Pre Departure Blog

My name is Husnaa Formoli and I am a 4th year UC Davis student majoring in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. I will be studying abroad this Fall 2021 at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. I originally attended Los Rios Community College and then transferred to UC Davis in 2019. I was lucky enough to take in-person courses for almost three-quarters at UC Davis. When the pandemic hit, all my courses became online and it was basically the end of my college experience at UC Davis. The one thing I was looking forward to doing was studying abroad during college. But, traveling abroad became impossible because of the global pandemic. Fortunately, they are doing the program this year and I decided to see this goal of mine through because studying abroad can offer new experiences related to my goals that wouldn’t be possible if I had just stayed home. My goals include being a part of the movement that addresses the unequal treatment of refugees and immigrants in health care and education – both of which were lacking in my Afghan immigrant experience.

I chose the Yonsei University program because of its location and the programs it had to offer. As I attend the courses at Yonsei University I hope to experience their approach to education and how it might differ from America.  I also hope to gain a new perspective about their healthcare compared to America’s and how they are dealing with cultural competency.

 But I the reason I chose to study abroad in South Korea is because of my childhood best friend. I started watching kpop at the age of seven because my next-door neighbor was from South Korea. We would spend hours learning the dances for several kpop groups. Around the age of ten, my best friend and I would stay up all night watching Korean variety shows such as “Running man” and Kdramas such as “Boys Over Flowers.” Every time I entered her home, I felt embraced by her culture. I began to fall in love with the Korean language, which I started to learn, and with Korean dishes, such as spicy kimchi stew and kimbap, that her mom would make.   

I hope that you follow along with me through this journey, especially if your goals are similar to mine. As I achieve these goals I hope to experience the Korean culture as well, so if the Korean culture is something you are also interested in, then feel free to keep up with my blogs on the FEA website.