16 October 2014 at 9:00 am
Alumni invaluable at fairs
Alexandra Ferretti of Wanganui High School invited former student Sujin Yoon to help promote the school at the September Study Abroad Fair in Seoul, South Korea.
A first-time participant at an international education fair, Alexandra was keen to present Wanganui High School from both a student and staff perspective. She was very pleased with the results.
“Sujin has an insider’s knowledge of our school and the New Zealand education system. Students and parents felt as if they were getting a genuine opinion from Sujin, not just from a marketer selling a product,” said Alexandra.
For her part, Sujin was delighted to give something back. She studied over years 9 to 13 at Wanganui High School, finishing in 2008, and was keen to share her experience with others considering doing similar.
“It’s been really special. I never thought I could do this and help people by explaining my thoughts and experiences,” said Sujin.
Sujin says she finds New Zealanders “incredibly friendly, welcoming and open”. The best part of school for her was the opportunity to choose from a wide range of subjects such as drama, photography and psychology.
On returning to Korea Sujin completed a BA in English literature and business at Dankook University. Now seeking the right professional path for her, she currently teaches English to high school students part-time.
“I felt very sad that they were memorising the vocabulary but couldn’t actually use the words in a sentence. I do lots of speaking and listening with them – once they get used to it, they find it really fun.”
Regional Director Lisa Futschek said: “It was great to see Alexandra and Sujin working so well together. In addition to the essential Korean language skills Sujin brought to the discussions, it was clear the families valued the opportunity to speak directly with a Korean student who had studied recently in New Zealand.”
Alexandra was in no doubt about the benefits of having a member of the Wanganui High alumni on her stand: “If Sujin hadn’t been there with me, we wouldn’t have achieved what we did. The conversations were fruitful and authentic. For me it was like having family with me on our booth.”
And it truly is a family affair at the high school - Sujin’s brother is currently finishing his year 13 studies at Wanganui High School.
