant instead. Next, I applied to Delphi International, which is a non-government organization working on educational and cultural tourism, which accepted me for an internship and welcomed me warmly. On March 7, 2006 I boarded an airplane for the United States. Upon arriving in D.C., I had difficulty because I spent much time trying to find accommodations and open a bank account, which might have taken just a couple hours in Korea. I recognized that living in another country would not be easy.”

“My work at Delphi International involved young and influential people whom the U.S. Embassy selected as representatives from foreign counties, and then these individuals are invited to America for three weeks. They usually stay in D.C. for about one week and participate in conferences and other events, and then they visit other cities to attend professional meetings before returning to their home countries. Some travel all around the U.S. before going home. Delphi International manages their schedules while in Washington.”

“One of the most surprising things I learned about this program is that the U.S. government covers all expenses for these visitors. Although encouraging tourism this way might be considered ‘cultural imperialism,’ my co-workers explained that the purpose of this program is to promote better relationships with other countries rather than trying to get other nations to copy American culture. I think the Korean government is short-sighted for failing to recognize the necessity of implementing a similar project as a long-term strategy. Personally, this project seems very attractive to me because it was not simply tourism but an educational culture exchange on a high level. I believe it would be worth trying in Korea.”

“I conducted research on special programs, hotel reservations, account documents, and vehicle companies in New York to help attendees avoid problems when they went to other cities. I learned computer programs, like insurance software called Win-ASPE. We make briefing books about programs in which the attendees participated, and for this task I used E-NPA software. Three months later, I my name appeared in these briefing books, and then I was able to introduce myself to State Department officers and the Delphi team at the opening luncheon. I really appreciated my supervisor, who gave me lots of chances.”

“One of the best parts of my internship was making friends with a girl who was majoring in international politics at Georgetown University. We shared much in common, so becoming close was easy. I had a great time with her and was touched by her hospitality. When my internship drew to a close, she came to the airport along with her mother and sister to see me off on my flight.”

“I had both hard times and good times during six months in Washington. Sometimes I felt homesick and nostalgic for home, but I overcame these sentiments and did everything I was assigned. I left America full of confidence and enthusiasm. Everything I had in Washington was more precious and valuable than I could have imagined.”

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