Local college student gives Korean kids a taste of U.S.

Jeffrey James Blair decided to to sample a taste of the real world this summer.

So J.J., as he's known, a 19-year-old Rostraver Township resident who's attending Harvard University, enrolled in a paid, three-month summer program through the university that sends students overseas to prep foreign students who plan to attend American colleges.

"I wanted to travel," he said. "I've spent the last 13 years of my life in Belle Vernon so I wanted to get up and get out a little bit and view another aspect of the world."

Blair, son of Jim and Roberta Blair, joined a group of student teachers from other universities and set off in June for Seoul, Korea, to help teenagers there learn about American schools.

Blair said he shared his knowledge of chemistry, physics and mathematics with a classroom of Korean high school students.

It was his job to also teach the children about what is expected at American colleges and universities.

"It was the equivalent of a college counseling center or a private tutoring center," he said.

Blair said he had to encourage his students to speak up in the classroom.

"They never speak in class. Their heads are always turned down to their desks, almost afraid to answer," he said. "You have to combat it at some point because they're literally afraid to express themselves.

"I wanted to hear people talking about their opinions... how they were individuals. The individuality of Americans was what I missed the most."

Blair said Korean parents strongly influence their children's educational paths and career choices.

"They feel like they owe it all to their parents, therefore their parents make most of their decisions ... what they're going to do with the rest of their lives," he said. "Korean parents devote something like 70 to 80 percent of their income to their kids. They really invest highly in their education. They typically send them to the best private schools. Many times that means sending them to the United States."

Blair said it was an honor to be an American ambassador.

"Having Harvard's name there is probably bigger than it is here," he said.

During his trip, Blair himself became a student - to the Korean culture.

He was impressed by the strong Korean work ethic.

"A lot of their lives are based on having personal possessions," he said. "And they seemed to be so overworked."

Blair said he routinely worked about 12 hours per day.

"The kids were actually expected to be at the school for about 14 hours a day on their parents' orders," he said.

The Belle Vernon Area High School graduate said he had to learn to exercise restraint in the workplace.

"Korean culture dictates that you don't talk back to your boss - ever," he said. "It's almost like a game to get what you need or want from your boss."

Korea is technologically superior to America, with gadgets on the market years in advance, Blair said.

"Their cell phones and laptops are at least a couple of years ahead of us," he said.

Blair said he was able to have some conversations in English, but being American came with a price at times.

"(Speaking) English wasn't that much of a problem except for the fact that it's automatically assumed that you have an enormous amount of money," he said. "Especially when you go shopping, they like to say they cut you deals because you're American but for some reason the deals seem really expensive."

Blair said he picked up bits of the Korean language. He said he learned "the little things that would get you a cell phone if you needed to call somebody and how to be a little bit socially proper."

The change in lifestyle was hectic and stressful for Blair, and he occasionally became homesick.

"A couple of weeks in, you really start to realize there are things you're going to miss about your home country," he said. "You get to a point where rice and noodles don't look quite so appetizing.

"It was like 99.9 percent Korean. There's no racially diversity like there is in the United States."

Blair said he was fortunate that his Harvard roommate also signed up for the trip. The two shared an apartment.

When his plane landed back in the U.S. a few weeks ago, Blair was happy to join his American friends in singing patriotic songs.

"We were ready to be back in the U.S., there's no doubt about that," he said with a laugh. "I definitely have a greater appreciation of my home country."

Now that he has returned to his homeland, Blair admitted that his cultural journey was a bit much.

"I would definitely recommend it for an experience, but for a shorter time period," he said.

"And I would recommend it only if they are prepared for a heavy amount of stress and emotional turmoil. By the end of the trip, I just wanted to come back."

Blair said he came away for the trip with a much broader view of the world.

"It really opened my eyes to the idea of how another developed country can have an entirely different perspective on the world," he said. "Our fears, hopes and dreams are so completely different from the Korean lifestyle. Our perceptions of the world are completely different. Staying there for a long time really shows the freedom that we have."

Blair is studying astronomy and astrophysics at Harvard, hoping to begin a career in biotechnology once he earns his diploma.

Because of his Korean experience, becoming a teacher is not on his career list.

"I have a much greater amount of respect for my high school teachers," he said.

He said he plans to return to Korea one day, but isn't in a rush to do so.

"It will be a few years before I make it back," he said.