My name is James Haider and I am a Senior from the GMU Korea campus pursuing a Global Affairs degree with a concentration in Media, Culture, and Communication. In my second and final semester on the Fairfax campus, I had the wonderful opportunity of an internship with Radio Washington and Miju News, a Korean-language radio station and newspaper. There, I experienced the ins and outs of broadcasting and journalism in a global environment, with an added focus on recruiting a diverse range of advertisers for both platforms.
This opportunity gave not only valuable experience in technical areas such as newspaper publishing and logistics, radio broadcast equipment and regulations, but also gave me the opportunity to interact with a diverse array of experts in the industry. I was able to do so much in such a short time, from creating websites to setting up a recording studio from scratch, recruiting advertisers, interviewing political candidates and much more.
What I enjoyed the most was the work environment and responsibility. I was given assignments and projects like any other employee, which allowed me to really get a taste of life after graduation. I was presented with a mountain of responsibility but I decided to take it on nonetheless. It is impossible to know what you want to do in your career unless you try it out. Even if journalism is not exactly my intended career field, my work in marketing and customer communication has shaped my goals for the future, as I intend to pursue a communication position at an NGO or activist organisation.
Throughout my time in Global Affairs, the skills I gained in the classroom in research, design, policy, and communication directly impacted the experiences at Radio Washington, helping my success in a new work environment. My time spent at Mason Korea was invaluable, as I got to experience a new culture which I have come to appreciate so much.
You also must remember the people in your life who got you there, through every step of the way. I am eternally grateful to friends and family who supported my decision, my wonderful colleagues from Radio Washington who guided and taught me so patiently and, finally, my supervisors who challenged and cared for my success. They all kept me going on those early mornings when I had a deadline to meet or stressful interview. For that, they all mean the world to me.
Thank you to Career Development and to GLOA which, by perfect chance, presented this opportunity to me when I had almost given up my search. As I close this chapter in my life, I look forward to the many possibilities ahead not only with the skills from this internship, but as a Global Affairs graduate to explore what the next chapter might hold.
December 16, 2022