Autumn

Hello, I’m Autumn.
When people ask me where I’m from, I usually say South Korea to keep things simple. But to give you the fuller story, I was born in a small city called Johnson City, Tennessee, and moved around a bit within the United States. In 2011, my family and I migrated to South Korea.

Moving to Korea at a young age helped me adapt quickly to the new environment, and I picked up the language without much trouble. While I became a proud Korean citizen, I still felt like something was missing and a part of me wanted to return to the United States. I attended a boarding school that followed a Western curriculum, which helped me apply to US schools. Education in Korea is very different from that in America, and I feel blessed that I chose to study in the States. Korea is a small country with fewer opportunities, and the competition there can feel like a war.

In 2022 I got a one way flight ticket thinking I was finally returning to my homeland even though Korea felt more like home. Coming back to the United States was an entirely different experience. I have grown into a very different person compared to when I was seven. The States still feel strange and new to me, but I like that I have the chance to reconnect with my birthplace. Now, in 2025, I'm thriving as a Biology major at the University of Georgia, dreaming of becoming a dentist, and wondering where life will take me next.