While growing up I always knew that I wanted to study abroad and experience another culture. The adventure started when KDI School opened its doors for me and granted me the Global Ambassador Scholarship.

Photo: Michelle''s instagram

Being from El Salvador, a Latin American country, Korea represented a life changing opportunity. It not only meant leaving my country and moving to the other side of the world; it also represented the opportunity of learning lessons from a developed country and applying that knowledge to benefit my region.

I moved to Korea in August 2018 to start my journey as a student of a Master’s Degree in Public Management. The school provided me with top-notch education and allowed me to see the world from different perspectives and realities. It is common to think that studying abroad is just about books, different time zone, extravagant diets, exams and a good GPA. However, we are lucky because it is much more than that. Suddenly, incredible, smart and amazing people entered my life and taught me how to see the world with different eyes: I got to hear experiences from my classmates from Korea, Philippines and Ghana; I got to learn about life with friends from Pakistan, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Photo: Michelle''s instagram

I was lucky enough to see the dancing moves and experience the rhythm of my Indian classmates. Likewise, I learned about my own Latin American region. I also got to experience a different culture, see the impact of technology firsthand, meet people from all over the world and share experiences with experts in different areas of development.

Life after KDI School

My journey in KDI School was shorter than expected. However, it certainly changed my professional and personal life forever. The school, my professors and advisors prepared me for the next stage of my career and helped me accomplish the goal I had before getting to KDI School.

At this moment, I work for the Inter American Development Bank and I am based in Washington DC. The Bank, as we call it, works to help Latin American and Caribbean countries accomplish their development goals so that their citizens can get a better quality of life.

The office where I work focuses on fighting and preventing corruption in the projects implemented by the bank and there I am able to put in practice what I learned in Korea and the experiences I gained from my classmates and friends.

Photo: viator.com

If you are considering studying abroad, take the chance. I believe that once you are done with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You will become a different but better version of yourself. We leave our families and origins behind temporarily but we learn to value them more when we are far away. We get to live, admire, and respect other cultures as well as learn to treasure our own roots.