UCR Extension Honors South Korean Students Who Interned at Riverside City Hall

February 7, 2007

UCR Extension honored five University of Seoul students from South Korea Thursday for successfully completing a four-week internship program with the city of Riverside.

The pilot program, administered by International Education Programs (IEP) at UCR Extension, placed Korean students in Riverside's city government. "It was so successful, we are considering offering the internship program on a regular basis," said Program Coordinator Karen Diamond.

"We are excited to work with the University of Seoul and the city of Riverside to develop this program," said David Propst, IEP's deputy director. "The cultural and informational exchange between the University of Seoul students and the officials at City Hall will no doubt be of benefit to both cities."

The students, who aspire to positions in city government, worked in various departments with the city of Riverside, including traffic, urban planning and the mayor's office.

The students brought with them a wealth of worldly experience.

Before coming to California, Sung Hee Park, 23, worked as an assistant at Seoul City Hall in Korea and lived in the United Kingdom for one year. Yoonjeong Lee, 23, served as an international volunteer, building cities in India and Mongolia. Ah Ra Cho, 23, worked as assistant manager at the Asahi Family Restaurant in New Zealand and interned in the public transportation division at Seoul City Hall. Susan Sojin Youn, 21, is a third-level black belt in Tae Kwon Do and also volunteered in India painting walls and caring for children. Seung Sang Lee, 24, has a patent on a new "waste removal device" and worked as an assistant in an air pollution researching school for the 2002 World Cup.

The students worked on a number of projects during their four-week stay. Park learned how to design intersections and public parking spaces using AutoCAD. She also toured Riverside streets examining existing road problems. Younjeong Lee worked with the mayor's Clean and Green task force and researched food-recycling practices in Korea and the U.S. for the city of Riverside. Cho modified Riverside's city maps using her GIS skills and researched the locations of Riverside child care homes for the Planning Department. Youn worked in the Economic Development Department attending numerous meetings between city officials and local business representatives. Seung Sang Lee researched information for Riverside's Rideshare Program and came up with alternative names for the program, including the Clean Commute Options Program.

All of the students are expected to earn their bachelor's degrees from the University of Seoul within the next two years. For more information, feel free to contact Karen Diamond at (951) 827-1700.