7,000 Miles From Home, Korean Fulbright Recipient Built Community at Georgetown
Excerpt reposted from the Graduate Studies main page:
By Katie Rice | May 7, 2026
Ever since she began reading English-language novels in middle school in Seoul, South Korea, Seyoung Kim (G’26) hoped to study literature in the United States.
She was fascinated by American authors like Edgar Allan Poe, who illustrate the physical and psychological health of society through the lens of fiction. Kim’s dual interests in literature and medicine led her to a niche in the medical humanities.
A Fulbright Foreign Student Program grant, paired with an acceptance to Georgetown’s M.A. in English program, made her dream a reality. Kim’s first trip to the U.S. coincided with her move to D.C. in 2024.
“It wasn’t easy, but I had real passion for the field I’m studying in and the research that I wanted to do,” Kim said.
Seyoung Kim presents her research. (Courtesy of Seyoung Kim)
Georgetown’s interdisciplinary emphasis has given Kim the opportunity to pursue advanced research in the medical humanities. Her thesis focuses on how 19th- and 20th-century literature portrayed health stigmas in the American South and influenced public perception of the region.
Kim graduates this spring with numerous accolades for her thesis-related research, including a Georgetown Medical Humanities Fellowship, a voters’ choice award at a campus-wide research showcase and presentations at local and regional symposia.
Mentorship and encouragement from her department, and connections around Georgetown, made these accomplishments possible and spurred Kim’s acceptance to a Ph.D. program, she said.
“Georgetown’s vibrant community and the immense support from the English department helped me build lasting relationships and maximize and actualize my potential in my research and studies,” Kim said. “I will cherish these wonderful memories at Georgetown.”