Pennsylvania State University

Gyeong Min Park, a graduate of biochemistry/molecular biology from Penn State University

Issues regarding virus research are rising as novel coronavirus pandemic is prolonged. As demand for virus research and vaccine development explode, interest for related majors is growing among students. So, we asked about them to Gyeong Min Park, a graduate of Penn State University with a degree in molecular biology after studying abroad since the second grade of middle school.

Q. Hello, please tell us about yourself.

I’m Gyeong Min Park and I graduated from Pennsylvania State University. I began studying abroad in summer of 2009 when I was in the second grade of middle school. I have studied in Pennsylvania, US until 2019.

Q. Second grade in middle school is such a young age. What made you study abroad?

When I was a kid, I never like to study so I kept losing interest in studying. Looking back now, I don't think Korean system of education really fitted me. My parents advised me to study in US. Fortunately, I have relatives who were living in US as legal residents, and I naturally started the study abroad after watching my cousins studying in US. And I had some sort of expectation that it would be different than the Korean system of education, which is more of unilateral system. And, I was able to prepare for the whole process thanks to the attention of CEO of Connected.

Q. To get in a college in US, experiences in various activities are important as well as school grade. Please tell us about the activities or programs you participated for the college admission.

Yeah, I believe it is important to prove yourself that you are someone who is contributing to the society through participating in various activities. Through the recommendation of Connected, I participated in an organization called APPA, a group associated with UN, and served for 30 hours for the organization. I also participated in Korean American math competition and US Speech contest (Forensics). I had to take care of the school grade, so I paid attention to GPA and SAT prep.

Q. We know you studied Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at Penn State. Please tell us about the majojr.

Simply speaking, it is a biochemistry and molecular biology. It is a good major for someone interested in chemistry, biology, pharmaceutical, cellular, virus, molecule and others. It is gaining attention after the coronavirus pandemic and it is a necessary field for the future.

Q. What do you think is the strength of US education system? Tell us about the difference in education in Korea and US.

Korea is known for its unilateral education system. But education system in US pursues a lot of conversations with teachers and aims for discussion-based education. It worked well with me because when I have “why” question, I can get more detailed answers. In addition, Korean education system only focuses on learning while sitting behind a desk all day long, but US system includes mandatory physical education classes, which seems to be of great help for physical exercise.

Q. You are now working for a Korean chemical company. What do you do at work?

At a company I am interning now, I am mainly working in R&D as well as technical research, analysis, management, and assist in global business. I am working in translation and interpretation where English is required.

Q. We heard that you are preparing for a graduate school in US. Are you planning to go to a graduate school based on your undergraduate major? What made you decide to go to a graduate school.

I think I would have regrets if my learning stops as I was going through my undergraduate. I'm not someone who likes to study, but the more I learn about my major, the more I realize that I still have a lot to learn. Especially, with the outbreak of the new coronavirus, I have developed an antibacterial film and studied the mechanism of the virus. But I was met with obstacles often, perhaps because I still need more expert knowledge about the major. So, I decided to go to a graduate school to learn more in depth of the field.