On a beautiful walk with my sister in Japan, starting off the new year together.
NAME: Kevin Huynh
MAJOR: Business Administration/Finance
PROGRAM: SJSU Exchange – City University of Hong Kong – Fall 2024
EMAIL: kevin.t.huynh02@sjsu.edu
BIO: I had always wanted to study abroad since I found out about it in high school. But taking the community college route, I had the fixed mindset that studying abroad was only for undergrad students straight out of high school. When I found out that I was still able to, I made sure to do so when I arrived at SJSU. Why did I want to go abroad? I initially wanted to go overseas because I knew that there was a world out there that was beautiful in scenery, culture, and people. I also crave experiences. I live life to the fullest, knowing that tomorrow is not promised, and I believe in connecting with others who share different experiences. Ultimately, my goal is to find peace, and a key aspect of that is understanding others. To understand others, you must connect with people outside your comfort zone and understand their motivations and thought processes. And once you can understand others and look at situations from multiple perspectives, then you can have that chance with peace.
GOALS: What were your goals for studying abroad?
Personal: Experience life outside the US, immerse myself in other cultures; find a life purpose and have an idea of what I want to do; grow connections with people all over the world through networking.
Academic: learn finance outside of the USA; earn a degree untraditionally; excel in every class I take
Professional: learn a new language to build a resume, build a stronger and valued network; get a job through study abroad experiences.
PERSONAL GROWTH: What was the biggest impact that your study abroad experience had on you?
The most significant impact studying abroad had on me is how I view the world and connect with others.
ACADEMICS: How would you describe your academic experience abroad?
I took four courses. I took Fundamentals of Finance, Global Marketing, Mandarin, and Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Global Business. Those courses were not easy to obtain at City University of Hong Kong. This is not my fault, but just how the systems operate. It did affect my academics coming back, as my graduation got pushed back a whole semester.
CAREER: What skills did you learn / sharpen during your study abroad experience? Studying abroad helped me learn how to work with others better. I always worked with diverse groups, but this time it was different. Working with students abroad was a bit more challenging due to a language barrier. Additionally, I learned how to really listen. Going abroad, I realized I was living in a small bubble, with little concern for the outside world unless it directly affected me. I sat and listened and listened and listened.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: How has your immersion impacted your perspectives on the world? It changed everything. It changed the way I look at situations, think, and process certain situations. Connecting with people from diverse backgrounds and stories gave me a sense of belonging. Being able to communicate with others around the world and listen to their stories gives you so much perspective on how to look at the world. I have really adopted a mindset of being a global citizen.
FUTURE: How has study abroad prepared you for your future? Studying abroad changed my life. It gave me a new outlook on life. It connected me with new lifelong friends from all over the world. I am prepared to look at any situation, not just within proximity, but globally.
TIPS: What advice would you give to future Global Spartans?
Every school has its approach to course selection, so make sure that is the number one task you focus on, not only for graduation purposes, but also for scheduling purposes when you are abroad. Obtaining the proper schedule will give you the opportunity to pursue other things as well. Second, connect with SJSU students who are traveling to the same country as you. This will be very helpful when entering the country. My final advice is to live life to the fullest and take advantage of this opportunity. Not everyone gets this opportunity.