Studying abroad empowers finance student to go outside of her comfort zone – VCU News

By Amelia Heymann
University Public Affairs

Emma Johnson, a junior in the School of Business, is currently taking courses at Korea University after dreaming of studying abroad since her freshman year.

She is one of three Virginia Commonwealth University students who were awarded a 2022 Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, which was established to help American students study abroad. In addition to the $4,500 from Gilman, she was awarded an additional $1,000 from the Presidential International Education Award through VCU.

Johnson said her family traveled around when she was growing up, which helped spark her wanderlust.

“And I really just liked the idea of going out and exploring a new country on my own and studying in a new place, in a new environment with different people than I’m used to,” she said.

She was limited on where she could go due to COVID-19, but Johnson ended up choosing South Korea. She arrived there in February and will return to the U.S. on July 6. As a finance major, Johnson was intrigued by how South Korea transformed from an underdeveloped country to one of the most developed nations in a matter of decades. She was also interested in how South Korea’s nature and infrastructure coexist.

“I looked at all the scenery and I fell in love with all the pictures,” she said.

In addition to finance and business courses, Johnson said she has been taking Korean language and tabletop tennis…