Welch uses language skills in South Korea

Brianna Welch has taken the skills she gained at the University of North Georgia (UNG) across the world and embarked on a unique and rewarding career path.

After earning her bachelor's degree in East Asian studies from UNG in 2021, Welch studied abroad in South Korea that summer, then started work on a master's degree in Korea University's Graduate School of International Studies in fall 2022. She earned her master's in 2024 and began working for MAKESTAR, a company that hosts events that help music fans to meet K-pop "idols."

After starting as an intern and initially focusing on more technical aspects, Welch transitioned into a role concentrated more on planning for K-pop idols' fan events in Europe and North America. She still works based out of South Korea. Much of the foundation she received came in Korean language courses taught by Dr. Jiyoung Daniel, a UNG associate professor of Korean.

"Without a doubt, the language and culture-related etiquette skills I learned at UNG really helped," Welch said. "When I first came to Korea, I already spoke basic Korean and knew the basics of the culture, so I didn't have much of a culture shock. My professors really helped push me, and that's helped me to accomplish things I wouldn't have even originally considered."

The hours are long for Welch, but she is doing something she loves and seeing the world.

"I've been on several business trips to countries I had never been to before like Thailand and Taiwan, so I'm really enjoying traveling while getting to work with idol groups," Welch said. "And it feels really rewarding to know the fans are enjoying the events, too."

Welch also excelled in competitions while she was at UNG. She won a Korea Culture Award at the annual Korean Speech Contest hosted virtually by the South Korean Cultural Ministry in October 2020. She recorded a three-minute talk connecting her grandfather's role as an interpreter to the story of a Korean solider in the Hungnam Evacuation that saved more than 14,000 lives during the Korean War.

She followed her success later in fall 2020 with a first-place finish in the most advanced non-heritage level of the third annual Southeastern Korean Speech Contest. There, she expanded her talk to five minutes for a live Zoom call and competed against students from Auburn University, Duke University, Emory University, Georgia State University, Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State University, University of Georgia, and Vanderbilt University.

Daniel, who regularly visits South Korea, was able to meet up with Welch on a recent trip. None of Welch's success in embracing the Korean culture surprises Daniel.

"Brianna was very capable and easily approachable. She was a well-rounded student," Daniel said. "I provided a foundation of the Korean language, but Brianna's dedication and perseverance allowed her to come this far."