sunny-lee-story.pngHave you ever tasted the sweetness of choosing the right verb for your sentence? You feel a little butterfly in your stomach and a tiny lump in your throat. This is what I have felt in the Candler Writing Center. 

I, as an international student from South Korea, understand the difficulty of writing in a second language. This game is not only about vocabularies, but also about a different writing style. I used to describe such a situation as losing my magic wand. As a former journalist in my undergrad university, I had a good reputation for my writing in Korean. Letting go of my wand and legacy required a mourning process. 

However, I was not there alone. My tutors in the Candler Writing Center have accompanied me through the process. I have been given a privilege to take my every paper to the tutors. I enjoyed learning linguistic differences with underlying cultural connotation of words, by which I can also compare the different way of thinking between South Korea and America.

Let’s pause here. Because I do not want to finish here with a cliché, “Thank you, you helped me with grammar.”

My favorite part is having someone who wants to understand my ideas. We discuss what my ideas are, how to make them more persuasive, and how to articulate the ideas with different expressions. In addition, the tutors are Candler students with theological knowledge, which makes communication more interesting. Through such a process I not only develop my essays but also sharpen my ideas. Gratefully, I am becoming more confident in academic writing. Academic writing in English is now a new game in which I am gaining another magic wand. 

I need to mention that the Candler Writing Center is for both domestic and international students. I hope and believe if there is anyone coming back to school after their first career or who feels nervous about academic writing, they would find great support and enjoyment in Candler’s Writing Center.