Hae Hee Joung, Class of 2009

Hometown: Kathmandu, Nepal

Citizenship: South Korean

High School: Lincoln School in Kathmandu, Nepal

Major: Communications
Minor: Art

Hae Hee first heard about Lewis & Clark College when she spoke with her high school counselor Tom Goetz. "He had a poster of Lewis & Clark in his office and he pulled up the Lewis & Clark website on his computer. My first impression was 'Wow! What a beautiful campus.'" "The more I learned about Lewis & Clark, the more I liked it. It seemed very international, which was a must. I liked the fact that it was a liberal arts college and that it offered a degree in communications."

Hae Hee applied to several universities on the East Coast but Lewis & Clark was the only one on the West Coast. "I was accepted at all of the other schools, but I knew from my interactions with Lewis & Clark students and staff that L&C was the place for me." Hae Hee began conversing by email with two Lewis & Clark students who also attended Lincoln School. That correspondence helped her make her decision.

In her first year, Hae Hee lived in Platt West, the Fine Arts theme hall. Her roommate Caroline was from Portland, Maine and proved to be "awesome." "My freshman year was like a roller coaster. In the first couple of months, things went by very slowly, then the whole year flew by with lots of ups and downs, ups and downs." Hae Hee credits Caroline with helping her survive the freshman year and feels that she learned a lot from her. "She taught me a lot about American culture, the way things work, the terms Americans used. Who knew that 'That's so sick' really meant 'That's so cool.'"

Hae Hee loved her History of Western Art course in the fall semester of her first year. Her professor was Dr. Benjamin David, Assistant Professor of Art. "The content was very interesting, but Professor David had a way of making it all very personal. He showed slides everyday and the work load was crazy, but he was a wonderful teacher and made the art come alive. I loved that course."

Hae Hee spent a lot of time on her studies during the first year. She thinks students really need to work on their time management skills and their independence before flying off to another country for school. "Learn to do things on your own before going off to school. And, be sure to get yourself organized and focused."

In her free time during her first year, Hae Hee joined the dance team for the Luau. She had never known much about Polynesian culture or dance, but found it fun and exciting. "There are so many ethnic groups at Lewis & Clark and it was a lot of fun working with students interested in Tahitian dance."