Bridging Identities in the IB Curriculum

Ava Hill is a rising junior at Chadwick International. Her perspective highlights not only the spatial differences that stem from the distance between the US and South Korea, but also those within a multicultural family. Ava travels frequently to her home state, Idaho, which enables her to stay in touch with her American cultural heritage. Her experiences with a North American school curriculum, similar to that of the US, in a spatially Korean background provide meaningful takeaways regarding cohesion.

Sieun: Please introduce yourself and your national background..

Ava: Hi! My name is Ava Hill; I attend Chadwick International, and I am half Korean and half American. My mom is Korean, and my Dad is American! I lived in Idaho all of elementary school, then moved to Songdo in middle school. I am now 16 years old.

Sieun: What are some cultural differences you felt between your state and Songdo?

Ava: In Idaho, it was a very small town and open spaces to play with friends, compared to Songd,o which is more of a city and busier and faster paced. While living in Idaho, we lived in a standard 3-story suburban house with a backyard, a garden, and a baseball hoop. In Songdo, I live in a very small, cute apartment with lots of stuff around my apartment! We can walk to so many stores for anything you need, unlike in Idaho, where you usually need to drive!!

Sieun: How does doing the IB curriculum and following mostly North American academic and cultural standards at school, while spatially residing in South Korea, affect your identity? 

Ava: Doing IB in Korea has made my school experience very different from the North American high school experience. At CI my school follows some of the North America cultural influences, the academics standards are much much more intense and focused on the grades, compared to my friends school in Idaho where they want to emphasize more on enjoying high school life, sports, dating, etc. living in korea but learning in an international IB environment has made me into someone who works hard and pushes for academic success. Still, it also makes me aware of trying to balance achievement with enjoying school life.

Sieun: Is there anything different in your ‘day in the life’ abroad (including traveling) and in Songdo?

Ava: In Songdo I can walk to school in around 10 minutes, compared to Idaho, where you drive around 20 minutes to get to school!! I am able to travel around countries in Asia and for much cheaper!

Ava’s interview highlights the many differences that are noticeable in daily life between Songdo and Idaho. She explains how the difference in the size of land, and the following changes in transportation or form of housing are one of the greatest adaptations her family made while moving to Korea. Ava also notes that she experienced more academic pressure and a focus on grades, which was a common trend noticeable from almost every interview including a change to, not always a Korean school system, but a spatially Korean setting.