At the start of a new semester, Azusa Pacific University is fortunate to welcome new students. As an APU community, we welcome every new student beginning their journey at APU!
This is my sophomore year at APU and if I could do over the first, I’d take more time to reflect. Not wanting this new incoming class to have the same regret, I invited freshmen who all come from unique backgrounds, to dream of what their future experience at APU will be like. Maybe you’ll find yourself relating to some of these visions.
I come from a Korean culture. Although I lived in Chile for 15 years, I aim to be a voice for the Korean community, especially for first-year students. After speaking with several of them, I realized how difficult it can be for their voices to be heard. This article highlights the experiences and determination of these Korean freshmen, serving as a time capsule they can look back on in the future.
Yelean Jeong
Yelean Jeong, a freshman nursing major, expressed her feelings about starting college, stating:
“I’m both excited and nervous because this is my first time being independent of my parents and making a big decision in my life. My hopes and goals for the next four years are to develop a closer relationship with God through APU and always try my best in any situation, whether the outputs are good or bad. In the last few days, I’ve felt that the APU community has an excellent environment that motivates me to thrive in both my spiritual life and academics.”
Jeong also mentioned, “I’m looking forward to making many international friends and learning about different cultures. Since 11th grade, I’ve had a vision of serving God’s people through nursing with the talent He has given me, just like my parents, who are missionaries. I hope I can maintain this dedication until I graduate!”
Yihan Kang
Yihan Kang, a freshman majoring in nursing, shared his reflections on the upcoming academic year:
Kang expressed his eagerness to make new friends and succeed in his studies: “I hope to make as many new friends as possible during freshman year! I also aim to finish my freshman year in the nursing program without any difficulties.”
Kang also discussed his concerns about the inevitable challenges to come.
“However, the significant number of quizzes and assignments are the biggest obstacles I must overcome. I’m worried about whether I can survive my freshman year because I’m an international student, so my English knowledge isn’t broad enough like my peers. So, during lectures, I do not fully comprehend what the professors are saying throughout the course. Although the difficulties [make me] worry if I can succeed, I’m optimistic and looking forward to the semester,” Kang said.
Dahyun Ko
Dahyun Ko, a freshman majoring in digital marketing and design, expressed her goals for her time in college.
“The first goal and social output I seek to experience at Azusa Pacific University is academic growth. One of the reasons I decided to study abroad and attend Azusa Pacific University was the opportunity to engage with diverse perspectives and have meaningful conversations with people from different cultural backgrounds from mine. Over my four academic years, I’m eager to grow and gain a deep understanding of my interests in studies and the paths I want to follow.”
Ko continued with her second goal: spiritual growth. “My second goal is to nurture spiritual growth alongside my academic development with God. I’d consider myself a Christian, but given my current circumstances, I feel inadequate to live by faith. Through APU, I hope to envision myself gradually creating an intimate relationship with God and surrendering to him. In the past, I worried a lot about putting in the world’s expectations, which confounded me, but by putting my faith in Christ, he gave me the strength to overcome those standards, and I believe that God will solidify my faith as I did throughout my days with Him.”
Addressing the challenges of adapting to a new environment, Ko added, “Adapting to a new environment and fostering new relationships with people are significant worrying stepping stones. However, I’m confident my fear will turn comfort and worry into joy. In the future, I anticipate seeing myself grateful that I overcame every hardship with God beside me.”
Yejin Oh
Yejin Oh, a freshman digital marketing major, expressed her aspiration to broaden her horizons and form new relationships: “My hopes this semester at APU are to expand my horizons by experiencing many new things and developing new relationships with individuals from diverse backgrounds.”
Reflecting on her spiritual journey, Oh continued, “On Monday, my first day at APU, I was very nervous and unsure if I could do well alone in a foreign country far from home, my family, and the church I used to attend in my home country.”
“Oh furthermore said, “As the first week passed, I felt God whispering to me that He is my firm foundation and that when I seek Him and rely on Him, not on my strength, I believe that God will be there for me and help me throughout the hardship I will face. Through this, I feel more confident I can do everything within God. Not to forget, I promised God, set a goal that I would wake up at 6:30 every morning to meditate on His word and start the day with prayer. I’m pleased that I have kept the promise to God and put it into action for the first week of the semester, and I will try to keep it throughout the semester!”
Daniel Shin
Daniel Shin, a freshman majoring in nursing, shared his long-term aspirations and the current challenges he’s facing:
Shin talked about his hope to join the military as a combat nurse: “My hope and dream is to become a part of the military/combat nurse when I graduate from APU. However, with the amount of work and studying that comes with the nursing program, I was initially very nervous and worried that I might drop out as soon as I felt the material was getting challenging.”
Shin further continued, “Since I’m in the spring cohort, the program itself challenged me, giving me a lot of workload, which I found very hard to juggle with my social life, hobbies, etc. When I look back to myself from a couple of years ago, I hope I have achieved the goal I set for myself or headed a different path. Furthermore, I look forward to the future and am excited to see how God’s providence will direct my path.”
Yunseok Yang
Yunseok Yang, a freshman majoring in accounting and honors, envisioned his plans for his time at APU.
“The first week of the semester, I’m adapting to the new environment and developing a new perception of becoming a leader. The different programs offered at APU, especially the honors program, encourage me to learn how to be a leader in my areas of interest. Also, I firmly believe APU will allow me to become a scholar in the future and train me to become a Jesus-like leader.”
Yang further concludes his goals during his years at APU saying, “my goals throughout the four-year program at APU are to develop myself in academic success and set an example for the future generation of students at APU. I also yearn to grow more spiritually, wanting to create a deeper connection with Christ.”
Closing thoughts
This is a message from someone who has already spent a year at APU. First, I want to congratulate all of the freshmen who enrolled and felt called to attend APU! APU is a fantastic community to learn and develop a deeper connection with God. I have also gone through what it takes to be a freshman, so I deeply empathize with the work and dedication you all spend to succeed academically. I emphasize that you are all intelligent and have the power to overcome obstacles. However, I urge you to maintain a strong relationship with God and always stay in a posture of prayer to understand God’s word for you so that your spiritual strength doesn’t deplete quickly. One day, you can listen to other people’s hardships and help them replenish their spiritual strength. I will pray for each student and keep you in my prayers, including all of the freshmen at APU.