John Wade: Study Abroad Spotlight

John Wade, an Accounting major with an Honors' Bachelor's Certificate, recently studied abroad at Dankook University in Yongin, South Korea.

Wade came to Ferris State in 2020 during the height of COVID-19. Because of this, Study Abroad program shut down and did not reopen until Fall 2023. Once Wade heard that the program was opening back up, he started talking to the Office of International Education to learn more about the process of studying abroad and his options.

While abroad, Wade instructed an advanced English tutoring program at Dankook University.

"This class consisted of five Dankook students," Wade said. "The program was 13 weeks, and we met for 3 hours each week."

Wade also took a beginner conversational Korean class while at the university to learn Korean from a native speaker.

"After attending this class for a few weeks, I was able to travel comfortably knowing that I could ask for directions, order food, and even haggle prices with street vendors," he said.

Wade noted that studying abroad helps one to gain more knowledge in other countries and to become more immersed in the culture there. During his studies, Wade spent four days traveling through Busan, "I explored the Gamcheon culture village, which had lots of cool shops and sites to see. The Jagalchi Fish Market was full of fresh seafood. I even ate live octopus. I also visited Haedong Yonggungsa Temple. It's right on the ocean, which makes it very beautiful," Wade said. 

Along with traveling through Busan, he also lived with the Buddhist monks at the Jikjisa Temple in Gimcheon for three days.

"While I was there, I learned about the religion, their culture, and way of life. I was able to experience a lot at this temple, including morning chanting with the sunrise at 4:30 a.m.," Wade said.

Along with participating in Ferris State's Study Abroad program, Wade is an active member of several programs. He was the president of the Accounting Association; however, he stepped down from his role to study abroad. Last year, Wade started volunteering through the VITA program, "This program helps low-income families and individuals that cannot afford to file their taxes," he said. "The program will be starting again this February, and I am looking forward to helping again."

Before leaving for South Korea, Wade helped organize Bulldogs Mean Business as the Accounting Association representative.

Wade is set to graduate in May 2024. While this study abroad experience might not have assisted in deciding his professional future, he learned more about South Korean culture and believes learning about other cultures is essential for growth.