What did CBNU students do during their summer vacation? Some students may have studied, and some may have found a part-time job. Recently, many students are participating in overseas volunteer work during their vacation. Among them, CBT met Shin Hyun-tae(’13, Dept. of Nursing Science), the CBNU Overseas Volunteer Team leader, and listened to his volu nteer stories. -Ed

1. Please introduce the CBNU Overseas Volunteer Team

  The CBNU Overseas Volunteer Team visited Jungam Village in China, where Chungbuk residents were forced to move to during the Japanese colonial period. We met the elders and got a deeper understanding of their traditional culture like Cheongju Arirang, which is a traditional Korean song. After that, we did medical volunteer work for them. In addition, the CBNU Overseas Volunteer Team provided education for students at Yangsoo Elementary and Middle School.

2. What was the reason for your participation in overseas volunteer work?

  As a nursing student at the National University of Korea, I applied to help the Jungam seniors and Korean-Chinese students, despite the great distance from CBNU. The reason why I volunteered to be a team leader on this team was that I wanted to gain experience as a team leader. I want to become a medical person in the future and set up a volunteer team and go around the world. I think this experience will develop my ability.

3. What was the most important event during the overseas volunteer work?

  The most impressive part of the overseas volunteer work was the medical work. While we were busy preparing to volunteer in China, the nursing students, including myself, took time to learn about hypertension, diabetes, and dementia. I was worried that medical education would be too difficult to understand. However, I was proud to see everyone pay attention and listen carefully. In addition, we conducted simple medical tests. Although these tests were simple, the images of holding their hands under the gaze of their thankful eyes remain vivid in my mind.

4. What was the hardest part of your volunteer work?

  We went to YangSu school near JeongAm Village and taught the students for 4 days. At that time, language communication was the most difficult. Of the 20 CBNU Overseas Volunteer Team members, there were only two people who spoke Chinese, including me. Therefore, classes for the Chinese students were not easy. During the preparation process, all the games and ideas for the class had to be prepared separately, and simultaneous interpretation had to be done so that everyone could understand during the class. It was the hardest time for me to translate everything because I lacked Chinese fluency.

5. Please give some advice to any students who are preparing for overseas volunteer work.

  I have seen a lot of students who have vague fears about overseas volunteer work. They assume that they need to be very good at English, and they think it will be difficult to help others in other countries. I was one of those students who thought that way. However, I learned that my fears were unwarranted. Even if communication is difficult, they will know your honesty if you treat them with sincerity. In addition, the team members will help you. I hope that CBNU students will courageously attempt to do overseas volunteer work because it is an opportunity that does not come easily.

By Jung Jun-hoe
 jjh38@cbnu.ac.kr