Oh has had an interesting experience since coming to STLCC in 2019
BY: MORGAN DANIELS
Staff Writer
Hanalai Oh is a South Korean international student from Seoul. She started at St. Louis Community College-Meramec in the fall of 2019. She’s pursuing an Associate of Science in Business Administration and aspires to transfer to her dream school, The University of Texas at Austin.
In grade school, Oh developed a particular interest in English. While English was a part of the education system in Korea, Oh said, “It was more focused on writing and reading, not much speaking.” To gain more experience with the language, she decided to attend school in the states and moved to St. Louis because her father had a friend in the city. She and her family decided community college was a good starting point and the more affordable option. However, Oh struggled to receive adequate scholarships to fund her tuition.
As an international student, she cannot submit a Federal Application for Student Aid (FAFSA), and many of the scholarships provided by STLCC require a FAFSA report. “I have to pay all of my tuition,” Oh said, “it’s a lot of pressure, but I knew that coming to STLCC.” To help fund her education, she is a part-time economics tutor. Though demand is low, and the pay isn’t much, Oh prioritizes studying and practicing her English. “I need extra study than American students because it’s not my first language,” she said, “I put pretty much all my time into studying. Not just the material but English.” Nevertheless, Oh tries to find time to hang out with friends and experience life in St. Louis.
When Oh started at STLCC, she tried to get involved with a few clubs, like the International Club, but she had to return home early in the spring semester because of the pandemic. She worked for the next year and a half, pausing her academic progress.
When she returned to campus, the clubs and activities on campus waned. “It’s a bummer that I wasn’t able to experience something that I could’ve before since the pandemic happened,” she said. Despite not being able to participate in clubs, Oh maintains a balanced social life. She gained a group of friends in a marketing class of six students in the fall of 2021. While there aren’t many chances to talk to one another on campus, she also has friends in her community, and in her free time, she rock climbs at Upper Limits.
After Meramec, Oh plans to obtain a BA in Business Administration and return to South Korea. She wants to use her business education to open an English education center for Korean students.
