Sharing culture throughout the community
Jinhee Huh, a senior political science major with a focus on comparative politics, is one of four international ambassadors chosen to share their culture throughout the community of Wooster through presentations to a variety of community and school groups.
Jinhee Huh doesn’t let the small town of Wooster diminish her all-encompassing world view; as a matter of fact she welcomes the dynamic through her capacity as a student ambassador with the College of Wooster’s Student Ambassadors program.
A senior political science major with a focus on comparative politics, Huh is one of four international ambassadors chosen to share their culture throughout the community of Wooster through presentations to a variety of community and school groups.
Huh comes from Myanmar, a country the size of Texas that borders on China, Laos, Thailand, India and Bangladesh.
“I attended an international school in Myanmar, so I had a different experience than most kids,” Huh said.
Huh’s father is from Korea and her mother from Myanmar. Huh was born in Yangon, Myanmar.
“I learned English at the age of 4 in the international school,” Huh said.
In high school Huh specialized in music and thought she might pursue a career in that area. “I even had a voice coach,” she said, “but I realized music was just going to be a hobby for me. My passion lay in studying politics.”
When Huh was choosing a college, she decided she wanted a smaller, more rural school because she was from the big city.
The College of Wooster had a booth at a job fair in her hometown, and she inquired about the music program. She liked what she heard and committed to come to Wooster.
“An alumna from my high school went to Wooster, and that helped me make my decision,” she said.
Once in Wooster, Huh said one thing that shocked her was the familiarity between the students and faculty. “We don’t question elders back home,” she said. “Here they encourage it.”
Huh said campus organizations such as the International Students Association and the South Asian Committee helped her assimilate to her new home.
Huh has found a couple local dining favorites: Osaka and Basil.
When Huh isn’t busy with the Student Ambassadors program, she works on campus at the APEX Learning Center, where she is an English for Speakers of Other Languages tutor for other international students.
One of Huh’s presentations is “All About the Golden Land,” a general overview about Myanmar’s culture, religion, traditions and festivals including what it is like to live in Myanmar and what to expect should you ever visit the country.
“The Education System in Myanmar” discusses education from elementary school to high school. Burmese schools are very strict, conservative and vastly different from the American educational system. The everyday routine of a Burmese student compared to that of an American student contrasts a lot, due to cultural differences.
“The Water Festival” discusses the Burmese New Year. In Myanmar, Burmese people celebrate the New Year in mid-April, and it involves being wet for four days straight. It is one of the biggest festivals celebrated in Myanmar. This presentation explores the cultural and religious meanings behind New Year celebrations.
“Nation-States in Myanmar” discusses how Myanmar has eight major ethnic groups, but there are 135 groups recognized by the government. This presentation discusses these topics while specifically looking at one group that is not recognized by the government, the Rohingyas, which has been at the center of an ethnic conflict with the government for some time.
These presentations have taken Huh around Wooster, from Parkview, to Melrose, to Kean elementary, as well as some classes at the College of Wooster and a retired teachers group.
“The retired teachers were such a respectful group, and they were very eager to learn about the education system in my home,” Huh said.
Huh said she was impressed by the elementary school students for whom she presented. “They were very energetic and enthusiastic about new information they never even heard of,” she said.
The students surprised Huh by asking about nuclear war when she mentioned that her father was Korean.
“You can always count on them asking some off-the-wall questions,” she said.
Huh said the ambassadors’ presentations are honed under the supervision of their academic advisors in a class that meets weekly.
“For example I was advised to add more visuals for a better flow,” she said, “and I added more artifacts for the kids to touch.”
Huh said it was a first-year class called human rights and wrongs that personally touched her and helped lead her to her Independent Study project focusing on ethnic conflict among Myanmar, Thailand and Sri Lanka.
Huh said she can see herself working through an nongovernmental organization to promote human rights.
Huh said she has another passion: animals. “Someday I want to have an animal shelter in Myanmar,” she said.