The Center for Asian Business at Loyola Marymount University has awarded scholarships for the John P. Daly, S.J., Summer Scholarships for Cultural Immersion Study in Korea to Destina Su Dural, William Lighthart, and Jaida Macklin. These students competed against other LMU applicants to travel to South Korea from June 25 – July 21, 2018.
Destina Su Dural is entering her sophomore year as an animation major. As an international student from Turkey, “where Europe and Asia meet, I have always been exposed to different cultures and they never cease to fascinate me,” stated Dural. She was introduced to Korean culture through Korean pop music (K-Pop) in middle school and tried to learn about Korean food, history and the language while growing up. At LMU, Dural continues to pursue her interest in Asian culture as an active member of Han Tao, Nikkei Student Union, and the Korean American Student Association. She volunteers as an international-orientation leader at LMU, interns at KASA LMU, works for LMU’s Student Leadership and Development Department and is a member of LMU’s Special Games Club. Upon receiving the scholarship, Dural said, “Being able to hands-on experience a culture that has been with me in theory through for so much time is a dream come true.”
William Lighthart is entering his sophomore year with a double major in international relations and history. He is a member of LMU Debate and in April 2018 he attended the U.S. National Debate Championship. As a participant in LMU Mock Trial, Lightheart competed at the Fresno regionals, and he is also a mentor for El Espejo. His interest in the Korean Peninsula began with high school lectures on the differences between North and South Korea. Lightheart noted “It is one thing to simply read information about the Korean Peninsula and East Asian politics, and quite another to learn experientially.” This scholarship will provide Lightheart with firsthand experience with Korea, its people and its culture which will aid him in his ultimate aspiration of becoming a U.S. diplomat to an East Asian country.
Jaida Macklin is entering her junior year with a major in English and minors in theatre arts and African American studies. She is an assistant life and arts editor for the L.A. Loyolan, an intern for the Harriet Tubman Press, and a LMU library ambassador and circulation student assistant. Macklin is also involved in the Black Student Union, The Learning Community (TLC), Sisters in Solidarity and the Write Club. Like the other scholarship winners, Macklin became enamored with Korean culture at a young age and immersed herself in everything Korean, sopping up as much knowledge as she could about South Korea. Being a novelist and entertainer, Macklin believes her “experience (in South Korea) would transform my approach to creating, allowing me to draw on fresh perspectives and more diverse view of life in order to reach a wider range of people.”
About the Scholarships
The scholarships are named in honor of the late John P. Daly, S. J., former director of the Center for Asian Business at LMU. He worked in Korea as a young Jesuit from 1961 to 1981 to help develop Sogang University in Seoul, where he served as president for 12 years. Father Daly’s lifelong goal was to promote a deeper understanding and appreciation of culture and history between Asia, Korea in particular, and America. In this age of globalization, the need for such understanding of history and culture and of the affects of cultural differences on our daily lives has never been greater. These scholarships will provide an opportunity for students to learn the Korean language and to experience its culture and thus help them become leaders in academia, business, and politics. The scholarships, which began in 2006, have helped send 37 LMU students to Korea. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of the students qualifying application, including an essay, GPA and interview by the selection committee. Scholarship winners spend four weeks in Korea taking language courses and participating in interactive culture classes. Outings into Seoul’s historical sites and other local points of interest allow students to practice their Korean language skills in a real world settings. They join in culture-related group projects with Korean college students and take several half-day field trips to visit attractions in the Seoul metropolitan area and a two-day trip to historic sites outside the city. Upon their return, students submit a report on their cross-cultural experiences. The students will receive round-trip coach airfare (maximum reimbursement $1,200). Accommodations and travel arrangements in-country are included in the scholarship. A coordinator from Sogang University will supervise the program in Korea.
Sogang University
Jesuits from the Wisconsin Province of the Society of Jesus, at the request of the Korean bishops, opened the first Catholic university in Korea in 1960. It currently enrolls 13,500 students and another 3,000 in graduate programs in six colleges – Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Engineering, Economics, and Business Administration.
Center for Asian Business
The Center for Asian Business in the College of Business Administration at Loyola Marymount University was established in 1995 to promote understanding between Asians and Americans through multiple channels, including an international business course with a four-week overseas experience, faculty research grants, student scholarships and special lectures and movie screenings.