College of Fine and Applied Arts

Child Development alumna, Parks Bickel, spent a year following graduation teaching in Korea.

Students at the school where Parks Bickel taught.

Bickel with a Korean couple during their wedding.

by Parks Bickel ‘08

When I graduated from Appalachian in May 2008, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I found this pretty ironic considering college is supposed to be the time to figure that out.

Although I didn’t know what type of job I wanted, I did know three things: I didn’t want to move back in with my parents, I wasn’t ready to start the real world, and I wanted an adventure. This left me at a hard place because I had no money, no job, and no idea what to do. When I started looking at my options on the internet, I found many advertisements for teaching English in South Korea. At first I wasn’t totally sold on this because I thought “Who would want to move to Korea?” The more I looked into it though the better it began to sound. The schools in Korea were willing to pay for my flight there and back, an apartment, healthcare, and a pretty decent salary. It didn’t take long to decide this was the adventure I wanted to have.

In many Asian countries, teaching English to their children is a high priority. Asian countries believe that having their students learn English will prepare them to compete in a global market. South Korea is one of several Asian countries that recruit native English-speaking college graduates to come and teach. I applied through a reputable recruiting agency that was very helpful in finding me a job teaching in a public elementary school in Seoul. They led me step-by-step through the application process, helped make arrangements for travel and foreign visas as well.

Upon my arrival in Seoul, I was extremely nervous because I knew nobody else there and had no clue what the year ahead was going to bring. I was met by two of my co-workers who assisted in acclimating me to life in Seoul. Little did I know it was about to be one of the best experiences of my life. I spent my year teaching English to 4th, 5th, and 6th graders and loved every minute of it. Not only did I enjoy my interactions with the children whom I taught, but I made some important friendships with my Korean co-workers. I came to appreciate many values of Korean culture, and especially enjoyed the independence of living on my own in a foreign culture and a big city.

Not only was my job amazing, but so was my life outside of work. Like I mentioned earlier, I had no friends in Korea before I left, but that didn’t last for long. There are many other English teachers living in Korea from all over the world. I was able to meet people from England, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Scotland, and the USA, and make friends that will last a lifetime. There are many programs over there that help English teachers connect with one another. I met most of my friends on a hiking trip organized by one of those programs, but joining an intramural sports team is another great way to meet people.

Another perk to my experience was the opportunity to travel. During my vacation days from school I spent my time visiting other countries. South Korea is in an ideal location to make trips around Asia. Throughout my year my friends and I visited The Philippines, Thailand, China, and Japan. This was a great way to take a break from teaching while seeing more of the world.

Overall my experience teaching English in South Korea is one I will not forget for the rest of my life. If you enjoy traveling, adventure, learning about different cultures, making new friends, all the while making money, then this might be the job for you. If you ever find yourself in a similar situation as me and don’t know which direction to head, I highly recommend teaching English abroad. It was an experience that taught me so much, about another culture, other people, and myself.

Melissa Gutshall in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences has published several articles recently:

Miller CK, Gutschall MD. A randomized trial about glycemic index and glycemic load improves outcomes among adults with type 2 diabetes. Health Educ Behav. 2009;36(3):615-26.

Miller CK, Gutschall MD, Mitchell, DC. Change in Food Choices Following a Glycemic Load Intervention in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009;109(2):319-324.

Gutschall MD, Miller CK, Mitchell, DC, Lawrence, F. A randomized behavioural trial targeting glycaemic index improves dietary, weight and metabolic outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. Pub Health Nutr. 2009; 3:1-9.

Miller CK, Gutschall MD, Holloman C. Self-Monitoring Predicts Fiber Intake and Weight Loss in Adults with Diabetes Following an Intervention Regarding Glycemic Index. Patient Educ Couns. 2009; 76(2):213-9.

Tim Radak published the article:

Barnett TD, Barnard ND, Radak TL. Development of symptomatic cardiovascular disease after self-reported adherence to the Atkins diet. J Am Diet Assoc, 2009 Jul;109(7):1263-5.

Professor Cheryl Lee was recently recognized as a “Designated Service-Learning Faculty Member” by the Appalachian Service-Learning Faculty Task Force. This distinction recognizes and rewards faculty for their dedication to improving their teaching effectiveness, as well as engaging in scholarship/service within the service-learning field. Lee utilizes service-learning in her Adolescent Development class.

Professor Marty Root, in cooperation with the Wellness Center and the Blue Ridge Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine Clinic, will be studying the beneficial effects of the “Energize Watauga!” program.

The program is a 12-week intensive program targeting overweight children and their families at high risk for metabolic syndrome and Type 2 diabetes, funded by a grant received by the Watauga Health Department. Root will be examining changes in body weight and endothelial function, a measure of the health of the arterial system.

Results should help improve understanding of the preventable causes of diabetes, especially in this newly vulnerable young group.

Megan Rawdon, a senior nutrition major, played the role of the Arabian Doll in The Nutcracker, Dec. 13 and 14, at Farthing Auditorium. Megan, who has been dancing since the age of 3, was selected through an audition process. The performance was produced by Studio K Dance Studio. Megan graduates in May.