Seijin Tranberg enrolled at Georgia
Reaching ever higher, he was elected
“I think unification of the Korean
Gwinnett College with no clear
president of the Student Government
peninsula will happen in our lifetimes,
direction, but thanks to the inspiration
Association for 2011-12 and re-elected
and it will be one of the greatest op-
and support of faculty and some deep
the following year.
portunities for international cooperation
soul searching, he is now on a mission to affect international change. “After high school, I took a step back
and conflict resolution,” he said. “The U.S., China and the Koreas have an excit-
sharper focus.
ing future, and I hope to be involved in
to accept my faults and immaturities,
“Until then, my major was unde-
realizing they weren’t conducive to a
cided,” he said. “But with the help of
sustainable, happy lifestyle,” Tranberg
Dr. Damian and Dr. Anthony Pinder, the
said. “I knew I wanted to be happy. Who
college’s first director of International-
Chinese and Japanese, Tranberg has
doesn’t? But to do so, I felt that I had
ization, I earned an alternate position
continued his academic career’s fast
to be a more conscientious and selfless
for a prestigious national fellowship that
pace while in South Korea. He spent his
person with purpose and direction.”
selected only 20 students. Being that
first semester teaching English to high
close to winning convinced me that I
school students. During the 2014 spring
had potential in political science.”
semester, he began studying for the
Ready to pursue a college degree in 2009, he enrolled at GGC because it was close to home, where he was helping raise his younger brothers.
With a clearer academic vision,
solving some of the social and developmental challenges that lie ahead.” Conversational in Korean, Mandarin
GRE, preparing a student team for the
Tranberg, who is Japanese-American,
U.S. Embassy-funded Youth Diplomacy
incorporated study abroad programs
and Activism Conference (YDAC), as-
but I found a lot of hidden gems at
into his education. He spent a summer
sisting in the YDAC diplomacy program,
GGC,” he said. “I realized I could be
at the University of the Virgin Islands
and leading weekly tutoring sessions.
a ‘big fish in a small pond,’ and help
in a global leadership program. He also
develop the campus community, so I
spent a semester in China in an intensive
by being selected as an orientation co-
decided to stay.”
Mandarin Chinese language program
ordinator for more than 70 incoming Ful-
that included courses in foreign policy,
bright Scholars, and will help develop
culture and sociology.
an intensive six-week summer program
“I planned to transfer after two years,
Tranberg’s rigorous schedule included an off-campus, part-time job, serving as one of the college’s first resident
GGC selected Tranberg to attend
assistants, and later jobs as a sushi chef,
the annual Student Conference on U.S.
a waiter and a retail salesperson.
Affairs at West Point Academy. There,
He recently earned yet another honor
to prepare them for their South Korean Fulbright experiences. As if Tranberg’s schedule
he met Rhodes Scholar finalists, as
wasn’t busy enough, he also
was inspired to take on leadership re-
well as Truman and Fulbright Scholars
is independently researching
sponsibilities through the support of his
who encouraged him to apply for these
the social dynamics of South
professors in his freshman year, notably
highly-competitive programs. Realizing
Korean millennials regarding
Drs. Jessica Damian and Jen Wunder,
his strong desire to examine interna-
increasing acceptability of
both then associate professors of English,
tional problems and work towards their
tattoos and other traditionally
and Drs. Keith and Amy Erickson, both
solutions, he applied for a Fulbright
taboo topics – a sign of a
associate professors of mathematics.
Scholarship in 2013 and won.
changing society.
Despite his hectic schedule, Tranberg
“Having accomplished professors
Tranberg opted to spend his Fulbright
“I’ve found that each generation is
who saw potential in me helped me
year in South Korea because he believes
markedly different from those before,” he
believe in myself,” he said. He was an
the Koreas and China will play larger
said. “In three generations, South Korea
influential leader in the Greenlight Ac-
political and economic roles in the
has gone from a war-torn, farm-based
tivities Board, founded the International
coming decades.
Affairs Society and started discussions about establishing honor societies.
4
By Tranberg’s sophomore year, his interest in global leadership came into
I
Ge orgia Gwinne t t C ollege
Tranberg’s
