Dominique Brown studied abroad with ISA in Seoul, South Korea in summer 2018 and is a former Global Ambassador at Mississippi State University before graduating in May 2020. Dominique works for Blax Seoul, which is a social platform for Black folks interested in South Korean culture. Dominique talks about how her time abroad in Seoul impacted her, both personally and professionally, particularly because this is how she met the CEO of Blax Seoul! We reached out to Dominique to learn more.
1.Tell me about Blax Seoul and your position as a Team Lead!
Blax Seoul is social platform for Black people interested in South Korean culture. Our goal is to provide a safe space for Black people to create, learn, and explore South Korean culture through different forms of media. Our site features bloggers, Youtubers, Podcast hosts, designers, musical artists, and Influencers from all over the world interested in sharing their thoughts and experiences. We have a Twitter, Instagram, YouTube Channel, Pinterest, and even our own merchandise site.
As a Team Lead, I help manage projects contributors provided, whether it is YouTube projects, podcasts, artwork submissions, video editing, etc. I help make sure they have everything they need and that everything runs smoothly. I also assist Blax Seoul’s executive team with various tasks assigned. For example, I help run Blax Seoul’s Pinterest and merchandise site.
2. How did your experience studying abroad in Seoul influence your role with Blax Seoul?
I come from Mississippi, which is in the Southern part of the United States. As an African American woman from the South, being interested in Asian culture can be seen as out of the ordinary. However, deciding to study abroad in Seoul was one of the best decisions I have ever made. This is how I met the CEO of Blax Seoul, who was in the same study abroad program as me. So, without her, I may have never heard of Blax Seoul in the first place.
3. What skills did you gain from your time abroad in Seoul and how do you use those skills today?
Being in South Korea helped develop my cultural awareness skills. It helped open my eyes to understanding cultural differences and strengthened my leadership skills. I was the President of the Korean Pop Culture Club at Mississippi State University during that time, so being in South Korea helped me learned new things to share with my club members so they, too, could gain a better understanding of Korean culture.
4. Have you picked up any new skills or hobbies since graduating in May?
I have been self-teaching myself Korean, which has been going well so far. I knew how to read Hangul and some of the basic phrases when I first went to South Korea, but lately I have been focusing on strengthening my language skills. I’ve been watching a lot more TV shows in Korean and have been buying more books to help me with grammar to prepare me for when I go back!
5. As a recent graduate, what advice would you give to a current college senior?
Considering what is going on in the world, things can seem tough and as if things might not work out, but please do not give up. You have come so far for you not to see it through. Prepare for the future, but also do not forget to live in the present.
Inspired by Dominique’s journey and want to discover your own while immersing yourself in an abroad experience? Fill out your details below to let our team know and we’ll help you find your adventure today!
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